Spreading Kindness One Card at a Time

A local minister has made it her mission to brighten the day of thousands of people one card at a time. Today, News 25 was on site as a special delivery full of heartfelt messages went into the hands of those with the Seabee Base.
When her dad passed away last year as a retired police officer and Navy Seabee, Minister Darlene Carroll made it her mission to honor law enforcement with a simple message wrapped in an envelope. “Thank you cards and appreciation cards. Just whoever I can bless, I try and bless them with a card.”
But then it grew in to something bigger. “If you couldn’t find any cards last year after Christmas, any of the sale cards, the probability is I had already bought them,” said Carroll.
Nearly 10,000 cards, a lot of ink, and one inspiring message, Minister Carroll is on the front lines at home sending Christmas cards not only to law enforcement, but also to our military overseas, firefighters, even nursing home residents. “So many people now a days, they don’t send cards. They send something through the internet and to actually have a card in your hand to where you can hold it and say somebody cares about me.”
Minister Carroll is able to carry out her mission thanks to a generous donation of 7,000 cards from Salvage World in Gulfport and sometimes enlisting the help of her friends. “I always keep cards in my purse, too,” said Carroll, “and if I see somebody in the store, I’ll just hand them a card and hopefully it changes their day.”
On this day, this batch of 2,600 cards is going to the Seabees, both on base and overseas. Brian Lamar with the Seabee Base said, “Having been deployed myself, when you open a package and there’s something, whether it is ‘happy birthday’ or it’s ‘merry Christmas,’ it’s very special. For some of them, it might be the only piece of mail that they get for Christmas. It will be pretty special for them.”
And Minister Carroll says she does it all in the name of the Lord. “I’ll do it until there’s no more ink in any pens because you see the look on somebody’s face when you give them a card, especially a stranger, and you know they’re so grateful. How can you stop?”
Anyone who wishes to donate cards to Minister Carroll’s cause can drop them off at the front desk at the Santa Maria Del Mar Apartment Homes or call her at 228-437-5109.