Monday, October 2, 2017

Caring Hearts Card Drive 2017



Hi all and welcome to the 8th annual Caring Hearts Card Drive. The purpose of our card drive is to collect holiday cards for the elderly that lives in nursing homes. I started this card in 2010 in honor of my mom's request. The first year, we collected 750 cards. And each year it continue to grow bigger. Last year we received over 66,000 cards and distribute the cards to various nursing homes throughout the US, Canada, Australia and United Kingdom.

The Caring Hearts team are excited to continue bringing holiday cheers to many nursing homes.

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. That someone still thinking of them.

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.


IMPORTANT DETAILS:

This card drive will be going on from October 2 to November 17, 2017. We need to receive your card by November 17, 2017.
Please make the cards for Christmas or Holiday Wishes only.
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.
Please 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 (safety reason).
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, so any donation toward shipping would help tremendously.

For US, you can mail the cards to:
  • Vera Yates, 1314 Roy St., Houston, TX 77007 
  • Christy Wilkerson, 8057 Hunters Ridge Drive, West Chester, OH 45069 
  • Jana Millen, 1047 Valley Wood Dr, Batavia, OH 45103

For Australia:
  • Deb McCleary, CHCDrive, PO Box 213, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia 

For Canada:
  • Caroline Bredeson, 7 Brown Street, Ottawa, ON K1S 1L9, Canada 
  • Rita Andrews, 28 West Gissing Rd, Cochrane, Alberta T4C 1L6, 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, we have several PRIZES ready for several winners. There will be many winners. :)

Also, if you 'd like to help us promote the card drive, whenever you're sharing your projects for Caring Hearts on social media, please use the hashtag #caringheartscarddrive. Part of my life goal is to spread kindness and make kindness a trend. :)

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 email me or Jennifer the name of the nursing homes and the number of residents, so we can make sure that we send enough cards. Each year, we never know how many nursing homes we can support as the number are totally based on how many cards we received. To keep things organized, we assigned the 6 collecting addresses above.

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


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

                                                                Hero Arts - $100 GC



Gina K. Designs - $100 GC


Jennifer McGuire Ink - $100 in craft supplies



Organize More - $75 GC





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


Altenew - Two $30 GC





Avery Elle - $30GC


a2z Scrapbooking Supplies - $25 GC to the store,
$25 in Hero Arts Digital Stamp

Bossy Joscie - Christian Greeting & Planner set






Catherine Pooler - $50 GC

Clearly Besotted - approx $50 GC



Concord & 9th - $25 GC






Ellen Hutson - $25 GC






Honey Bee Stamps - Two $50 GC


Jane's Doodle - $50 GC



Kat Scrappiness - $50 GC

Lawn Fawn - Two $50 GC




Lil' Inker Designs - $35 GC


Mama Elephant - $25 GC





Neat & Tangled - $50 GC






Online Card Classes - Three free class spots for 3 winner



Paper Smooches - $50 GC




Pink & Main - $30 GC



Pretty Pink Posh - Two $25 GC



Reverse Confetti - $30 GC


Right At Home - $20 GC



Simon Says Stamp - $50 GC




Studio Katia - Canada $50 CG






Taylored Expressions - Two $25 GC


The Ton Stamps - $20 GC for The Ton stamps



Winnie & Walter - $50 GC


Wplus9 - $25 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. :)

Edited to add: Caring Hearts results & winners announcement can be found HERE and all winners already been notified.

35 comments:

Fikreta said...

I will make some cards and send them out.

stampfoldandrepeat (Jeanie) said...

YES... So happy that this card drive is running again this year!! Thanks to everyone who helps out behind the scenes!

lritchie said...

Wow, what a wonderful idea, new to stamping and cardmaking, what a great caring community. I will get a few cards make and mail them off!

Giorgia Rossini said...

Can I take part from Italy? I also have a group of my own called scraps mile, we do the same here in Italy to patients in hospitals. Can I send my cards to us address? Thanks.

Giorgia Rossini said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Giorgia Rossini said...

*to US address
And my group is called scrap4smile - my phone wrote that wrong.

Vera said...

Anyone can participate. You can send your cards to any of the address listed above.

Unknown said...

I have been waiting all year for this event. I am so very excited to be hoping for the first time!!

Lisa Petrella said...

You and your card drive team are so amazing!!! Thank you for all of the time, energy, heart and soul you put into spreading kindness through this event!!!

Nance said...

Looking forward to partaking.

Marleen Janus said...

What a brilliant initiative! I wish we had something similar in the Netherlands....

Giorgia Rossini said...

Thanks!

Basteltinchen said...

What abput the UK adress. Can't find it!

Chark said...

My mom has spent time here and there in the nursing home for her Parkinson's and let me just say, this is brilliant. I join in each year because it's such a lovely way to spread holiday kindness. I'll be joining in again! thanks to you and your mom for this opportunity!

Marjorie DUMONTIER said...

This is just an awesome charity !! Thanks for your concern.

Kristie Maynard said...

So excited for the card drive again this year. I already have some cards done and will be working on more next weekend at a 4 day crafting retreat. Thanks for doing this again, hoping to be able to deliver some again this year. Thanks for organizing it.

Mona Toth said...

I would like to send from SLovakia

Mona Toth said...

I would like to send from Slovakia (Central Europe) :)

amymwz said...

I live in dallas. And I would love to help. If there is any nursing homes you distribute in the dfw area. I would help take them there. To save shipping them. If I can be of help please someone pm me from the group in charge.

Ky said...

Do you accept cards from Singapore as i am from Singapore?

Vera Yates (Ling) said...

amywmwz, can you please email me at wirianta@hotmail.com. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Are cards with embellishments okay? (ie. pom-poms, jingle bells, etc. except for no glitter or pins.) Also would you like the envelopes stuffed (but not sealed) or sent separately? thanks! /t

Lindarub 25 said...

I have about 100 cards done should I wait or send them now? I will continue making more but didn’t know if I should do two or more packages.

Vera Yates (Ling) said...

Just answering a couple questions. 1. Doesn't matter which country you're from, you are welcome to send in your cards. 2. cards with jingle bell or pompom is okay, but please try not to make it too thick. 3. You can send 1 or 2 or 3 packages. It's up to you. :)

Michelle Lupton said...

52 cards made, but I'm going to make more! :D

Sherianne Buehler said...

I think this is a wonderful project! I have some cards from last year that I would be willing to donate in addition to cards that I've made recently. However, most of my cards have a "handmade by" with my first name or first and last name on the back. Is this acceptable?

Vera Yates (Ling) said...

Sherianne, yes you can still send in your cards even if it's stamped with handmade by. And, please don't forget to stamped or write the inside & sign it. Thank you.

lritchie said...

Hi Vera, just mailing off my cards, should the cards be placed in the envelopes or leave them seperately?

Marsha said...

Same question. Should the signed cards be in the envelopes or just with them? I expect to send a package the end of the week. Thank you for putting this together.

Vera Yates (Ling) said...

You can leave the card outside the envelope. Thank you.

Unknown said...

Hi Vera - I mailed 115 cards to you on Monday (USPS Tracking #9505511464037317133143). They should have been there today (11/16), but the tracking utility tells me they are "delayed". I gathered a few friends to make them, and we will be SO disappointed if we don't make your deadline. Could you please take a minute when they do arrive, and confirm when you do get my package? Please email to theresagatesy@att.net Thanks so much!!

Unknown said...

Vera, I mailed out my cards (100 by UPS) on Tuesday and just wondered if you received them today. They assured me you would get them by today. You've done a great job putting this all together. Thank you!

DIANA B said...

Hello, The submission for say's the 27th of Nov. Is it too late to send my cards if they go out on the 20th?
Thank you.

DIANA B said...

Hello, Thank you for doing this card drive. The submission for has Oct. 2 - Nov. 27th. Is it too late to send cards if they go out on Monday the 20th?
Thank you,
Diana

Vera Yates (Ling) said...

David, Gayle, I just want to let you know that we received your cards. And, to those who are late, no worries. I just now finish shipping boxes out and I count all your cards in. :)

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