Saturday, October 4, 2014

5TH ANNUAL CARING HEARTS CARD DRIVE


Holiday time is approaching and we are back for the 5th year for our annual Caring Hearts Card Drive to collect holiday cards for the elderly that lives in nursing homes. When I started this card drive, I never thought it would continue this long and that we're actually reaching a 5 year milestone!! That first year, I have no clue on how to run a card drive and thought I'd be lucky if I could get 100 cards. You all surprised me with 750 cards! And each year it continue to grow bigger. Last year we received over 3600 cards.

As we celebrate this milestone, Jennifer McGuire and I are excited to continue this journey and we really hoping that we can bring holiday cheers to as many nursing homes as possible. 

We have a few ladies helping us in collecting the cards. Tina Schrof is working with Jennifer in collecting the cards. T
o support the nursing homes that are located in Canada, we have Anita Recksiedler and Caroline Bredeson helping out for our Canada joint venture. Since international shipping is expensive, those of you in Canada can mail your cards to Anita or Caroline and they'll distribute the cards. And, this year we branched out to Australia as well. So, if you're in Australia, you can send to Linda. :)

We hope you will join and help us to reach as many nursing homes as possible and continue to spread more joy.

The holidays are about family, kindness, and joy. During this time many of the elderly who lives in nursing homes would really feel the loneliness or missing their family. Wouldn't it be so awesome if we can bring a smile to their face & 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 our creations can bring a smile to others, right? Some helpful people already agree to help us deliver the cards to selected nursing homes.


A few important details:

  • This card drive will be going on till November 28, 2014. We need to receive your card by November 28, 2014.
  •  Please make the cards for Christmas or Holiday Wishes. Anyone can send a card, your children, church group, scout troops, etc.
  • All cards need to have a message in it (it can be stamped or hand written).  
  • Please sign your name and where you are from. 
  • Please include an envelope for each card and please don't seal the envelope.
  • Please stick to just cards (standard size A2 or 4-1/4" x 5-1/2")
  • And please don't use any pins (safety reason).
  • This is totally optional. But, if you'd like to include $1 or $2 to help with shipping, it'll be much appreciated. We cover the shipping cost ourselves, with no sponsor, so any donation toward shipping would help tremendously.
  • You can mail the cards to:
          Vera Yates, 109 N. Post Oak Lane Ste. 430, Houston, TX 77024                              
          Card Drive, c/o Tina Schrof , P.O. Box 75,  Springboro, Ohio 45066 
             Linda Langes, c/o Gilston State School, 588 Worongary Road, GILSTON QLD 4211
             Piney-fine, Attn: Anita, P.O. Box 30,  Piney, MBR0A 1 K0, Canada
          Caroline Bredeson, 7 Brown Street, Ottawa, ON K1S 1L9, Canada                  
  • 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, I have several PRIZES ready for several winners. There will be many winners and remember… the more cards you send the better your chances. :)

I'll update the prize list as more prizes coming in. And huge thank you to all the fabulous companies who support this card drive by donating awesome prizes.


Ali Edwards - 4 new stamp sets

Altenew - $25 GC

Avery Elle - $30 gift certificate

Becky Higgins - $50 worth of Project Life product



Clearly Besotted - £30 (approx. US $45) GC

Crafter's Companion USA - Embossing Folders & Dies package




Ellen Hutson - The COMPLETE line of Julie Ebersole's 
stamp & die release. $210 value.


Frantic Stamper - Two $25 GC

Freckled Fawn - $50 GC



Hero Arts - $75 GC





Jane's Doodle - $50 GC


Jennifer McGuire Ink - 10 fabulous stamp/die sets from her favorite company

 Jennifer McGuire - Online Card Classes -  class of your choice - 3 winners



Latina Crafter - $35 GC



Lawn Fawn - $50 GC

the Lawn Fawn blog



Mama Elephant - $25 GC



May Arts - 2 rolls of ribbon from May Arts Holiday Collection





Neat & Tangled - $25 GC



Organize More - $40 GC


Paper Smooches - $50 GC

Poppy Stamps - $50 GC

Reverse Confetti - $25 GC


Stampin' Up! Bright Blossom & Make A Cake from Alicia Thelin

Simon Says Stamp


Spectrum Noir - The COMPLETE line of Spectrum Noir Alcohol markers + accessories. 
Include 168 markers, storage unit, nibs and DVD. Over $400 value!



Studio Calico - $20 GC

Sweet Stamp Shop - $10 GC & some additional goodies


Tim Holtz - 4 Tim Holts Stamp sets

Verve Stamps - $30 GC



Winnie & Walter - $30 GC

Wplus9 - $25 GC

WOW Embossing - Assortment of embossing powder

V Sweet Ideas - $10 GC



Sakuralala - (2) $15 GC

I will update the prize list as I get more. :) Please feel free to share about this card drive. We really appreciate your support & generosity. Let's rock this card drive and bring Christmas joy to as many nursing homes as we can!! Thank you. 

PS: Thank you to Chaitali Narla for designing the badge. :)

45 comments:

June K said...

So wonderful you are doing this holiday card drive. I'll get some cards out to you in November (I haven't started my holiday cards yet - way behind this year).

Shelly said...

Sounds wonderful! I will certainly make some cards and send them your way! ;)

Chark said...

Vera, thanks for doing this each year--it's a blessing to be a part of it. My mom just got out of the nursing home after a few weeks of rehab and they are not happy places in general and this is such a wonderful idea! I told my son we'd send each of those residents a card since he was so affected by the place and people in there. (I got my idea from you!) hugs!!

Chark said...

ps I automatically love each of these companies! :)

Carolyn L said...

Have a suspicion that this year your wonderful card drive will be overwhelmed with the response from all of us frustrated OWH-ers. Am so thankful for the opportunity to share and spread the love of this most beautiful season in a tangible way. Kudos to you and your crew!

Vera Yates (Ling) said...

The cards we collected are for the elderly to keep. Not for them to send out. Many of the elderly no longer have family, so this is our way to let them know that they're not forgotten. :)

Rubeena I. said...

This is awesome! I will definitely contribute.

Carolee McCaslin said...

Hi Vera,
Just wanted to let you know I sent some cards in the mail to you today. Thank you so much for
organizing this wonderful card drive:)
Carolee McCaslin

Jean M said...

Such a fabulous idea! I'm going to make cards for the elderly in the small town I live in. Thanks for the inspiration.

Barb said...

This is such a great idea. Got to get going with it.

Kathy said...

I know this sounds silly, but what kind of message should I write inside? or no message?

Kim A. said...

This is so awesome!! LOVE this cause!!

Michelle said...

What a lovely card drive.

Beth H. said...

This is such a great idea! There are too many people out there who think that there isn't anyone that cares about them. Thanks for arranging this!

Vera Yates (Ling) said...

I usually write something like: Wishing you a wonderful & joyous Christmas. And I sign my name & where I'm from.

bbunch said...

This is a wonderful cause for all of those people in nursing homes--keep up the good work.

Crystal said...

Such a great & worthy cause! Thank you from the daughter of a mom with dementia confined to a nursing home.

Unknown said...

Count me in... will be getting my cards ready this weekend...

Bunny Dobbie said...

Love this idea! Kind of you busy ladies to organize it.

Lagene said...

Great card drive & wonderful prizes!

Jean Bullock said...

I am hoping to get some cards done. Won't have time until the last two weeks of November, but I want to set some time aside and make some pop up cards to send. Nothing delights the eye more that pop up cards. Thanks for hosting this drive. You are wonderful.

Terri said...

Definitely want to get some cards to this wonderful cause!

Muneca said...

I need to get cracking on those cards? Thanks for the inspiration!

Jamie said...

This is so wonderful! I have a question- are we to put our name on the card that we make?

Amy said...

Making a lot of spirits Brighter!!!! This is what it's all about!!!

Vera Yates (Ling) said...

Yes. Please see above for all the details. 😊

jordanbev5@yahoo.com said...

This is a fabulous organization and am so happy you are doing this! Great idea to have the blog hop with it too! Will get mine ready and in the mail soon!

I Card Everyone said...

I really love this idea. I have a question...Which nursing homes receive the cards? I'm hoping each state will receive some.
Thanks so much!
=] Michele

Vera Yates (Ling) said...

There are various nursing homes in US, Canada & Australia that will be receiving this card. At this point we cannot cover all states. How many nursing homes we can send the cards to dependon how many cards we receive.

Barb said...

Great idea to think of all the people in nursing homes! Best wishes for great success.

jeannine said...

Can't wait to send some cards in! I have participated in the past and just made me feel great knowing I can make someone smile by a simple card!
The addresses were a bit confusing...Vera I will be sending to you...can you leave me address?

Unknown said...

My package is coming your way soon.

nancy carroll said...

What an awesome idea, maybe next year when I am not recovering from surgery I can participate! Looking forward to the hop!

Karen Letchworth said...

Hi there, Vera! I feel SO blessed and honored to be able to contribute to this wonderful cause, and SO wish I could be a fly on the wall when these cards are opened. I hope each one received brings a smile to the faces of those who receive them.

I just wanted to ask you to keep an eye open for my package (Karen Letchworth). I only had one size packaging envelope, and that bugger is STUFFED FULL so please open it with caution. I'm so sorry to do this to you, but I really hope that they will still be a blessing. Thanks SO MUCH for doing this, and may God bless you all for your efforts.
Be blessed,
Karen Letchworth
www.karen-mycuprunnethover.blogspot.com

Kylie said...

This is the first time I heard about this card drive. What a fabulous idea. Just got my kids to sign the cards tonight and I'll be popping them in the post tomorrow. Thanks for organizing this!!

walchowDesign said...

Thanks again for organising this wonderful card drive, Vera. My cards are on the way to you from The Netherlands!

nancy carroll said...

Vera, I was hoping you could tell me if sending store bought cards is ok, I recently had a knee surgery and was able to only make 10... it is too hard to stand this year, however, I usually buy cards each year for not-so close friends and have many left over, just wondering if I could send those in addition to the 10 I made? could you email me @ nance459@ gmail dot com? I'd appreciate knowing....

Toni said...

Is it ok to decorate the outside of the envelopes a bit?

Deloris said...

I'm sending a package to Vera tomorrow so it should be there by Friday.

Thanks so much for doing this. It's a wonderful cause and I'm happy to help.

Hugs,

Deloris

Unknown said...

I just ran across this post last week - I LOVE that you are doing this. I created cards but just reread this and realized they are too large.
I will start early next year with the correct size to send.
God Bless you for coordinating this fabulous card drive!

Robin said...

I'm so excited about this. I'm getting my box together. My work helped me get the cards signed.(YEA!) For the donation, would a check work or cash? Either is fine with me. I am in Plano and plan on sending the box tomorrow to you in Houston.

Teresa Godines #6857 said...

My box is sealed and ready to drop off at the Post Office tomorrow. Expect delivery on Monday. thank you so much for doing this.

Therese said...

Hi Vera,

Just wanted you to know that I am sending a bunch of cards to you today. I live in town and, hopefully, you should receive them tomorrow or Friday (just in time!)

If you need help for next year's drive, I am more than happy to lend a hand!! I am about 5 miles away from this mailing address.

Thanks for all that you do. It's my 3rd year contributing to the drive!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Cindy C. said...

A very generous gesture!! I'd be happy to spread some holiday cheers. Thanks for organizing ladies!

Jean McCurry said...

Love this idea! Will be sending lots of cards.

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