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Local family's handwritten Christmas card campaign delivers connection to the LGBTQ+ community
For members of the LGBTQ+ community, rejection and isolation can cast long shadows. But one family in Buffalo Grove, Ill., is showing that something as simple as a handwritten card can bring warmth, connection and hope to those who need it most.
BUFFALO GROVE, Ill. - For members of the LGBTQ+ community, rejection and isolation can cast long shadows. But one family in Buffalo Grove, Ill., is showing that something as simple as a handwritten card can bring warmth, connection and hope to those who need it most.
The Pintas—Carolyn, her husband, Bob, and their daughter, Molly—started the effort three years ago after seeing posts from LGBTQ+ individuals asking for support during the holidays.
Through their organization, the Pinta Pride Project, they created a way for volunteers to sign up and send cards to people across the country via their website, buffalogrovepride.com.
"It’s just a huge deal to people," Carolyn said. "It means so much to them. Just to see somebody handwriting—that somebody took pen to paper thinking of you—has been such a beautiful thing, such a blessing."
The campaign has grown into something extraordinary. Volunteers gather in homes, workplaces and restaurants, hosting card-writing parties. They craft messages of love and support, decorating envelopes with rainbows, stickers and drawings. Some write alone; others bring friends and family together to share in the effort.
"For those who open them, these cards deliver more than words. They’re reminders of love, recognition and belonging."
The impact is undeniable. Robyn Matchett-Schmidt, a recipient from Philadelphia, said the cards arrived during an especially difficult time—mourning her mother, recovering from surgery and dreading the holidays.
"I opened one card, and it was from a little girl," Robyn said. "I imagined having dinner with them, maybe putting up decorations. It felt like I finally had a place, like someone cared."
For others, like Jody Travis in Danville, Ill., the cards counter a lifetime of rejection.
"I grew up feeling unloved and unseen. I was sent to conversion therapy," Jody said. "But these cards, they remind me that I matter, that someone sees me."
According to the Trevor Project, nearly half of transgender youth considered suicide last year, and data from the FBI shows more than 1,900 hate crimes targeted LGBTQ+ individuals in 2023. Against these challenges, the cards serve as a powerful response, offering connection and solidarity where it’s needed most.
The campaign continues to grow. This year, Congressman Brad Schneider will deliver a box of cards to Sarah McBride, the first transgender congresswoman, a testament to how far the campaign has reached.
"This started with one idea—one family wanting to do something small," Bob Pinta said. "And now, it’s grown into something we never imagined. But that’s the power of kindness. It grows."
To learn more about the campaign or to sign up to write or receive a card, visit buffalogrovepride.com.