Caring Hearts Card Drive 2018

10.29.18

Hi Everyone! The Caring Hearts Card Drive has been going on for a bit now. Although I have referred to it a few times, I wanted to also share all the details.

This is the 9th Annual Caring Hearts Card Drive! The purpose of our card drive is to collect holiday cards for the elderly that live in nursing homes. Vera Yates started this card drive in 2010 and I have been helping her out each year. This year the card drive is in memory of Sean Wilkerson, brother of Christy Wilkerson (our volunteer from last year) who passed away recently. Sean was well known for his kind heart and his family’s request is for people to do an act of kindness. We’d like to fulfill Sean’s wish through Caring Hearts.

Here is a bit more about the card drive…

The holidays are about family, kindness, and joy. During this time many of the elderly living in nursing homes may feel extra lonely or miss their families. We can bring a smile to their faces and brighten their holiday season simply by sharing our love of card making. A simple gesture to let them know that they are not forgotten. We all love making cards and what’s better than knowing that our creations can bring a smile to others, right?

A team of helpful volunteers are all ready to assist us in delivering the cards to selected nursing homes.

We are asking you to send in your holiday cards! We have MANY prizes to help encourage everyone to participate! NOTE: THIS YEAR’S CARD DRIVE ENDS EARLIER THAN PAST YEARS.

IMPORTANT DETAILS:

  • This card drive will be run from October 1 to November 10, 2018. We need to receive your cards by November 10, 2018.  HURRY!
  • Please make the cards for Christmas or Holiday Wishes only.
  • Please limit 100 cards per person.
    (The reason for this is because Vera’s 5 year old niece was recently diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and she’ll be making a trip abroad during the card drive to be with her. Being with her family at this time is very important to her and at the same time she wanted to continue doing the card drive. Limiting the number of cards will also help in keeping things manageable for our volunteers. Thank you for your understanding.)
  • All cards need to have a message inside (can be stamped or hand written).
  • Sign your name and where you are from inside the card.
  • Include an envelope for each card and please don’t seal the envelope.
  • Please stick to standard size A2 or 4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″ card as this will help us in packing more efficiently.
  • Please don’t use any pins or loose glitter (for safety reasons).
  • This is totally optional, but if you’d like to include $2 or $3 to help with shipping, it’ll be much appreciated. We cover the shipping cost ourselves & postage prices have increased, so any donation toward shipping would help tremendously.
  • In each package, PLEASE include THIS SUBMISSION FORM.
For US, you can mail the cards to:
  • Vera Yates, 1314 Roy St., Houston, TX 77007
  • Cindy Groh, 111 10 Mile Rd NW Sparta, MI 49345
  • Lynn Marasigan, Pine Tree Villa, 3353 Cimmarron Road, Cameron Park, CA 95682

For Australia:

  • Deb McCleary, CHCD, PO Box 54, Watsonia, VIC, 3087 Australia

For Canada:

  • Caroline Bredeson, 11 Ave. des Oblats, Unit 112, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5V8, Canada
  • Rita Andrews, 28 West Gissing Rd, Cochrane, Alberta T4C 1L6, Canada

For United Kingdom:

  • Tania Ahmed, 47a Melbourne Road, Bushey, WD23 3LT UK

In each package, PLEASE include THIS SUBMISSION FORM.This helps us in keeping track for prizes! For each card you send, you will get a chance. So the more cards you send, the better your chances.

To thank you for your generosity in supporting this drive, we have several PRIZES ready for several winners. There will be many winners. 🙂

The nursing homes that we supported are based on what people suggested to us. If you want your local nursing homes to receive cards from the card drive, please Vera the name of the nursing homes and the number of residents, so we can make sure that we send enough cards. The number of nursing homes we support are totally based on how many cards we received. To keep things organized, we assigned the 7 collecting addresses above.

Here are the prizes that are up for grabs! Thank you to these wonderful companies!

PLATINUM PRIZES (everyone sending 100 cards will be entered for these prizes)

Gina K. Designs – Two $100 GC
Jennifer McGuire Ink – $100 for Simon Says Stamp

Organize More – $75 GC

Stamp-n-Storage – $100 GC

 

GOLD PRIZE (everyone who send cards will be entered for these prizes)

Altenew – Two $50 GC

Avery Elle –  Two $50GC

Bossy Joscie – $50 GC
Catherine Pooler – Crafty Package
Clearly Besotted – approx $40 GC
Ellen Hutson – Two $25 GC

Hero Arts – $50 GC

Honey Bee Stamps – Two $50 GC

Jane’s Doodle – $50 GC

Kat Scrappiness – $25 GC

Lawn Fawn – Three $50 GC

Lil’ Inker Designs – $35 GC

Paper Smooches – Two $25 GC
Pink & Main – $25 GC

Reverse Confetti – $25 GC

Right At Home – $20 GC

Simon Says Stamp – $50 GC

Spellbinders – $25 GC

Studio Katia – Two Canada $35 CG
SugarPea Designs – $30 GC

Taylored Expressions – Four $25 GC

The Ton Stamps – $25 GC for The Ton stamps

Winnie & Walter – Two $50 GC

Wplus9 – $25 GC
Thank you so very much!

Leave a Comment

13 thoughts on “Caring Hearts Card Drive 2018”

  1. Sending wishes for your niece. Our 3 year old grandson was just diagnosed with A.L.L as well, we felt blindsided. The kindness of people is amazing and I have been busy making thank you cards for my daughter on his behalf. Thanks for helping with the caring hearts card drive, I have participated in the past and it is a tremendous act of kindness that you are doing

    Reply

  2. Last year I think I made cards for this. I loved doing it. I had no idea it had been going on that long. I had so much fun making them & knowing that I was making someone smile while they were looking at a handmade card I made for them. I think last year was the first year I had heard about it but because I get a ton of e-mail’s I just found out about it again. I didn’t know it was going on this year again. I have been making cards this week for this & I’ve made 15 so far I think. I am having fun being so creative & I love doing it! I plan to do it every year or at least as long as they keep doing it & I am so glad you are a part of it, along with everyone else. I just have to start sooner! LOL I remember my dad getting cards when he was in & out of the home & how much he loved getting cards. I also know how many people in homes don’t have families or don’t have family nearby so they don’t get visits or cards & I’ll bet they are lonely. I hope our cards make them smile!

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  3. I live in Switzerland … do you think I might send cards to the UK address ?
    I will not have time to make many cards … but I wish I could take part in this (huge) act of kindness.
    By the way, prayers are sent for your niece and your whole family. My husband had leukemia a few years ago and you’re right : your family will appreciate you being near them <3 May the Lord bless you and your family.

    Reply

  4. In my email maze, your original post was lost. I am going to go ahead and mark my calendar for next year so this doesn’t happen again! I will see if I can create anything this year.

    I have lifted your niece up in prayer. May she have strength and courage in battle and may family and friends form a wall of support with a mortar of God’s love to hold each of you together!

    Reply

  6. I just saw this and hope I am able to contribute to this fine cause–sharing kindness and a smile to those in nursing homes.

    Reply

  8. Sent 100 cards to Cindy Groh yesterday – should have them tomorrow! As my husband was sighing and trying to actually see the kitchen table the other day he said “wouldn’t it just be easier to buy cards?” I said, “maybe, but I absolutely enjoy this, plus these are being donated, I still have to make the ones we are sending!” He just sighed again and walked away.

    Reply

  9. Jennifer – I have a question about the “Caring Hearts Cards.” Do we sign our names to the inside? I tried to find Vera Yates’ e-mail address to ask her but I can’t find it. THANKS for any & all information.

    Reply

  12. Hello just sent my cards. Didn’t do much but just wanted to Make someone happy for the holidays. Next year I’ll make more. GBU all for all that you are doing.

    Reply

  13. I manage a memory care floor at a local assisted living. We just received a box of cards from Caring hearts earlier this week. One of my residents helped me hand these out as she loves to help me with different tasks. She was sad once we were finished because she enjoyed handing them out so much! My other residents enjoyed opening and reading the cards and the pictures on the front. So thank you to those who contributed cards! Also, other ways you can help throughout the year is donating items like warm/soft blankets, brand new hand towels or brand new bath towels (with tags), Arts & Crafts supplies. Often when coordinating activities our budgets are pretty small and the cost of craft supplies really adds up! Usually I buy a few items we can reuse like a board game or something (last month I ordered sensory balls that come in a little tupperware container, for example) and then I plan 2-4 craft activities but when you consider there’s 30 days in a month, help is appreciated. We don’t get donations of these items very often. Some of our residents’ towels are very old & tattered, and often the families don’t feel the need to replace them and it makes me sad. You can always call and ask your local assisted living activities coordinator and memory care directors to ask how you can help and let them know your budget, even if it’s small like $10 they will be happy for the offer. 🙂

    Reply

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