Journal donation meant to empower, inspire and heal

More than a year ago—September 2022 to be more precise—Gina Billino reached out to ThriveNV to see if she could make a donation. She needed a full year of lead time to pull the donation together. In October 2023 she finally finished and delivered her donation: 188 Women’s Empowerment Journals and 30 more just for cancer survivors.

Why did it take a year? Billino customizes each journal with handwritten and printed quotes intended to empower and inspire the recipients and help them to heal. The donation project is at the root of Scriaggio, Italian for “written journey,” the organization Billino started to provide journal donations. Since 2015 she’s donated more than 6,600 journals to the local community.

She knows that everyone is on some sort of journey, however, so journals are available for purchase too. Each custom journal is tailored to someone’s specific journey.

“I want to reach people on a very personal level and walk with them on their journey in a safe place,” Billino said. “The quotes in the journals are my way of being an empowering life coach who is always there for them, no matter what. My hope is that the journals and quotes make a profoundly positive, and powerful difference in the lives of those who receive a journal.”

ThriveNV navigator Amy Thompson was astounded by the donation and said the journals will definitely help Nevada’s cancer survivors, thrivers and caregivers.

“The amount of personal time and effort that has been put into these journals is remarkable - what a true gift!” she said.

The plan is for ThriveNV and the state’s Oncology Patient Navigation Network to share the journals across the state to those in need.

Other organizations that received journal donations this year and in the past include Girl Scouts of Sierra Nevada, Step 2, Veterans Guest House, Safe Embrace, Domestic Violence Resource Center, and Our Center, to name a few.

More information along with custom journals available for purchase are on the Scriaggo website at https://scriaggio.com/.