From Our Hearts

Pick Me!

Every time we receive a box of cards, we never know what to expect when we open it up.  Will it be a card? Card fronts?  Card stock?  Ribbon?  Stamp sets?  It is always a surprise when a box appears on our doorstep.

This time, it is a frog!

From Our Hearts examines each and every card that is donated.  This card, sent to us among many in a box from Jean C from Galloway, NJ, just stood out.

Who will be the lucky person to find it among the hundreds of cards in the box?  And who will be the lucky recipient?

This card, embossed and made with such care, said to us "pick me!"

Jean, we thank you giving us a bright spot during this snowy, weather!  This card will surely bring a smile to the fortunate serviceman or woman who is lucky to find it first!

Please Be Patient!

Our big Mother's Day card making event is tomorrow!  From Our Hearts has been VERY busy with the planning, coordinating and cutting cardstock for the public to stamp and assemble 1,200 cards.

7 boxes of cards have arrived these past 3 days.  We've opened them; over 1,500 cards have arrived, many without envelopes.  Acknowledgments will be sent very soon and of course, on our blog they will go.

Thank you to all of you who are using our paypal and credit card link on our blog to donate to help out with much needed funds to help send all these cards over to Iraq and Afghanistan.  We get cards in and From Our Hearts must purchase the envelopes clear envelopes and of course postage to ship them over.  Since the first of the year, our postage alone is half of what From Our Hearts spent in 2009 as the cards keep coming in.

Our many, many thanks to all of our card makers and contributors!  Keep those cards coming in - supporting all of our chaplains requires thousands of cards every month.

All contributions are tax deductible as From Our Hearts is a not for profit organization.

We say thank you so often and continue to do so - it comes From Our Hearts - and we receive thanks from so many servicemen and women who write to tell us how much of an impact one single card makes on their day.  These letters of thanks are to all of you who contribute to our cause.

How much to Send?

Many times From Our Hearts receives e-mails asking if we have a "minimum" number of cards that "have" to be donated as many of our contributors send us literally hundreds of cards with every shipment on a regular basis.

Our response:  You may send us one card.  Every card, added to the next, fills up a box.

These 12 cards were contributed by a stamper just 30 miles north of our home office in Columbia, Missouri.  Her name is Kathy B.

Well made, she crafted birthday and much needed Mother's Day cards.

They key to what we send over is QUALITY HANDCRAFTED cards.

 

If no envelopes or clear envelopes are sent along, From Our Hearts provides these - yes, this takes away from the amount of funds we have available to actually ship those cards over!

Our costs are escalating.

This year alone, our postage costs are nearly HALF of what From Our Hearts incurred ALL OF LAST YEAR!

Why?

• The number of card contributions has increased dramatically (thank you, all of you!)
• The number of chaplain contacts has increased x 5 (word is spreading!)
• postage has increased as of January 4
• the number of boxes we've sent since January 1 is increasing accordingly!

Envelopes and clear envelopes are appreciated when sending cards.  And, financial contributions to help us to continue with our operations is most welcome - From Our Hearts is a not for profit, total volunteer organization that relies entirely on contributions.  Our time at the home office is volunteered as well.

The letters and cards received from Iraq and Afghanistan are proof that our boxes and boxes of cards are very much needed and wanted.  We will continue to send them until the need is no longer there.

From Our Hearts received a paypal donation just last week.  It came from someone we did not know but the address was MA - so we knew it was the east coast - and we acknowledge each and every contribution via e-mail.  The response back to us (within a matter of just an hour or so) was short, but took us back:

"Love your cards.  I send them to my son from Baghdad."

A donation from a serviceman in Iraq!  To us, this means "keep sending the boxes"!

Thank you to all who have contacted us and who are planning to help us, and to those of you who have contributed, whether it be a dozen cards or 1,000 cards, supplies OR by financial contributions through our paypal, credit card link or checks in the mail.

Together we are making a difference, one card at a time.

Clear Envelopes and More Arrive

These came from Bev P in Shiloh - just across the river in our neighbor state of Illinois.  Bev sent us 2 boxes and one package -

Only one picture taken, below - of the many, many cards and supplies she sent to us.  And over 400 much needed clear envelopes (thank you BEV!!) over 400!!!

In addition, many stamps, ink pads, ribbons, card stock, designer paper, you name it, she sent it to us.  These items we can use at our many stamping events.

And it gets even better.

Bev sent us a paypal donation to ship over several boxes to our servicemen and women in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Our Hearts are with you, Bev!

We will be certain that those special chaplains get those special cards . . .

Email Received from Iraq To All

All,

Thank you for the lovely Valentine's Day/love note cards with wonderful handiwork.

Each one I selected reminded me of one of my children, one of whom's name is Rose and another that we call "Cory" which is short for Corazón. For example, Cory and I play tic-tac-toe in restaurants using hearts instead of Xs and Os. Her card had a similar arrangement. Very cute.

Please share my gratitude with your extended card-making family. I saw cards from Norman, OK and other places, in addition to the Jefferson City, MO "home office".

Keep up the beautiful work.

It brings smiles and loving thoughts this way!

From Al Faw Palace, Baghdad, Iraq, have a blessed day!

Another Angel in Our Corner

Her name is Kari.  She lives in Washington, MI.  It seems that she always knows when From Our Hearts is in need.  This was time was no exception.  Planning was underway for our very first annual Mother's Day card making event and fundraiser to be held on February 6 and Kari e-mailed us, out of the blue.

"I'm sending you a box of supplies.  I figured you could use them."

Not knowing what she had in mind (as we never do when Kari starts filling up her box), we waited patiently for her box to arrive.  And take a look at what we found when we opened it:

Card stock, designer paper, ribbon, stamp sets, wheels, and long envelopes (always needed for those over-sized cards that arrive without envelopes!)

 

Kari was our very first contributor to our cause, long before From Our Hearts officially became a not for profit.  She knew just what was needed, without any words spoken.

Since that time, many boxes have arrived from her - and as always, they contain just what is needed.

An angel, from Michigan, moved to send what is needed at just the right time.

This box is no exception.  Much of what she sent will be used at the card making event on February 6 and the new-in-package items are in the silent auction to help raise the much needed funds to help us to continue our operations - to purchase card stock for our volunteers in Kansas, supplies to ship the boxes and of course, the cost of mailing the 20 + boxes every month.

Kari's connection over the miles to From Our Hearts is unique; she is one more angel in our corner!

Samples and a Card Comes Full Circle

This month, the residents at the Heisinger Bluffs Retirement Home in Jefferson City stamped and created another 124 cards for our servicemen and women.  They do this faithfully, every month, contributing the card stock, paper, ribbon and their time and talent.

They include a personalized slip in with each card and even take the time to seal them in the clear envelopes so that they are ready for the boxes that day.

These miss you and best wishes cards are just a sampling of the several designs they made.

Thursday of this week, From Our Hearts received a very touching card and the return address was from a location we had not ever seen before, but then, our chaplain contacts do share the cards and we have many who travel and distribute them.

The card looked very familiar.  We look at each card that is donated to From Our Hearts before they are placed in the boxes and shipped over.  A second look at the card was all it took to realize why we knew it so well.

It was made by our seniors at Heisinger Bluffs this past fall.

Thankful, grateful, appreciative is the sentiment stamped on the front of the card that came full circle to From Our Hearts.

We share these cards and letters as they are not mean for just those of us at the home office, but for everyone who contributes to our cause, in every way.

This is what was written:

To Whom it may concern at "From Our Hearts"

Thank You.

I am stationed at FOB GARDEZ Afghanistan.  We do not have a PX or shops to buy cards like this for messages to send back to our family and friends.  I have a husband and daughter at home in the states.  It is a game for her to walk with Dad and check the mail.  I send my husband and daughter a card or letter a piece almost every day.  Just another way to try and keep your family strong during deployment.  I love your cards.  They were available for our troops at the USO.  Thank you so much for the time you put into making them and sending them to us.  Definitely a bright spot in the day.Thank you,

-signed by a Major US Army

Our cards touch many lives in so many ways.  And they are appreciated - as this officer puts it: "Definitely a bright spot in the day".  We are happy to be able to brighten up the lives of those who are serving our country in Iraq and Afghanistan and of course, their families, friends and loved ones who are waiting patiently back home for their safe return.

No More Cards Could Fit

Take a look at this box we received . . . it was bursting at the seams!  Perhaps the snapshot doesn't show it too well, but it was just packed so tightly, we don't think that Arlene could have put another card in it!

Arlene's note tells where they are from:

 

You may recognize her name as Arlene, from Rome, NY - she has contributed her works of art to us on numerous occasions.  She provides QUALITY handcrafted cards, and even solicits card fronts and takes the time to turn them into usable cards before sending them on to From Our Hearts!

Arlene created her own customized slip to include with her cards.  They arrived ready for the boxes - sorted, counted, bundled by type and in clear envelopes (with the slips!).  All we had to do was put them in their holding boxes until the next shipment.

We were especially pleased to see the Easter and St. Patrick's day cards arrive - they are scheduled to be shipped out this next month.

 

Her is a sampling of her cards.  Beautiful!

 

And of course, the St. Patty's cards:

 

And a bonus!  5 packages of pens - we'll send those along so our servicemen and women won't have an excuse to write home!!!

 
In total: 194 cards.  Wow!  And one of her helpers has a son deployed in Iraq.  We wonder if his chaplain is on our list?  We have 20, yes 20 contacts who are receiving our cards.  And each chaplain supports 600-800 troops.  One box holds 300 cards . . . (yes, we know we keep repeating this) . . .  One box per chaplain just isn't enough to reach all who need and want our cards!

It is through contributors such as Arlene who continue to send cards our way who help us to fill up the boxes every month.

And our many, many thanks to all who contribute cards, supplies and monetary donations to our cause who make this all possible.

A Box Of Sunshine Is Sent To From Our Hearts

From Our Hearts receives boxes on a daily basis, some decorated and some come to us just like this one, just a box addressed to us with a return address.  Little did we realize we were in for a big surprise when we opened it.

Lois B from Columbia, PA has been very, very busy creating 310 cards for From Our Hearts and take a look at the packaging!  Each type of card was sorted and placed in a handmade box - each made of different colors of card stock . . . it was like opening a box of sunshine on a cold Missouri morning!

Lois sent us an inventory of the box (thank you very much!!!).  And tucked in between the boxes was a small envelope with a cash donation to help ship them overseas.  This will help tremendously as we are now sending boxes to 20 different locations.

 

The cards are just a few that we took out of a few of the boxes.  Just beautiful, aren't they?  Lois made each and every one of them, matched them with an envelope and also had them ready to go as she sent them sealed in clear envelopes, too!

Her note to us says that she just loves making cards, and now has a "reason to make cards, after stumbling onto a blog "From Our Hearts" in December '09" and she is already working on her next box!

Wow!!!  Are we ever glad she found us.  Our servicemen and women are going to love her cards.

Our gratitude goes out to Lois and we are looking forward to her next box - 310 cards is ONE entire box that will go overseas!

And Lois made our day very, very sunny indeed!

A Single Mom Sends Our Cards Home Daily From Afghanistan

Another card received, this one from a PV2 from the National Guard Unit out of Joplin, MO - her name is Lisa.

She writes:

Dear 'From Our Hearts', my name is PV2 (last name) Lisa. I am in Afghanistan right now leaving behind a daughter (6 yrs in Jan) and another daughter (almost 9 mo.).  As a single mother you can imagine how hard this deployment has been on me so far.  I just want to let you know that I write them every day, sending each of them a cute card your group has made.  I love these cards & wanted to say thank you.

PS.  I also wanted to let you know that I have sent every soldier in my company a Christmas card (made by you) and I am also sending everyone birthday cards!  I just love all your cards so much, I decided to make sure every soldier gets one in the mail!  Thank you for all you do! -signed-

She wrote on the back of the envelope:  "Thanks to all the 'stampers' who make it all possible!

We are making so many of our soldier's lives brighter with just a simple, beautiful, handcrafted card.  The need for our cards is great.

Thank you, every one, who is making this possible.

Martie