From Our Hearts

Address to Ship Boxes of Cards and Slip information

We get many, many requests for our address to ship boxes of cards:

From Our Hearts

1100 Dogwood Dr

Jefferson City, MO  65109

Card fronts, swap cards that have card making info on the back and cards that are in need of a little TLC are mailed to a different address.  Contact us at info@fromourhearts.info and we'll be happy to provide you with that address.

Our cards are mailed over with an A2 size envelope, sealed in a clear envelope.  We enclose a personalized "slip" with our contact information.

We appreciate receiving envelopes with the cards as this helps keep our costs to a minimum so that our funds may be used to ship the cards overseas and to purchase supplies for shipping.  When preparing boxes, if no slips are included, please leave the clear envelopes UNSEALED!

The slips are simply a piece of paper that contains our contact information that reads:  From Our Hearts, PO Box 105243, Jefferson City, MO 65110.  The last line says "Thank you for all you do."  We have this in a word document (available upon request), to print it off, cut up, and place between the envelope and clear envelope.  We encourage each contributor to customize the slip with their name, city/state to say something creative such as "made especially for you by (name) from (city/state)".  We request that From Our Hearts' contact information remain in tact.

We receive cards, letters, e-mails and even phone calls from the recipients of our cards, both in Iraq and Afghanistan and here in the states expressing their gratitude for the cards.  They love our cards and From Our Hearts wishes for our contributors to take credit for their creations!  We also find that the servicemen and women choose cards from their home state - it helps them to feel connected.

When shipping boxes, please pack the cards tightly so they do not shift in transit as they get damaged when shifting.  And send us a quick e-mail and let us know a box is on its way.

We appreciate the generosity of so many of you who create beautiful cards for our servicemen and women serving our country!

Patriot Way Stampers Come Through AGAIN!

All the WAY FROM MAINE (didn't we say we get cards from all 4 corners of the USA?)

Marilyn Mae and the Patriotic Way Stampers were stamping their hearts out again and a few hearts even spilled out on the box before it was shipped out !

Yes, these patriotic ladies were at it again, this time stamping and creating 204 Easter cards.  YES . . . ALL Easter cards!  Marilyn Mae tells us there are a core group of 5 ladies in the Patriotic Way Stampers who are actively participating and creating these cards.

All the same design, same stamp, different colors, different designer paper and ribbons, but all basically the same card.  And all HAND colored - what a tremendous amount of work went into creating this box of flowers.  Each card is a symbol of their love of God, Country, and the Troops.

Marilyn Mae now has special T-Shirts for her group of Patriot Way Stampers!

Enclosed in the box was a note from Marilyn Mae, and some dimensionals, which we will put to good use.

To our surprise and delight, a cash donation was included in the box for postage, compliments of Diane O.  This will help us ship out those boxes of Easter cards!  Many thanks to Diane - we receive cards but without the funds for supplies and postage, they wait until they are available.

Marilyn Mae is helping to spread the word about From Our Hearts by networking - as she believes in our cause and in supporting our troops!

We thank you, Marilyn Mae, for all you are doing to help us to get as many cards in as many hands of our servicemen and women serving our country in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Much of our card donations and financial support is received because of individuals like Marilyn Mae, who spread the word of what we are doing.

Got Card Fronts? See What Topeka is Doing

St. Patrick's Day cards were mailed out Feb 2 and our volunteers in Topeka were busy not only turning our donated card fronts into cards, but they found time to create some GREEN to add to the most recent box of lovely cards shipped our way.  Regina's note says it all.  184 of the 230 cards they shipped were created by their volunteers and they would have made more, but ran out of green card stock!

Take a look at a sample of the cards they created, in addition to those they converted into cards from all those card fronts received by many individuals, nationwide:

 

And this is how she carefully packs the cards for shipment to the home office:

Beautifully handcrafted - this is the QUALITY work that our volunteers in Kansas turn out and send to us on a regular basis.

We are told that they are running low on all occasion card fronts - they have worked diligently to make cards out of donated fronts and swap cards that what they have left to work on is mostly Christmas cards.

Not that they mind - but we are told a little variety (perhaps summer, birthday, thinking of you, miss you . . .) would be like a breath of spring right now!

Card front donations are shipped to a different location - contact us at cards@fromourhearts.info and we'll e-mail you the address to ship those card fronts, swaps, or even "bent" or "dogeared" and worn out handcrafted cards that you think aren't usable.  These talented ladies in Topeka are the "experts" at turning them into gorgeous cards!  From Our Hearts recycles, reuses . . . !

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.

JoAnn M, Oconomowoc, WI Your Box has Safely Arrived

JoAnn M and her "Team" mailed a box of cards to From Our Hearts but no note inside:

Inside, we only found just gorgeous cards.  No contact information, no e-mail address, and we are unable to locate one for her.

Isn't this just beautiful?  All the cards inside are quality, quality.

We would like to e-mail JoAnn to let her know that her box has safely arrived . . . but we cannot!

We encourage every contributor to include a note inside your box with your contact information.  Name, address, e-mail address and if you can, contents of the box itself (counts).

Laurie L Was the First to Contribute

A heartfelt thank you to those of you who graciously donated through our merchant account link at the left - and using your Discover Card this past month -

Laurie L from Minnesota was the first to send her contribution to us this way and her contribution has gone further - $10 to be exact - as Discover card will be putting a gift card in the mail to From Our Hearts!

What does From Our Hearts do with the monetary contributions we receive?

We purchase:

Postage for the boxes to Iraq and Afghanistan every month.  At $11.95 per box, this adds up.  AND we understand this cost will be increasing January 4 to $12.50.

And supplies for our operations to continue such as:

packing tape

stamps to mail out thank you cards if no e-mail addresses are available

stamps to mail out contribution letters for donations (for tax purposes)

labels

envelopes that we must provide when none arrive with donated cards

clear envelopes that we must provide when none arrive with donated cards

card stock for turning card fronts into cards

In addition, we pay for the following:

attorney fees to incorporate as a not for profit (yes, we are still paying those even though we have received our notification from the IRS - it seems we always have a need to consult our lawyers!)

accountant fees

monthly merchant account fee

We have no payroll and no other overhead costs as all other expenses are donated by individuals who volunteer and believe in our cause.  Even the ink and paper for printing out the slips, letters, etc are donated.

So thank you, Laurie for being the first to step up and contribute last month.  And our many thanks to the others who helped us this past month as well.

Our bank account empties every month when our shipment of cards are mailed - and your contributions help to ensure that the cards we receive get into the hands of our servicemen and women every single month.

Slips Sent with Each Card and a Few More Guidelines

From Our Hearts places a slip inside each card that is sent to our servicemen and women.  This slip contains our contact information:

From Our Hearts

PO Box 105243

Jefferson City, MO  65110

http://www.fromourhearts.info

Thank you for all you do!

These are created in a word document (labels) and printed off on a regular sheet of paper, cut and slipped inside, between the envelope and clear envelope.

We encourage each of you to add your information to the cards before sending them to us.  Simply add to this information - something simple such as "this card was made especially for you by (first name or group name) from (city/state)".  Please contact us at m.shea@fromourhearts.info and we'll send you the word document.

We are finding that our military personnel are picking cards made by stampers from their home state.  It helps them to feel connected to back home.  Many times we receive an e-mail or a card of thanks with this slip enclosed.  Many times they ask who made the card!

If sending your cards already in clear envelopes, please leave them unsealed so that we may place the From Our Hearts slip inside.  If adding your own personalized slip that includes From Our Hearts information (as above), then seal them and send them our way!  They are ready for the boxes!

One more important request:  If sending a card with a stamped saying inside - and if looking at the card it is not possible to determine what type of card it is, please attach a sticky note or restamp the saying on a piece of paper and enclose it with the card.  This way the card will not have to be opened and will stay in pristine shape.  We find that the more a card is handled, the more likely it is to be damaged.

We try to keep our "rules" to a minimum, and are finding that there are a few that are essential to ensure that our quality cards remain just that, quality!  The feedback we receive from Iraq and Afghanistan has been tremendous and so very positive.

Thank you for everyone who has supported us these past several months and who have contacted us to let us know that boxes are on their way or card making events for From Our Hearts are in the planning stages.

Deadlines for Receipt of Valentines and Other Important Dates to Remember

Many of you have asked when the Valentines will be mailed - and for other important dates for the receipt of cards.

We allow 6  - 8 weeks for the boxes to ship, be received, distributed, for the servicemen and women to write, and for their cards to be mailed home and RECEIVED by the intended holiday.

Valentines will be mailed to our servicemen and women in Iraq and Afghanistan at the end of December.  With that said, From Our Hearts will need to have them in hand by mid December (oh yes, it is right in the middle of getting ready for the holidays, a busy time for all of us.)  So when you make your trip to the post office to mail off your packages, don't forget to mail off your Valentines to From Our Hearts!

January 2 is the latest we can ship for Valentines Day - and we believe there is sufficient time for them to arrive stateside by the 14th of February.

Next year's schedule:

St. Patrick's Day (March) - cards will be mailed Feb 1 (cards must arrive no later than Jan 25)

Easter - cards will be mailed Feb 22 (cards must arrive no later than Feb 15)

Mother's Day - Cards will be mailed March 22 (cards must arrive no later than March 8 - this is always a BIG shipment and we need to have time to get these ready)

Father's Day - Cards will be mailed May 3 - (cards must arrive no later than April 19

4th of July - Cards will be mailed May 24 (cards must arrive no later than May 17)

Halloween - Cards will be mailed September 13 (cards must arrive no later than Sept 1)

Thanksgiving - Cards will be mailed October 7 (cards must arrive no later than Sept 28)

Holiday Cards (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa) - cards will be mailed on October 30 to avoid the holiday package rush.  Cards must arrive no later than October 15.

Valentines for 2011:  Cards will be mailed Dec 31 (cards must arrive by Dec 20)

Have we missed any major holidays?  If so, leave a comment!

This month, the boxes will contain mostly thank you cards (they'll need them right after the holidays) and this will deplete those we have on hand.

From Our Hearts is now supporting 9 chaplains.  Each box that is sent contains anywhere between 250 - 300 cards, depending upon the amount of layering and embellishments that are on the cards.  We put as many cards in a box as we can possibly fit as each box costs $11.95 to ship - we want to get the most for our donated funds AND we want as many cards to get into as many hands as possible!

Just yesterday, 2 additional boxes of holiday cards were mailed to a new chaplain - bringing our total holiday shipment to over 9,000 cards!  Pretty amazing.  We could not have done this without the support of many, many stampers and individual contributors from coast to coast...

We thank you for all of your support.  And remember, From Our Hearts is a 501(c)(3) not for profit.  All your donations and contributions are tax deductible.