Retiree Uses Stimulus Check to Send Hundreds of Self-Drawn 'Thank You' Cards to Essential Workers

Like millions of other Americans, Ohio resident Larry Davis was able to receive a $1,200 stimulus check from the government to help the financial burden stemming from the coronavirus outbreak.

Despite being medically retired as a result of shoulder injuries, Davis thought there may be a better way to spend what he essentially saw as "free money."

Davis, of Pataskala, decided that he will use his talent and passion for drawing and to make thank-you cards and hand them out to essential workers such as frontline medical staff.

After spending the money and paper, ink and envelopes, Davis would go on to hand draw a total of 353 different thank you cards, sending them out to workers at hospitals, grocery stores and post offices across the country, including in Ohio, New York, Texas and Tennessee.

Davis also spent the money on postage fees, including sending nearly 400 cards shipped in several boxes to hospitals in Texas.

"My goal was number one to let people know that I appreciate what they were doing," Davis told Newsweek. "Number two was I wanted to use it as a stress reliever."

Davis explained that the cards were meant to be colored in by whoever was sent one. The act of coloring in drawn lines is considered a good way to reduce stress, which Davis believes essential workers need during these times.

"And if they took a photograph of what they colored and sent it to me, that was great. I appreciated that," he said.

Despite only having around 10 cards returned which were colored in out of the hundreds he sent, Davis said he was still "ecstatic" to receive them. "It made me think that someone appreciated what they offered that I did, even though I wasn't looking to get any glory out of it."

Davis started drawing from around the age of nine and frequently makes personalized Christmas or birthday cards for his friends or family.

The 61-year-old posts some of his work, including the thank you cards which he sent to hospitals, on his Facebook page Larry's Art, which has managed to gain more than 400 fans.

In total, Davis estimates he printed out more than 1,400 cards, all featuring his original designs.

"The office store that I got my supplies from, I even made sure they got a batch of thank you cards," he said.

Unfortunately, Davis had to stop creating the cards for two reasons: He couldn't afford to carry on, and the physical strain he was being caused by making them due to his injuries.

"Just the drawing and the erasing and the folding and the stuffing of the envelopes was a wear and tear on my body," he said.

"It wasn't something I could sit down and spend an hour doing, I'd have to take a break just because of the fact that it hurt so much.

"It's kind of a sad situation for myself that I got injured and doing my job and I can't do what I love as long as I want to.

"I tried to be as frugal as I could," Davis added. "If I'd had more money, I would have done more."