Hoffman Estates officials and therapy animals deliver Valentine cards to isolated residents
Hoffman Estates Mayor Bill McLeod and other village officials delivered about 2,000 Valentine cards Friday to lift the spirits of people in medical and related settings across town.
A new addition to the annual Operation Love event were the therapy dogs and a mini-horse from Soul Harbour Ranch in neighboring Barrington.
But as before, the cards themselves were made by students, residents and business owners from the community.
“Several years ago, when the event launched, we were worried about collecting enough cards,” McLeod said. “Now we are overwhelmed with them — in a good way!”
Operation Love is the brainchild of the mayor’s wife, Joane, and intended to bring joy to people on Valentine’s Day with a thoughtful card.
Students throughout the school district, Girl Scout troops, business owners and even village staff have exercised their creativity to fulfill the request.
Friday’s distribution was handled by McLeod, other members of the village board and additional volunteers. Their stops included Discovery Village, Alden Poplar Creek, Ascension St. Alexius, Gigi’s Playhouse and others.
“This time of year, can be lonely for many people,” McLeod said. “These beautiful handmade cards are a perfect way to lift someone’s spirit and bring a little brightness to their day.”
Soul Harbour Ranch has a comprehensive animal therapy program that offers visits with miniature horses, dogs and even a therapy cat.
Joining Operation Love was the one of the ranch’s mini-horses, Turnabout, whose nickname is “Mr. Handsome.” Wearing his signature red with custom shoes, he was well received at the stops on his own itinerary.
Soul Harbour founder and President Jodie Diegel spoke about her passion for the therapy program.
“At every visit we aim to make a soul-to-soul connection between our animals, people we visit and the volunteers,” she said. “Our animals bring out smiles, joy, and laughter. This is true healing at its best.”
To learn more about Operation Love and how you can help next year, contact Jennifer Djordjevic, director of operations and outreach in the mayor’s office, at Jennifer.djordjevic@vohe.org.