Clawson said he and his two sons “struggled to be able to find happiness again, and what we found was we were trying to help other people to take away from the pain we were feeling.” So, they created a neighborhood lemonade stand that raised $1,500, which they used to start creating Hope Kits, boxes full of items to bring comfort to others who are grieving.

Women in Business, which operates under the American Fork Chamber of Commerce, hosted an event Tuesday during which participants networked with one another, played Christmas trivia games and worked together to create Hope Kits for delivery to cancer patients at Primary Children’s Hospital.

Those attending filled boxes with books teaching how to focus on bringing laughter into life instead of dwelling on difficult circumstances, as well as coloring books, socks, a keychain, candy and a few other items. They smiled and laughed with one another as they filled the boxes, and cried together as they shared vulnerable stories of cancer affecting their own lives.

“Everybody’s been affected by cancer in some way, and so I think that’s something that unfortunately unites all of us,” said Kristina Wesemann, co-president of the American Fork Chamber of Commerce. As people were able to share their stories and talk to one another during the event, she added, it helped them process some of their own grief.

Nichole Whiteley, Daily Herald

According to Clawson, the books put in the Hope Kits to give to children with cancer provide this same sort of dialogue between family members and loved ones that can help them process what they are going through.

“If they really read the book, it incorporates when you go through a hard event, how to find joy through those hard events, and reading it as a family and opening up that dialogue to talk about those things can be so valuable in the healing process,” he said.

The idea for Clawson’s business, The Hope Kit, was sparked when his neighbor, fellow co-owner Wyatt Ernst, gave his family a care package full of items while Valerie was going through cancer treatment. The first Hope Kits Clawson’s family gave out had a lot of yellow items and were given to people in need who were recommended by others who were aware of their situation.

Clawson said as they began delivering the boxes, “We found people finding hope and smiling again and laughter, and I found my kids being happy again from doing that, and it meant so much to us.” When Ernst, who has been one of Clawson’s biggest supporters after his wife’s death, saw posts on social media asking for recommendations of people in need to donate to, he reached out to Clawson to tell him he loved what he was doing, that he was finding joy in life, and that he wanted to spread joy to other people.

“‘I’d love to figure out how we could create a business that provides more of this hope to other people that are struggling,'” Clawson said Ernst told him. “And that’s how the Hope Kit was created, to be able to just help people feel joy again.” Clawson and Ernst are now co-owners of The Hope Kit.

Nichole Whiteley, Daily Herald

What started with a lemonade stand has now grown into a business where people can send sympathy gift baskets to loved ones who have lost someone or are going through grief. The gift basket includes comforting items such as tea, fuzzy socks, a blanket and cookies, but it also includes books and a journal that guide the recipient through their grief.

“My wife and I, our core value is always giving in any way we can,” Ernst said. “And so that’s one of the big things when I saw Jason was finding a way to continually give, I thought, wouldn’t that be amazing to have a company where we’re able to give every day? And that’s really the whole focus and point behind it. … It’s really exciting that every box we send out, we know we’re helping a family in one of their hardest moments of their life.”

At the event on Tuesday, attendees filled and packaged 150 Hope Kits to give to the children at Primary Children’s Hospital who are fighting cancer. Over all of the service events The Hope Kit has done, the company has donated over 450 boxes, including at least one Hope Kit to every state and a few to different countries.

Clawson said, “Every time I give away a box, it reminds me of the kind of person my wife was. She was always thinking of others, and everybody said, ‘Valerie was my best friend.’ So she was always taking care of the people that were struggling. So every time a box goes out, it’s like a little piece of Valerie goes out to take care of another person, and it’s a great way to continue to honor her name and remember her.”

Women in Business was created by Wesemann and Josh Walker, co-president of the American Fork chamber, to help people form friendships, mentorships and make connections, Wesemann said. Although the organization is focused on helping women and encouraging gender equality in the workplace, they want both men and women attending their events and participating in the organization. A membership is not required to attend their events.

Nichole Whiteley, Daily Herald

Men are also welcome, Wesemann explained, because, “Men need to be aware of the issues that are facing women, too. We have girls moving up, and we have a lot of entrepreneurs in our area. They have a very strong entrepreneurial spirit. We have a lot of women who are hard workers, and a lot of women who want to give back. So, bringing all of those things together in this event, I think, was really fun.”