Cape Coral family spreads kindness, cards and cakes despite job loss

Stephanie Esteva and her family spread kindness to neighbors and thank those on the frontlines. (WINK News)

One Cape Coral family is behind handmade cards like this anonymously left on mailboxes. Like some of you, COVID-19 impacted their income, but not their drive to give back.

Stephanie Esteva loves baking cakes — cupcakes, party cakes, ones for weddings too. They’re her passion and until recently, her paycheck.

“Like others, I do not have a job now,” she said. Lost to COVID-19 along with many others.

“They laid off quite a few,” she said. “I’m choosing to stay positive…to spread hope and comfort during these hard times.

Spreading support to her community in the best way she knows how—by baking.

Stephanie Esteva and her family spread kindness to neighbors and thank those on the frontlines. (WINK News)

“It was important to not only take care of the front line doctors and nurses but also bring peace and comfort to the community as well,” Esteva said, and creating cards with her family for local healthcare workers.

“It says, ‘To all healthcare workers—Thank you for the endless nights and long days of dedication, sacrifice and bravery in these times of overwhelming uncertainty. Your work does not go unnoticed,'” read Esteva’s daughter, Vincenza.

They’re also sending those cards to their neighbors.

“At least 60 to 70 cards,” Esteva said. “We actually punched little holes in the end of them and put strings and then just attached them to the mailbox so we didn’t have to go to the door.”

“They say ‘From one neighbor to another—Keep a positive mindset. We are all in this together. We hope this brings you a smile,’” her daughter read.

“It’s comforting to know someone was thinking about you,” said Estava’s niece, Nicole Smiley.

One family using crafts and kindness to tell their neighbors, “We are in this together and we will get through this together. It’s like a hurricane came through but it did not destroy our community,” Esteva said.

The sun will rise again and we will stay Gulfshore Strong.

Esteva encourages others in her situation to keep the faith that their job, or a new job, is ahead. She says she plans to continue baking as a thank you for frontline workers.