2016 CARING HEARTS CARD DRIVE


Hi all. We are back for the 7th year for our 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 drive 7 years ago, in 2010 in honor of my mom's request. That first year, we collected 750 cards. And each year it continue to grow bigger. Last year we received over 22,000 cards and distribute the cards to over 100 nursing homes throughout the US, Canada and Australia.

Jennifer McGuire and I are excited to continue bringing holiday cheers to many nursing homes. This year, we're branching out to the United Kingdom and this will allow us to start distributing in Europe.

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 1 to November 25, 2016. We need to receive your card by November 25, 2015.
  • 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 inside (it can be stamped or hand written).  
  • Please 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 just cards (standard size A2 or 4-1/4" x 5-1/2") 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 $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.
For US, you can mail the cards to:
  • Vera Yates, 1314 Roy St., Houston, TX 77007                              
  • Tina Schrof , 185 W. Pugh Drive, Springboro, OH 45066
  • Lynn Reloza, 3353 Cimmarron Road, Cameron Park, CA 95682 
For Australia:
  • Linda Langes, c/o Gilston State School, 588 Worongary Road, GILSTON QLD 4211, Australia
  • Deb McCleary, 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    
For UK/Europe:
  • Taheerah Atchia, 36 Pinewood Crescent,Orrell, Wigan, Lancashire, WN5 8NF, United Kingdom  
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 7 collecting addresses above. This way we can keep track of the amount of cards as well as for prize purpose.


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 this prize)


Amy Lee - Package of stamp & dies from
My Favorite Things, Ellen Hutson & Mama Elephant $500 value

Gina K. Designs - $200 GC

Jennifer McGuire Ink -  $100 in craft supplies


Mommy Lhey - $100 GC

Online Card Classes -  $100 GC


Simon Says Stamp - $150 GC


Stamp-n-Storage - $100 GC





GOLD PRIZES:

Altenew - $50 GC



Avery Elle - $30GC

Birch Press - $25GC

Bossy Josie - $40 GC






CardMaker magazine - 1 year subscription

Concord and 9th - $25 GC




CutCardStock.com - $50GC 


Ellen Hutson - $50 GC





Hero Arts - Three $50 GC


Honey Bee Stamps - $50 GC


Jane's Doodle - $50 GC


Lawn Fawn - $50 GC


Litte Things from Lucy's Cards - £25 worth of products

Mama Elephant - $25 GC





Neat & Tangled - $50 GC


Newston's Nook Designs - $25 GC


Organize More - $75 GC

Paper Smooches - $25 GC


Paper Temptress - Two $25 GC


Pink & Main - $30 GC




Reverse Confetti - $50 GC


Right At Home - $20 GC

Scrapbook & Cards Today: one year subscription



Spectrum Noir  - 1 tin of Coloured Blend Color Pencil


SugarPea Designs - $25 GC

Studio Katia - Canada $35 GC


Sunny Studios - $25 GC




Sweet Stamp Shop - Two $25 GC





The Ton Stamps - $25 GC



Verve Stamps - $30 GC



Your Next Stamp - $50 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. :)

UPDATE:
FOR THE GIVEAWAY ANNOUNCEMENT PLEASE CLICK HERE.

37 comments:

Unknown said...

Thanks to Georgia Lydic & her post on facebook I was able to find out about this fabulous Christmas card drive. I'll definitely be participating & sharing on social media.
~julia~

Projekt 3einhalb said...

You gals are my kindness-heros! Thank you all for spreading so much kindness and christmas cheer! I am gonna start this weekend <3

Barbara Rademacher said...

I definitely want to participate. I am a teacher, Barbara Rademacher, and I live in Rogers, Arkansas, USA, which is right next to Bentonville, the home of (drum roll) Walmart.

Swiss girl said...

I shared this on my Facebook group Global stamping friends 600 andhoping to grow?

Lisa said...

I would really love to do this. I've always wanted to be part of a card drive. I'm from the Caribbean and I have a job but I'll try my very best.

Barb Ghig said...

This is one of my favorite annual card drives! Thank you for all the work you put into it, and thanks to all the wonderful sponsors for their generosity!

Unknown said...

Thank you for this wonderful opportunity. So kind of you to sponsor it.

roz_who said...

Do any of the places these go want Hanukkah cards also?

bev p said...

Just got the info from Jennifer McGuire! I have been eagerly awaiting. I will start this weekend to pull them together and get them signed and packed up! Thank you so much for starting this. Now I don't have to feel guilty about making more cards than the number of people I actually know! I keep thinking I am done, but then I see an idea of a technique to try or a stamp I haven't used yet, and I am off again! I am sure you can relate :-)).

A said...

This is something I've been looking for, thanks for doing this!!!

One question - "Please sign your name and where you are from (inside the card)" - does it mean we should sign it, under the wish, or put the name somewhere else on the inside?

DJ said...

This is my first time hearing of this. Every year I make WAY too many Christmas cards to send out. This is a great way to pass them along. Sadly, I've always made 5x7 cards so I can't pass them to you but what a great idea that I could do myself. What a wonderful project, I had two Aunts (98 yo and 108 yo) pass away this year in a nursing home in a small town in northeast Texas. Thank you for what you are doing.

Lynette @ My Craft Discovery said...

Ahh!!! I am so excited! I didn't know about this before, but I was wondering what I would do with all the cute Christmas stamps I bought this year and really don't need that many cards! I had 3 of 4 grandparents in nursing homes, so I know the environment and how needed this drive is! Thank you so much. I can't wait to get going and sending a bunch of cards.

Gloria Westerman said...

Thank you all for doing this for these wonderful people...and I hope to get started this weekend...

lindaplus3 said...

Sharing this on my FB wall.... this is an awesome idea :)

merryf said...

I would very much like to make Hanukkah cards for the drive -- do you know that nursing homes in the U.S. have Jewish residents?

Thanks very much for this wonderful idea!

judisdesigns said...

I will be starting cards tomorrow. I will also share on facebook. Thanks for the wonderful work you do. I feel so fortunate that my 93 year old mom is still able to live on her own...alone because she is so independent! But who knows what the future will bring?

Gale S. said...

I already do this with my local nursing home, but would be happy to help your card drive. I also make birthday cards for the residents. The nursing home tells me how many females and how many males, so I can know how many of each kind to make. I also include some cards that can go for either sex in case they get more residents during the year.

Unknown said...

I am sorry if this was stated and I missed it. We are just trying to make it easier for you, would you rather have the cards in the envelopes and not sealed or just placed on top of the envelope? Thank you!!

Janet a.k.a. swanlady21 said...

Absolutely wonderful idea. We have decided to start our own for those on our island of Mauritius ... kindness starts with those closest to us. Seemed crazy to be sending cards to the US when we have our own lonely ones here.

Helen Price Montgomery said...

I love this card drive idea and plan to participate. I will be sending mine! I am always in the Christmas choir at my church and we take a couple of weekends and sing at a couple of the convalescent centers. The joy I see on their faces tells me why we are there. Thank you for this opportunity.

Unknown said...

I fell in love with this idea last week when I read about it. My 120 cards are already in the mail to you!

Barbara Rademacher said...

Hi. This is Barb Rademacher in NW Arkansas, USA. I will be mailing my cards on Wednesday, Nov. 16, or Thursday, Nov. 17.

Unknown said...

I just found out about the card drive while watching youtube card videos. I think this idea is FANTASTIC! Everyone should feel they are remembered and loved, especially on a holiday! Thank you for creating such a wonderful opportunity! I want to participate and will make as many cards as I can to put them in the mail by tomorrow Nov. 21 in hopes they will reach you by the deadline! THANK YOU!

Barbara Rademacher said...

From Barbara Rademacher:

I sent a box of 184 handmade Christmas cards from my coworkers, students, and myself on Nov. 17 through UPS. The box arrived in Houston, TX on Sunday, Nov. 20. Tracking info says that UPS is holding the box for future delivery, whatever that means.

I have emailed the tracking and shipment numbers to you. I hope and pray the box arrives on time.

Sincerely, Barbara Rademacher

A said...

I have sent 84 cards last week, but judging from the tracking they won't arrive in time. I hope that it's still useful even though it excludes me from the prizes (not that important in the bigger picture). I'd also like to ask - I was afraid to send money by mail, but if it's possible to send some by PayPal, I'd love to.

Vera Yates (Ling) said...

What name is your package under? I received like 90-100 pkgs today and maybe yours is one of them? My paypal: wirianta@hotmail.com Thank you!!

Jean Bullock said...

So bummed. I wasn't able to finish my cards and get to the post office until this morning. Both the post office and fed ex said it wouldn't get there until Saturday. Post office wanted to charge $ 51.00 and Fed Ex wanted about S45.00. Fed Ex said ground delivery would be $8 and would probably get there later in the week. It would have gone to the California address. (This is for 9 cards with envelopes.) Guess I will save them for next time. Although, I might send them to the care home my dad was in before he passed.

Vera Yates (Ling) said...

Jean Bullock, can you please email me at wirianta@hotmail.com Thank you!

Gloria Westerman said...

Vera I hope you received my cards...I made over 300 for you this year and hope to make more next year...and again thank you so much for doing this...
Merry Christmas to you and your family...

Unknown said...

I got notice that my cards had been delivered to you, I sent envelopes (clear) separate. Hope clear is ok. I love them. Send $$$ to help with your shipping costs. Blessings!!

cghundley said...

My first time doing
this, I sent you 40
cards! Included $ to
help with shipping.
Thanks for doing this
and letting us join in!
Carla from Utah

tickermarie aka P. DePew said...

I sent 50 cards and according to the tracking they arrived on Nov. 21st. Hope they arrived safely. Really love this idea and looking forward to next year. Sent mine to the California address since I live in Oregon. Happy Holidays to all the card makers and sponsors.

Unknown said...

UPS told me they could deliver by Friday but I just checked and they were delayed and won't be delivered until Monday. I'm so sorry. I sent 100 cards and a little money.

Crafty Julia said...

Sent my 105 cards so glad they will be enjoyed! Please give us a reminder on Splitcoaststampers next year too!

Kathy said...

Hi there, and Happy New Year! I was really happy to participate in the Caring Hearts Card Drive. I also see a very long list of companies that contributed with gift certificates, etc for the participants, but I haven't heard or see any update as to who won those "prizes." Did I miss it?
Thanks for your reply!

Vera Yates (Ling) said...

The winner announcement for the card drive can be found here: http://lingshappyplace.blogspot.com/2016/12/caring-hearts-2016-result-prize-winners.html

Kathy said...

Thank you so much! I missed it! I loved reading all the details of the different countries and the phenomenal amount of cards submitted! Can't wait to do it again!!!

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