BRENTWOOD, Tenn. (WTVF) — Even in a world that seems to be surrounded by technology, there's still nothing like a handwritten note.
Sometimes just as much thought goes into the design on the front, as the message on the inside.
"Everybody has a job that they kinda do," said Marilyn Nevens, one of the original members of the Card Crusaders at FiftyForward in Brentwood.
With various activities for adults 50 and over, this one can catch your eye like the front of a greeting card.
"If I make it til September, I'll make 100," Nevens said while chuckling.
This group has an eye for creativity. About 15-20 of them have been meeting since the mid-2000's.
"And it basically starts with cutting out a pattern," Nevens said.
These greeting cards were once sold in gift shops throughout Middle Tennessee. The focus of this group, though, is about teamwork and companionship — even when life enters a world of the unknown.
"It just kind of -- got to me," Nevens said. "My world changed."
Nevens says her husband died in 2000.
"Rather than just sit home and cry all the time, I thought I gotta get out," she said. "I still mourn him, but I found an outlet here which is wonderful."
That outlet has helped create hundreds, even thousands of these cards in such variety. There are dogs, monkeys, or other animals. They've also made cards for holidays, such as Christmas and Valentine's Day. They sold the cards in those gift shops throughout the area — until COVID. Nevens and center organizers say the cards haven't been sold in the stores anymore since.
They're hoping to get that back up and running.
"We're trying to," Nevens said.
She feels if they could get downtown where there's more traffic, it could lead to additional success. For now, the cards are sold at FiftyForward, but they're hoping that will return to the pre-pandemic normalcy.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
