Looking for the Helpers: San Luis Obispo’s Card My Yard spreads joy one letter at a time

As our area is faced with ongoing changes due to a growing pandemic, we are bringing stories of people doing good in the community during a time of uncertainty.

Help us look for the helpers!

Card My Yard

A new business in San Luis Obispo is bringing smiles to people right when they wake up.

When the sun goes down, you might catch a glimpse of the King-Cordova family sneaking onto people’s front yards.

They are leaving behind something sure to make their neighbor's birthday, anniversary or other special event one to remember.

You could say they are spreading love - one letter at a time.

Misty King owns Card My Yard in San Luis Obispo and said the idea behind the company aligns with her values. “The big thing is being able to spread some joy to people when it’s such a hard time.”

Misty, Diego, Maddie, Carter, Samantha and Ezra call themselves the night ninjas. “We get to go out late at night and put up signs to help people out,” explains daughter Samantha.

The family works to surprise people with elaborate displays on special occasions. “From small little celebrations to large milestones, and it’s a fun little thing we can do with the whole family,” said Misty.

A big part of their business is also giving back, seen recently with beautiful displays at three fire stations in San Luis Obispo.

“It was a special way to teach the kids to give back and be aware of those people keeping us safe.”

The family also takes the time out of their work schedule to honor the smallest fighters. Misty shared, “There’s a sweet little girl named Claire who has been battling childhood cancer the past couple of years and she had a relapse about 5 months ago.”

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month - so Misty reached out to Claire's mother, Lindsay Noland.

“I asked her - are there words of inspiration that have been an important factor for Claire's journey as well as the family.”

The answer to that question could be seen when Claire woke up to the display along her yard: brave, courageous, and strong.

The King-Cordova family says the feeling they get from seeing the smiles inspires them to keep giving back, “because we’ve been able to bless their closest friends blessing our heroes or blessing awesome kids who are going through hard things in their life,” Misty said.

For more information, visit Card My Yard's website.