From Our Hearts

Request For "Miss You", "Love You", Cards For Kids and More

From Our Hearts has had requests for cards in the past (mostly kids cards), and here is another that has been received from one of our contacts in Afghanistan - Miss You, Love You and cards for kids are in demand and in short supply - can we send more?  We are running low on these types of cards and can use help -

At the present time, we are also running low and can use the following:

Anniversary

Sympathy

Wedding

Thinking of You

Thank You

And of course, VALENTINES!  We have been busy at the home office designing cards and kits - as we have only 4 boxes of Valentines on the shelves - and we need many, many more - our thanks to Anne H and Susan T for taking the time to design cards and cut the paper and ribbon!!! Our thanks, too, to all our contributors who have sent us the supplies we use to make the cards - we could not do it without YOUR help.  And one more thank you - to Angie J who takes the card kits home to assemble them --- OH, we almost forgot to thank Tom, Martie's husband, for taking such good care of us while we work!!

Another Wish List Item

Our supply of "blank" all occasion cards - those with no sentiment, is running very low - and we have a high demand for this type of card right now -

We are asking for those who wish to focus their card making/contributions for a specific type of card to be blank cards - and we are always in need of thinking of you and miss you cards, too.  We are "swimming" in birthday cards at the moment, so are asking that these contributions be at a minimum.

We appreciate all types of cards, at all times of the year - our next "big" shipment will be fall, halloween and thanksgiving cards - these are scheduled to be mailed in early September/October time frame.

We thank all of our contributors for ALL that you do for us!

Supplies!

From Our Hearts is appreciative when we receive boxes of supplies, for these help US in our card making efforts - we put on card making events for groups upon request, and also make cards locally to fill in the "gaps" when the need arises.

So when we received this box full of ribbon and Stampin' Up!® markers from Ruth H from Chicago, IL, we were thrilled!  Imagine how many card kits we can make with these?  We surprise ourselves - just last month we created over 1200 cards for 3 events - all with donated card stock, ribbon, ink and embellishments.

Our thanks to Ruth for helping us in this way -

Helping us in another way is Lori N, from Jefferson City, MO.  Lori cleaned up and cleaned out, donating all her excess craft supplies to From Our Hearts.  What we cannot use, we will sell at garage sale in the fall to generate much needed funds for postage.  Lori's help is most welcomed - and her items of no use to her will go into the hands of those who can use them!

Another local stampers and volunteer, Brie L (Jefferson City), also did a bit of spring cleaning and she, too, donated her unwanted supplies to From Our Hearts -

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AND, Brie did a bit of stamping, too - to include Christmas cards - she has jump started our holiday effort!

She created a few other all occasion cards, too - and Brie always includes a check to help us with our postage costs, too.

Our thanks to these contributors who help us in a different way!

We wish to add another item to our "wish list" - supply items that we use so much of and that we purchase quite a bit of (or is donated by Martie or Kavi, our volunteer in HIllsville, VA), and that is Stampin' Dimensionals - those small double sided adhesives that "pop up" a saying, embellishment, or layer on a card and glue dots.  Relatively inexpensive, they do add up when FOH uses several packages during a stamping event.  Your help is appreciated!

Wish List Item

It isn't often that we request certain types of cards, as we need all types of cards all year round - but now is one of those times that we have a need for general all occasion, blank note cards, those that say "hi/hello", and masculine cards, too.

So, if you are wondering "what can I make", please consider adding a few of these to your next box.

We appreciate it!

From the volunteers at From Our Hearts

Boxes Arrive From PA, IA, IL and NC

Boxes arrive from all over the USA and Canada, too - and we are continually amazed at the support that we receive!  What we know is that the letters that we receive from the troops is testimony that we, collectively, are making a difference.  Thank you, thank you, thank you, to EVERYONE who makes this possible.  If you are making and sending cards, shipping us supplies or sending us a monetary donation through the mail or via the paypal link or in with your boxes - we wish to tell all of you that THIS EFFORT COULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE HELP OF EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!  We thank you, From OUR Hearts!

Juliana B, our "Paper Chef" from Philadelphia, PA is one such contributor who makes a difference.  Juliana has been donating to us for several years.  A few cards here, many cards there - she is a steady contributor.  This month, Juliana contributed cards AND card fronts to us -

23 beautiful cards -

Carefully crafted when she has the time - as she has a little one...

And 14 card fronts to our cause.  Thank you, Juliana!
Pam M, Westchester, IL is another one of our frequent contributors.  This shipment? 107 cards with envelopes.  And, 70 pens!  We appeciate the pen donation - our supply was tapped out with this last shipment and it now goes on the "Wish List" -

Each and every card she made and donated was a Mother's Day card!  Thank you,m Pam!

From Cedar Rapids, IA, Jan C is a new contributor, and you will see in the next couple of weeks, has fast become one of our frequent contributors!  Jan writes: "Thank you for your service.  I have 2 sons in the military."  Well, this explains it!  Her heart is in it just as ours is!  Welcome to From Our Hearts, Jan!

Jan sent 126 cards and 20 card fronts, and also pens, writing pads (to send along to the troops) and some embellishments for our use, too.

Nicely made cards!  We are glad that Jan found us!

Karla R is from Benson, NC and mailed us 52 cards in this shipment.  Karla, too, is a frequent contributor to our cause.  Karla included a cash contribution to help ship over a couple of boxes - we sure do appreciate the financial support!

Mother's Day cards - nearly half of those she made and beautiful they are!

Karla made other occasion cards, too - hi/hello . . .

Thinking of You, Thank You, Friendship and many more -

We thank you, ladies, for ALL you do for From Our Hearts!

*Wish List* Card Stock Needed - Stampin' Up!® Colors

To finish those card fronts that are donated to us, From Our Hearts' volunteers in Topeka sent us a desperate plea - they are in need of the following colors of Stampin' Up!® 8 1/2 x 11 card stock:

Real Red

Black

Chocolate Chip

Night of Navy

Early Espresso

Pretty in Pink

Tempting Turquoise

Old Olive

Certainly Celery

Pink Pirouette

Riding Hood Red

Bashful Blue

Soft Suede

Also needed are the following colors:

Melon Mambo

Poppy Parade

Tangerine Tango

Marina Mist

Please contact us if you can help - and we'll get you in touch with Regina so that arrangements can be made.

One sheet of card stock creates 2 cards - one package of card stock creates 48 cards - and impacts 96 lives (the sender and the recipient) . . . 

WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT!!!

Mother's Day Cards *REMINDER*, All Occasion Cards Needed, And An Update...

 

Our supply of all occasion cards is very low!  Your help is needed to help us to fill up the boxes that are shipped over every 6-8 weeks.  Our list of chaplains/contacts hovers around 42, and this is a lot of cards needed every shipment.

20,450 cards have been mailed since January 1 of this year, alone, and we THANK EACH and EVERY ONE OF OUR CONTRIBUTORS for making this possible!  We are well on our way to exceeding the number that we mailed last year.  And here are last year's figures:

Last year (2011), From Our Hearts mailed 419 boxes and a total of  116,195 cards, thanks to so many of you!  And since our inception in October 2009, 243,276 cards have been created, donated and mailed over!  We are truly amazed and thrilled at all the support that From Our Hearts has received from so many of you and WE THANK YOU!!!

 

And Update from The Home Office

From Susan F:

"We've been getting shipments in at a pretty steady rate.  We might have a total of 8  full boxes of Easter cards when all is checked in.  I plan to get a shipment out on Friday the 24th.  I will focus on 34 of our 42 contacts. 

I just hope we get twice as many Mother's Day cards in tho since those need to go to 40 contacts.  We might need to put a plea on the blog.

Susan"

Our Easter shipment is going to be mailed out a little later than anticipated as FOH is waiting on some cards that we know are scheduled to arrive -and with 8 boxes of cards, this means only 1/4 of each box will be Easter cards.

With 42 contacts, and Mother's Day is our second largest shipment of cards, we are in need of many, many cards!!

The due date for the cards is posted on the right side of the blog - and we thank all who are sending the cards in, already.

Thank you, all of you, who are helping us to send cards to our 42 contacts.  We appreciate your support.

Wish List - Easter and Mother's Day Cards

Whew!  We sure are keeping busy at the home office - it seems that we jump from one holiday to another - and we are in bit of a "lull" at the moment as far as shipping out cards - waiting for the next big push of cards to go overseas.  In the meanwhile, we are prepping cards for our local events and making cards to "fill in" when we just don't have enough to send over.  The supplies that are donated to us are so very much appreciated!

Feb 12 is our next due date - this is when we will want those Easter cards in - while not a big card holiday, we like to have some available to ship over.

Mother's Day is the second biggest card mailing holiday of the year - next to the Christmas holidays - and we are running short of cards (gee, we are sounding like a broken record!)  They will be mailed in March and that will be here before we know it!

Our list of chaplains/contacts keeps growing!  Just last week we received this note:

Martie,

It's me Chaplain Peter H.  I'm back in theatre.  You sent me many wonderful cards when I was the chaplain of SOTF-SE.  Now I am the chaplain for SOTF-S.  I am hoping that you may be able to send me some cards in time for Valentines Day.  I have about 700 Soldiers under my care here.  I hope you are doing well and I look forward to you receiving your cards again.

What a surprise to hear from one of our chaplains who had done his tour, returned to the states and his family, and now, he has returned back to Afghanistan.  Fortunately, we had a couple dozen valentines on hand (card front conversions and others that we had made, locally) and shipped off a box of mixed cards - and he is now in our rotation to receive our cards, once more.  Our contact list is approaching 40 again, and that is a lot of cards that is needed every 6 weeks!

YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED!

A Much Needed Break - Why... And a Special Request

From Our Hearts took a much need break from posting on the blog - as those who follow us regularly have undoubtedly noticed...

Our reason?  A road trip... and a welcome home from Iraq celebration!  From Our Hearts' founder Martie and husband Tom traveled to North Carolina to welcome home their daughter from her tour in the war zone - and a much needed vacation for the two of them... much welcomed family time, to include many grandchildren!  We are so happy to have all of our children home and safe...

And an eyeopener of us - as our daughter was one of our recipients of our many boxes of cards while deployed.  Her words to us ... "if I can tell you what I noticed while observing the many who went through the boxes of cards that you sent to me ... You need to send us more MASCULINE cards.  So many of the cards are...well... frilly."

So from the mouth of "my babe" - and one in the know!

While we know that many of our cards are made and will be mailed to girlfriends, wives, mothers, and other females . . .  our daughter's observation is that we just don't sent many masculine cards.

So, this is our request, as a first hand observer of those who access our boxes - we need more MASCULINE cards!