They seem a little too young and short to play the role, but to Linda Bremner, the eight girls from the Streamwood Brownie Troop 648 are definitely her superheroes.
“They have been able to open doors that were previously shut to us,” said Bremner, founder of Love Letters in Lombard, which corresponds with children across the country who are suffering life-threatening diseases. Over a 10-year span, the not-for-profit organization has corresponded with more than 1,500 children.
The 2nd graders spent the last eight months writing letters to businesses, which resulted in donations of gifts and office supplies.
“I was pretty bowled over,” said Bremner. “At Christmas, they came in with seven huge big boxes, bigger than the girls, filled with crayons, books, stuffed animals, T-shirts, Monopoly games and office supplies,” said Bremner.
Their writing also produced a donation from Hewlett-Packard of a color printer and a gift from Ricoh of a much-needed new copier.
The troop’s work recently earned it first place and a $1,000 award in the Colgate “Youth for America” contest. The troop donated that money, along with proceeds from its cookie and calendar sales, to Love Letters.
“They could have done something wonderful for themselves, but they chose to give it to Love Letters,” said Bremner.
“It’s been a very moving experience to watch children helping children,” she said.
But the troop leaders also have seen what it has done to their Brownies.
“They have a lot more compassion than they had,”said troop leader Kathy Mitchell, whose daughter Ashley is one of the Brownies. “It’s done so much for the girls.”
“We decided when we started with the troop that we wanted to teach them something, to have them learn how to make some kind of a difference,” said co-leader Tammy Ybanez.
Ybanez’s daughter Tanya also is in the troop, along with Kelly Bruno, Ashlee Clark, Crystal Hernet, Tina Michaels, Angela Montemayor and Heather Warren.
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Their letter-writing continues in an effort to find what Love Letters needs the most right now-a new home. It recently lost its donated space and temporarily is in space donated by Alter Group in a Lombard industrial park. Bremner would have to leave when it is leased.
Those with ideas or donations may call Bremner at 620-1970 or write to her at Love Letters, Box 416875, Chicago, Ill. 60641.