by Eli Forman
For nearly 10 years, Penobscot resident Joanne Steenberg was fascinated by the symbol of a heart radiating rays of light.
Doodled in the margins of notebooks, written on letters and invitations, the symbol followed her through life, until finally she realized that for her, it formed the visual equivalent of a simple question with huge implications: What is the best way to show people, known or not, that they are loved?
The answer, for Steenberg, turned out to be The Love Card, a small, circular card featuring a radiating heart on a green background. Flipped over, the words “you are holding this card because you are loved,” beam up from a sunny yellow backdrop.
If that sounds familiar, it’s probably because you’ve seen it sitting on a table in a café, pinned to a poster board, or perhaps even been given one in passing.
And truly, The Love Card is all about giving, Steenberg believes.
After realizing the connection between the radiating heart and her goal to spread love, Steenberg started making cards to give to family and friends. Those initial efforts received so much positive feedback that the phenomenon just kept growing.
Working with a local graphic designer, Steenberg produced the first round of Love Cards about four years ago, and began handing them out to strangers and leaving them in public places. From there, things just snowballed, she said.
By her own estimation, there are now thousands of givers handing out Love Cards across the country and even internationally.
“The creativity has gone way beyond where I thought it would be,” Steenberg said.
According to Steenberg, giving love, especially to people we may not know, is a powerful act of courage that resounds across society, opening the way for mutual appreciation and compassion.
“I think what is most powerful about love is that first, we all need it, and we all have the ability to give it,” Steenberg said.
It’s also about spreading self love, said Steenberg. “So often, we want to love others and spread joy and happiness and then we forget to love ourselves,” she wrote in an email.
Since we can never know everyone’s full story, another goal of The Love Card is to recognize that “everyone is doing the best they can with what they’ve been given,” said Steenberg. “When we look at our fellow humans with love in our hearts…the more we can accept our own imperfections,” she added.
To date, 150,000 cards have been printed and have traveled, through exchanges, to as far flung places as Ghana and China, providing a positive reminder of self love and love for others on a global scale.
“The power of giving them away is an incredible feeling,” said Steenberg.
Steenberg has a degree in education and formerly taught at George Stevens Academy where she started an experiential after-school workshop for teenagers focused on self-empowerment.
The concept of The Love Card dovetails with that background by demonstrating the capability of love as a positive, self-affirming force that can be passed on to others.
As the cards continue to circulate, Steenberg often hears stories from people who have been deeply moved by the cards popping up at unexpected but necessary times in their daily lives.
“The stories I hear are so beautiful,” said Steenberg.
One personal story for Steenberg involves waiting in the re-booking line at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Upon witnessing the man in front of her become extremely irate, Steenberg summed up the courage to tap him on the shoulder and hand him a love card. Immediately he calmed down, thanked her, and apologized for his behavior. The two went on to have a conversation, culminating in everyone in the line receiving a love card.
For Steenberg, the power of that experience signifies one of the purposes of The Love Card.
“We all really need to keep reminding ourselves that we are loved,” she said.”
Steenberg has plans to expand the cards to bumper stickers, magnets and other decals, and hopes to employ local artists to create a video describing the project. As the project continues to grow, Steenberg also hopes to transition The Love Card to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Steenberg has also begun a program called “Who’s your local hero,” which invites members of the public to anonymously nominate those they feel are performing selfless acts of kindness in the community. The nominee then receives a letter from The Love Card and a package of cards.
Recently Steenberg has seen parents, teachers, medical workers and others nominated and has sent out at least 10 packages last week.
Additionally, Steenberg has sent packages of Love Cards to hospitals around the country in COVID-19 hotspots, letting healthcare workers know that their tireless and generous efforts are appreciated.
The cards themselves are free for anyone to order via thelovecard.org. This is a crucial point for Steenberg.
“It’s really important for me that anyone who wants to give love can,” she said.
For those wishing to donate towards printing costs, a PayPal link is also provided on the website. The work is primarily donations based, but Steenberg has been supporting it personally.
The cards are printed in Maine at a fifth-generation printing press in Damariscotta. Even for a project with a universal aim, local love remains important.
“I really want everything to be in Maine,” said Steenberg, adding, “It’s been a project from my heart.”
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