By Carmen Vela  

Staff Writer

 A few of the members of the Hispanic Student Association (HSA) at University of Mary Hardin-Baylor gathered on campus Wednesday, Feb. 4 from 5-6 p.m. in Davidson 204 to participate in the Letters for Love campaign. The purpose of the meeting was focused on spreading encouragement and compassion to migrant children through handwritten Valentine’s cards and coloring books.  

 The handwritten Valentine cards were filled with heartfelt messages both written in Spanish and English. The Letters for Love campaign has been an on-going meeting taken place from four to five years and was created to support children facing uncertainty. The cards are designed with any creativity that the students chose to portray. There are bible verses, doodles and words of encouragement presented in the cards.  According to Dr. Karla González, “The campaign is rooted in faith and service.”  

“The event started as an effort to show love and compassion, particularly to children who are going through disadvantaged circumstances,” González said. “It’s our way to show Christ’s love through the cards and through positive messages so that, while they go through difficult situations, they know that someone is praying for them, thinking about them, and showing them love and courage.”  

The students involved in the campaign said the experience was meaningful and overall wanted to have a positive message for these children. Farrah Sanchez, a junior at UMHB and member of HSA said, “I hope the cards remind children that they are not forgotten.” 

Sanchez said her involvement in HSA has had a significant impact on her college experience, encouraging her to become more involved on campus and involvement within the community.  

“I joined HSA, and at my first meeting I was already involved in a Hispanic event,” Sanchez said. “I’ve also represented HSA in the Miss MHB pageant, and the organization has really pushed me to be out there in every aspect possible.” 

The HSA program at UMHB encourages and accepts any student to join these meetings and come together to help make a positive impact and make a difference in someone’s life that is having trouble in troubled circumstances.