Penobscot woman starts global movement with Love Cards - WABI

PENOBSCOT, Maine (WABI) - All you need is love.

That famous Beatles tune is finding purpose again as we discover positives coming out of this pandemic.

Joy Hollowell introduces us to a woman in Penobscot fondly known as The Love Card lady.

"The Love Card started about four years ago, just with a simple idea of how to just let my immediate family know that they're loved."

Joanne Steenberg sent them to family and friends. The teacher even slipped some to her students.

"And it started growing from there," she says.

A bright green circle with a radiating heart is on the front. Flip it over and there's a message-

"You're holding this card because you are loved," reads Steenberg. "It delivers a powerful energy of love and self love, hold it tight, take three deep breaths and feel the love. When given away, you give the gift of love to another."

The cards are free...

"because how can I sell love cards?" asks Steenberg with a chuckle.

Steenberg started with 100. Her next printing, about 1,000.

"And now there's about 150,000 of them," she exclaims. "They've literally traveled around the world just by people giving them to other people. I mean, it was just going to be this little intimate thing. I'm glad I came up with the idea but I'm really grateful to the thousands of people that are just moving it forward in a way that I would have never imagined."

Once the pandemic hit, requests ramped up.

"It's so appreciated now more than ever," she says. "I mean, it's moved people over the years, but not- it's even more."

those that give and receive the card share their stories on Steenberg's website.

"It's such a cliche in a way, like now more than ever we really need love. But we really do."

Steenberg keeps a steady supply on hand, for those times when life tests even the toughest.

"I've had some pretty strong moments where I'm judging somebody, in some way, embarrassing to say, but I think we all do. And I slip my hand in my pocket and I think- Ah, send that person love. And the hardest people for us to love are the ones that could really use it the most."

Steenberg says she's learned a lot about love since this all started.

"It's very interesting being the love card lady," she says, smiling. "I get stories every day from somebody who got a card just in a moment when they needed it more than ever, it's so moving. But to be the one that may have given the person that card. I don't even know if there's a word to describe it."

In addition to Love Cards, Steenberg offers Love magnets and Love bumper stickers.

There is no charge to receive them. If you're able to, donations are accepted for printing charges. Steenberg uses a local company to do that.

For more information, log onto http://thelovecard.org/

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