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Thankful Thursday: March 11, 2010

2010-03-11T04:50:00.000-08:00

On this Thankful Thursday, here's a great photo of some seniors in Minnesota who gathered a few months ago to make cards for our nation's heroes...just look at those smiling faces! We're reminded regularly how much OWH blesses those at home, not just our heroes overseas . . . and it's so great to know how much it means to you, the cardmakers, too! Feel free to include notes on your Packing Slips and share your experiences too...send photos if you're able, we love to share smiling faces on our blogs!

This week we received 6,259 cards....thank you everyone!

Thank you Brooke B. in Leonardtown, MD! These are terrific cards! Love the "crabby" cards! LOL!
Many thanks to the Scrapbooking Club at Wheelock College in Boston. MA! Your cards will help a lot of heroes keep in touch with home! Well done!
Thank you, Cheryl B. for these beautiful cards. I love these birthday cards for kids! Terrific!
Visual Art II Class at Coffee County Central High in Manchester, TN, your cards are terrific! Thank you for sharing your talent with our heroes so far away from home! Well done!
Thank you Jennifer H. in Laurel, MD for the cards and the extra envelopes! I love that bird paper you used! Thanks for sending the pens for our heroes!
Joanne W. in Fort Mill, SC, thank you for these lovely cards! Your cards for celebrating Mother's Day are beautiful and clever! Well done!
Thank you Marlyn M in Fox Lake, WI for the terrific cards and the donation for shipping!
Many thanks, Pam C. in Schenectady, NY! Your cards are wonderful and your donation is generous. Thank you!
Thanks, Stephanie G. in New York for the cards. Those are some happy cards! Love the buttons! Thanks too for your donation for shipping!
Thank you Caro H of Mint Hill, NC for the beautiful cards for the Half and Half challenge! Thanks for providing the color challenge for Stars and Stamps!
Carolyn L, Darien IL, thank you soooo much for your beautiful cards! Our heroes will love them!
Dawn B and Linda G, Cape May NJ - yowsa on the huge box of cards...thank you!!
Thank you Kelli W. in Downer's Grove, IL, The Veterans of Foreign Wars Century Post 503 and its Ladies Auxiliary as well as Boy Scout Troop 181. This beautiful box of cards was the combined effort of ages 8 to 89! Well Done!!
Marteena S and VFW Aux 4015 - wow, so many cards in one box - lovely, thank you!
Paula P, Rathdrum ID, your cards are just yummy; thank you for the generous donation too!
Thank you Sandy F for all the cards you've made this year! They are beautiful! Thank you too for writing notes to our heroes!
Seongsook D. in Elk Grove, CA, thank you for this terrific box of cards for our troops! I really needed those "Thinking of You" cards! Love your style!
Thank you Stephanie G. in New York, NY for sending the cards for the half and half challenge! Great cards!
Thank you, Trudy P. from Merritt Island, FL for the terrific cards! They look like spring and summer! Thanks too for the generous donation!
Anita S in Beaver Dam WI......thanks so much for collecting these wonderful cards from the community.
Christine A in Downers Grove IL......thanks for these beautiful cards!!!
Thank you Cindy J in Greenacres, FL for the boxes of cards for our military heroes!
Debby M in Las Cruces NM.....another fabulous package of cards! THANKS!
Jackie E and Girl Scout Troop 3075 in Rockton IL......WOW! You girls did a fabulous job drawing and coloring these cards! Thanks!
Janice D in Rochester MN.....WOW! What a wonderful box of fabulous cards!
Thank you Karen G in Oakland Park, FL! Tour cards are a treasure! Thanks for writing letters to our heroes, too! You rock!
Karen B and ScrapNMemories in Ft Worth TX.....these are gorgeous cards! Appreciate your support!
Kathleen M and Las Noches Woman's Club in Tempe AZ......ladies, thank you for all these wonderful cards!!
Kathy R in Livonia NY.....Gorgeous Mother's Day cards. They will bring a smile to a mother's face!
Lauri I. in Hamden, CT, thank you for the lovely box of cards you sent for our heroes. Thank you too for the generous donation and the letter to a hero. Love the cards for children!
Mara A. in Westminster, MD, thank you for these beautiful cards for our heroes and for the envelopes! Thanks for the generous donation for shipping too!
Pat C. in N. Fort Myers, FL, thank YOU for this terrific box of cards! I can't wait to dig in and see all the good stuff you made for our heroes!
Thank you, Particia M. in Nashua, NH! LOTS of pretty cards for our heroes! You rock!
Renee H in Andover MN.....these cards are awesome! Thanks for all the different themes.
Thank you Therese D. in Lewiston, ME for these beautiful cards! I love the frog in the pocket cards! And the birthday cards for little boys!
Thank you Cindee N. in Harrisburg, PA! Beautiful cards for moms! Thanks too for the generous donation.
Cindy M in Normal IL........another absolutely fabulous box of beautiful cards. THANK YOU!
Cindy M, Pewaukee WI - love your cards as always, and our heroes will too! Thank you!
Thank "Ewe" Cristy D. in Charleston, WV! These cards are great for our heroes! Ewe are very clever!
Thank you Ellen D. in Penfield, NY! Your cards are wonderful!! I love the flower cards! So pretty. Thank you too for your generous donation!
Jamie P in Pittsburgh, PA, thank you for the terrific cards! Our heroes will love sending these.
Thank you, Jean A. in Royal Palm Beach, FL for these TWO boxes of beautiful cards! Wow, lots of heroes and their families will love these. Thank you too for your generous donation!
Karen H in Monticello MN.....Stunning cards!!! Love the color combos and the father's day card is just too cute!
Katrin J in Germany......How wonderful to receive cards all the way from Germany. Your cards are beautiful, your notes heartwarming....THANK YOU!!
Kelli L in Hanover MN.....what wonderful and beautiful cards! Love your style!
Mary S in Taunton MN......I just love these cards, so very pretty. Thanks!
Rebecca P in VA Beach, thank you for all the terrific cards! Love the wallet cards for Father's Day! Hope some hero puts a dollar in there for dear old Dad!
Sandye C in Ft Wright KY.....thank you for these beautiful cards. Love them!!
Thank you, Sue S. in Hendersonville, TN for the box of beautiful cards! You've sent me a good start for my graduation stash! Thank you too for the donation and the letter to a hero!
Susan S. and Seashore Stampers in Egg Harbor Twp., NJ, thank you for the terrific cards for our heroes, and thank you for the donation!
SuzAnn H, Salt Lake City UT, thank you so much for your ongoing financial donations!! You're a blessing to our heroes!
Thank you Dawn M. in Charlotte, NC for the terrific cards for the half and half challenge! Our heroes will love them!
Thank you Debbie T. in Charlotte, NC for these beautiful cards for our troops! Well done!
Donna D, Monroe LA, thanks sooooo much for your generous donation!
Glenda L in Charlotte, NC, thank you for the cards and the generous donation! I love your bouquet of flowers on those Mother's Day cards!!
Thank you Kathy P in White Lake, MI!! A perfectly packaged package filled with lovely cards! Love your Father's Day cards! Thank you!!
Thank you Maria L in Stamford, CT for your cards and donation! Love the Mother's Day cards with the butterfly ribbon. Clever!
Melissa R, Marysville WA - thanks so much for the half&half cards - plus the extra envies!
Thank you Barbara H. in Bowman, GA, for the gorgeous cards, the hero letters and the generous donation! You are VERY talented!
Many thanks to the talented ladies, Scrapbook Concepts Cardmakers, in Florence, SC!! Thank you Linn, Stacey, Karen, Devon, Rhonda, and Bev! Thanks too for the generous donation!
Thank you Caro H. of Mint Hill, NC for these terrific cards! See you at the LSS for the next card day!
Darlene McG, Ridgecrest CA, what awesome cards - love them! Your donation and all the extra springy goodies are much appreciated!
Thank you Debbie K. in Burke, VA. Your cards are always beautiful. Thanks for the cards for the children! Thank you too for your donation for shipping!
Thank you Dee N in Duluth, MN for this wonderful box of cards for our heroes! I love the cat in the popcorn card! Funny!!
Diane G. in Barberton, OH, your cards are wonderful! Thank you for the many cards and the letters to heroes. Thanks for making so many cards for the children!
Dolores A. in Frederick, MD, you ROCK! Thank you for the terrific cards and the letters to our heroes. Lots of springtime on your cards!
Thank you Eileen M and the CardMaking Parties for OWH in St. Marys, PA!! Well done! Those Mother's Day cards are already packed to ship. Thanks too for the hero letters and the generous donation!
Janice A, Bountiful UT - such pretty Half&Half cards, you're really blessing our heroes...thank you for your generous gift too!!!
Kathy C, Liverpool NY - your generosity is astonishing, thank you!
Thank you Stephanie C and Huton Baptist Church in Glen Allen, VA for the beautiful "Thinking of You" cards. They're perfect!
Thank you Susan A. in Ridgewood, NY for the pretty cards you sent for our heroes! They're great!
Wendy L. in Circleville, OH!! Great Mother's Day and Father's Day cards! Thank you! Love the kraft cards especially!

A little excitement

2010-03-09T21:01:00.000-08:00

Hello friends...Sandy here! I just wanted to share a quick hello tonight - I am just so excited!! I got to meet one of our heroes this evening! A Chaplain who we supported for quite some time came to my church's care package packing party, and I was able to spend half an hour or so chatting with him....what an honor! :) He brought his daughter with him too, a beautiful young lady who is thrilled to have her Dad back home!

Stay tuned to hear more from him in the future (since he's local!)—but I wanted to share with you just how much he and his unit loved the cards! He said the selection they have access to is just awful, and having the boxes of handmade cards is a real treat. And having our "Operation Write Home" labels on the side, and tabs separating the themes of cards in between each section, the box is ready to go—so they're thrilled with what we do!

And, dummy me—I didn't even think to get a photo with him! Agh! Next time.
Sandy

Three reminders

2010-03-09T04:37:00.000-08:00

Reminder one:
The Half and Half challenge deadline is nearing....get the to the shipper by the 15th to get your entries counted! Ten prizes are up for grabs!

Reminder two:
Mother's Day deadline is April 1 - and if you're doing many multiples of one design (over 30), please make it sooner than that so we are able to spread them out among many boxes!

Reminder three:

Our spring Bloghop is coming up...sign up today! So far we're nearly at 75 blogs - almost half are hoping to offer blog candy, so get your sweet tooth ready! (Blog candy = a prize of some sort. Often a craft supply, sometimes it's something the blogger promises to do (ie make an AnyHero card for every comment made, etc.), and other times it'll be something entirely different - perhaps even real candy! :)

Mailroom Monday: March 8, 2010

2010-03-08T04:34:00.000-08:00

Happy Mailroom Monday, everyone! This week 12,315 cards were shipped out to heroes deployed overseas...well done! (Shipping cost: $485.70)

Bunnies galore are hopping around Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kuwait, as well as all the other places they've been mailed in the last few weeks—can you just picture them brightening faces and lighting up smiles? Parents will have visions of their kiddos opening Easter baskets and finding a card from Mom or Dad inside....that just warms our hearts!

Also heartwarming are all the pieces of AnyHero mail cheering up their days, too. Each box we send has a packet of 20-30 letters (if we have enough available) for our contacts to share with those who don't hear from home much. Just picture the joy as they know they're remembered by people across the USA!

To heroes in Afghanistan:
335 cards to an Army unit
335 cards to an Army unit
335 cards to an Army unit
335 cards to a National Guard unit
330 cards to an Army unit
330 cards to a Navy unit
330 cards to a Marine unit
330 cards to a National Guard unit
340 cards to a Marine unit
340 cards to a Marine unit
325 cards to an Air Force unit
325 cards to an Army unit
330 cards to an Army unit
330 cards to an Army unit
330 cards to an Marines unit
330 cards to an Civilian Contractor unit
330 cards to an Army unit
330 cards to an Air Force unit
330 cards to an Army unit

To heroes in Iraq:
335 cards to an Army unit
335 cards to a mixed unit
325 cards to an Air Force unit
70 cards to an Army unit
325 cards to an Army unit
325 cards to an Army unit
330 cards to an Army unit
330 cards to an Army unit
340 cards to an Army unit
330 cards to an Army unit
330 cards to an Army unit
330 cards to an Army unit
330 cards to an Army unit
330 cards to an Army unit
330 cards to an Army unit
330 cards to an Army unit
330 cards to an Army unit

To heroes in Kuwait:
330 cards to an Army unit
330 cards to a mixed unit

Other fun statistics:
Number of boxes sent: 708
Number of hero contacts:1,292
Total cards sent: 358,014

Deadline reminders:
St Patricks Day: passed
Easter: passed
Half&Half Challenge: March 15 in the hands of the shipper!
Mother's Day: April 1

Shipper needs this week: Now updated on our "Biggest Needs" post here.

Thank you, oh thank you

2010-03-06T08:21:00.000-08:00

Bye Bye Bunnies!

2010-03-05T10:23:00.000-08:00

As we've sent out the last of the Easter cards, we thought we'd show some of the funny bunnies that came in throughout the season...some were even sent last year and we snapped pics as we packed them. These have been showing up on our Facebook page for weeks....hope they make everyone smile! (Apologies to the ones with no cardmaker to credit—lost track of a few. If it's yours, please let us know and we'll add your name to the watermark!)

The last one isn't a bunny....but it sure is cute :)

Thankful Thursday: March 4, 2010

2010-03-04T04:17:00.000-08:00

This week we received 7,967 beautiful works of art to send to our heroes...thank you!

This little note is from a child's AnyHero card...there's just something about these notes that makes us all smile! If you're a fan of our Facebook page, you know we share those regularly on there, just to keep smiles plastered on all our faces. Love our kiddos!!

Vicki W, Reno NV, thanks for your Half n Half challenge cards...lots of moms will get to smile this year because of you!
Christine Z, White Lake MI, love all your cards....what a beautiful selection! Thanks so very much for your generous donation, too...wow!!
Thank you Melissa B in Montreal!! Your cards are always so pretty. I love the rich colors you use! (And I want that big "thank you" stamp!!)
Thank you Lori R in Springfield, VA! Your cards are always so pretty! I love the Mother's Day cards!
Thank you Ellen B. in Pasadena, MD for the terrific cards! I love the egg cards. So clever! Thanks to for the letters to Any Hero!
Thank you to the Ellicott City Rubber Stampers in MD!! You ladies have a lot of talent, and our heroes will love to send these cards to their families!
Thank you Jean B. in Meadville, PA for the cards, the donation, and the letters to our heroes! I love those square cards! So cute!
Thank you Diane W. for the terrific cards you made for our heroes! Thank you too for the generous donation!
Fabre' S.!! in Holliston, MA!! We know you! Thank you for the cards and the donation. Thank you too for the perfectly packed box. Looks like you may have had experience with packing.
Caryl P in Manchester, NH, thank you for the cards and the generous donation! My favorite in this batch is the card with the bee hive. Love that stamp!
Thank you to the Manhattan Scrapbooking Meetup Group in NY!! You ladies have a lot of talent! Thank yo too for the generous donation!
Ruth Ann G, Gilbert AZ, your cards are so beautiful...I love what you've designed for the backs of them, thanks!
Kate C, Redlands CA - thanks so very much for your generous donation!!
Chris F in Monument CO.....these Easter cards are gorgoues. Love them!!!
Thanks, Donna O. in Louisville, KY!! That's a lot of cards! And envelopes! You've been BUSY! Thank you too for the generous donation!
Thank you Rebecca B. of Northboro, MA for your beautiful cards for our heroes. Helping them keep in touch with home is so important! Thanks!
Thank you Marcy K of Sutton, MA for your beautiful cards for our heroes!
Thank you Laura C. in Dracut for your cards! Your work will bring a lot of joy to our heroes and their families! Thank you too for your generous donation to help with shipping.
Thank you, Mary F in Pasadena, MD for the terrific cards! So many nice sentiments! Our heroes will love them.
Judith H in Chesterfield MO.....thank you so much for the Fabulous cards. Love them!!
Debi R. in Bainbridge, NY, thank you for the cards and the donation! Love that bunny on the Easter cards. That's going to make someone very happy!
Friends of Fort Montgomery Methodist Church in NY - wow! What an amazing box of beautiful cards...and your donation is such a big help, thank you!
Thank you Jennifer H. in Albany, NY! Your generous donation will be a big help as we ship cards to our heroes!
Debbie R in S Euclid OH.....thank you for these beautiful cards!!!
Mary H in Miamisburg OH.....What an awesome box of cards. They are beautiful and sorted! Love that!
Tiffany W. in Cottontown, TN, thank you for the terrific collection of cards for our heroes! I must say, those egg shaped cards are my favorites!
Thank you Bev B. in Sandston, VA for organizing those young people to make cards for our heroes. They did a great job! Thanks for sending the picture too! What a fine looking group!
Kit and KNS, thanks so much for the fantastic package of cards!
Martha B, Santa Rosa CA - your cards are so cute, I love the humorous Easter ones...LOL! Thank you for the extra goodies too!
Theresa D, Kent WA - your cards are perfect for the selection I need - thank you! Your generous donation is a big help too :)
Janet M. in Biddleford, ME, thanks for the springtime cards! It was like opening a package of sunshine! Thank you!
Carol L in Gilbertsville, PA, thank you for all the pretty cards you sent! I love your Father's Day cards, especially the hippos!!
Thank you Alice S. in Philadelphia, PA! Lovely cards on lovely paper! Looks like spring has arrived. Thank you!
Dolores A. in Frederick, MD, your cards rock! Thanks for sending such a nice variety! Your Mother's Day cards are fab! Thanks too for the donation and the letters to our heroes!
Marcy K in Canton, OH, thank you for the HUGE box of cards! You have been a busy bee! Thanks for sharing your talent with our heroes! (and me!) Thanks too for the generous donation!
Sarah H. in Washington, DC, thank you for the beautiful Easter and Passover cards! Good thinking! Thanks to for the letter to a hero!
Marietta W in Akron IA.....thanks for all the different themed cards and for having them sorted. They are beautiful!
Sharon N and Ladies of First Baptist Church, Waterloo IL......thank you ladies for these wonderful cards!
Traci O and Operation Military Kids in East Lansing MI......thanks for these awesome Any Hero letters. Our Heroes will smile when reading them....GREAT JOB!
Linda K in Grant MI......wonderful cards!!! Love them!!
Patty R in Hartland MI.....so many wonderful cards. Thank you.
Nan A in Fowlerville MI.....thanks so much for the great cards!
Beth L in Howell MI.....these are wonderful cards. THANK YOU!
Nan A in Fowlerville MI.....WOW! A second box of wonderful cards. So glad you have joined our team!!
Cindy M and Friends at Checkered Cottage in St Louis MO........ladies, this is a FABULOUS box of cards. Love them!!
Donna K in Gainesville MO.....thanks so much for these fabulous Easter cards. Love them!
Carole Ann S and friends in The Woodlands, TX.....WOW!!! What an awesome box of cards. These are fantastic!!!!
Cynthia C, Scottsdale AZ, thanks so much for your packet of Easter cards....hope you get feeling better soon!
Joan, Lois, and Sue, Lodi CA, thank you so very much for the lovely Easter cards...the crosses are stunning!
Karen M, Dearborn MI, thanks soooo much for sharing your talents with our heroes!
Kimberley M, Kennewick WA, thanks so much for the cards, kits, and prizes - you're awesome!
Debby P, Buffalo MO, thanks for your faithful monthly donations!
Pamela L. in Mineral Bluff, GA, thank you for the terrific Easter cards for our heroes to send! Love the Easter eggs!!
Thank you Bridget N in Jacksonville, FL!! Your Easter cards are beautiful, and I simply LOVE the cards on kraft card stock!! Thanks!
Thank you Cheryl B. in Manchester, NH!! Your spring and Easter cards are a terrific example of spring. Thank you!!
Tina A. in Winter Springs, FL, thank you for another package of beautiful cards! You always send a nice variety of occasions and techniques.
Thanks Karen G. in Oakland Park, FL for all these lovely cards for our heroes to send home. Thank you too for the many letters to Any Hero!!
Thank you Chica Chicks of Wickford, RI! What a terrific box full of goodness! Lots of heroes will appreciate your hard work and talents!
Tami B & Mountain Monday Stampers, Rimforest CA, thanks for the fantastic Half n Half cards!
Karen and everyone at Paradise Scrapbook Boutique - WOW! What an amazingly beautiful collection of cards, thank you!!
Maggie W and Friends in Boulder CO.....WOW! These cards ROCK! Love your style!!!
Thank you Jan P. and the Girl Scouts of Citrus Council Troop 152 in Winter Springs, FL! You did a great job making lots of cards for our heroes!
Thank you Debbie P. and the Girl Scouts of Citrus Council Troop #1689 in Winter Springs, FL for your cards, letters to heroes, and generous donation.
Kelly B and kids at Trinity Lone Oak Lutheran School in Apple Vally MN.....thanks so much for these awesome Easter cards!!
Diane S in Raleigh NC.....thanks for the cute Easter cards!
Lori V in Black Creek WI.....these cards are beautitul. Thanks so much.
Thanks Danyse K in Charlotte, NC for all the beautiful cards and the card kits too! Your cards are always so beautiful! Love the graduation cards!
Thanks, Kathy P. in Windham, NH for the HUGE collection of cards you sent for our heroes! So many techniques! Pretty spring cards! Thanks!
Thank you Cecilia S. of Raleigh, NC. Thats a lot of pretty Mother's Day happiness in that package! You rock!
Thanks Susan A. in Ridgewood, NY!! Your cards are terrific, and our heroes will enjoy sending them home to their families.
Joan JF, thank you for the beautiful cards for our heroes. thanks too for the letter to a hero and the generous donation. I love that card with the carrot!
Thank you Julianne G in Sparta, NJ! Your cards are terrific. Such a nice variety you sent for our heroes. Thanks!
Thank you Mary B. in Massapequa, NY! That's a lot of beautiful cards! I love the moose and the campfire card! Thank you too for the donation and the hero cards.
Thank you Sue S. in Hendersonville, TN. Your cards are terrific! Our heroes will love using these cards to keep in touch with home!!
Thank you Nancy F in Trexlertown, PA for the box of cards. So many techniques! I love the aliens! Thanks too for the hero cards and the donation!
Kathay P, Humble TX - thank you so much for your generous donation!!
Karen T and Paradise Scrapbook Boutique crafters - wow on all these pretty cards! Many many Moms are going to smile getting these from their sons and daughters, thank you!
Shirley H and friends, Kent WA - your timing couldn't have been more perfect! I really needed these cards, thank you!
Jody M, Scottsdale AZ, lovely Easter cards, thank you! Bless you for the generous donation too! :)
Carol P, Peoria AZ, your cards are so adorable!! Thanks so much for your donation as well, you've made a big difference!
Mary R, Coquille OR, what sweet Easter cards, thanks!!
Gayla G, Dillsboro IN, love your Easter missing you combos...sweet!
Nina L, Sacramento CA, Thank you for all the AnyHero mail and blank cards....they're wonderful!
Thank you Teresa P in Hendersonville, NC for collecting all these cards for OWH! You and your friends did a terrific job! They're great cards!
Renee E and First Lutheran Youth in Janesville WI....thanks for the great cards....good job!
Debbie B and Charles Schwab in Fishers IN.....thanks so much for these awesome cards!
Cindy M and Friends of Checkered Cottage in St Louis MO......WOW, lots of wonderful cards and Any Hero letters! THANKS!
Ann H in Kirkwood MO.....these are beautiful cards, thanks!
Phyllis G in St Paul MN.....wonderful, beautiful cards. Thanks so much.
Carol N in O'Fallon MO.....thank you for these gorgeous cards!!! Much appreciated.
Sue H and Booneville Homemaker Club in Booneville MS....thanks so much for these wonderful cards and notes.
Thank you, Mary H of Topaz, Maine!! Your cards are terrific. I love that owl card! Thanks!
Thank you, Rosey R. in Astoria, NY for the terrific Mother's Day cards! Your cards will make some moms happy!
Thank you Marge M. in Wayne, NJ for the cads for our heroes! They'll love sending the cards to their moms!
Carole G in Tuxedo, NY!! I LOVE that shiny red paper! Thank you for sending such beautiful cards! Thanks too for writing a note to a hero!
Thank you Kim C. of Kinsman, OH and Mrs. E's 1st graders at Maplewood Elementary School. Well done! Our heroes are going to LOVE these cards!
Ginny H in Calabash, NC! I love those iris folded cards! The elephant is magnificent! Thank you for making cards for our heroes!
Thank you, Lily H in Pittsburgh, PA!! Your cards are beautiful! Your calligraphy adds dazzle to the cards! Lovely!
Thank you to Marian P-G. in Wappingers Falls, NY and all the ladies who managed to get together between snow storms to make cards for our heroes! Thank you! These cards are beautiful!
Karin C, Vancouver WA - lovely lovely cards! Wow! Thanks so much :)
Esther E, Vancouver WA - thanks for the great Half n Half cards!!
Ellen H, Vancouver WA - more lovely cards from Vancouver, thank you so much!
Christine W, Sacramento CA, thanks so much for the selection of cards!
Celia C in Kerrville TX.....thanks for these fabulous cards!
Kay C in Minnetonka MN.....thanks for these wonderful cards in assorted themes. Love them!
Elsie L in Warrenton MO.....thanks for this great box of Mother's Day and Father's Day cards.

New Mailroom Video!

2010-03-02T04:03:00.000-08:00

This is being posted in The Mailroom as well - but since we know not everyone goes there often, we're posting it here too. If you can only view videos on YouTube and not on our site or in blogger, go to the YouTube video itself.

March 2010 Cardmaking Parties

2010-03-01T11:44:00.000-08:00

We'll start a post each month with cardmaking parties that we know about - if you'd like one listed, email us to let us know! Please be aware of any personal info that is posted here, you may wish to have people contact you through a specially-created hotmail address so spammers don't find you. Since we already have email addies all over the web, we'd be happy to receive emails for you and pass them on.

Saturday, March 6th
Parkland WA at Chris' house
Goals - Personal - St. Patricks Day & Easter Cards, OWH - Mother and Father's Day Cards, Birthday Cards for Kids. Bring your own cardstock!
1pm to whenever
Contact: info@operationwritehome.org

Saturday, March 13th
Fort Lewis, WA
25 person limit. Bring card kits to make 20 cards.
1pm to 5pm, optional dinner out afterward
Contact: info@operationwritehome.org

Saturday, March 20th
10 am to 4 pm
Cedar House Sports Hotel
Truckee, CA
Contact: Veronica

Saturday, March 20th
Kankakee Illinois
Goal: 1000 cards for OWH
Noon to midnight
$30.00 - includes dinner, snacks, door prizes, raffles, silent auctions, vendors and a goodie bag. Sign up deadline in 3/12/2010

Saturday, March 27th

Noon, hosted by Eileen.
639 S. St. Marys St., St Marys PA
Contact: info@operationwritehome.org

Saturday, March 27th
10:00 to 12:00
Highland Falls Library, on main street in Highland Falls, NY
Contact: info@operationwritehome.org

Coming in April:

Wednesday, April 21, 2010
South Charleston Rec Center (South Charleston, WV)
6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
In addition to making wonderful cards for our soldiers, my new friend Cheyanne Hively will be there with Close to my Heart products. Any purchases from CTMH will also help towards a donation to Operation Smile (www.operationsmile.org). You do not have to buy anything, but please come out and make one or two cards with us to help support our troops! Please RSVP to Cristy by April 9 so that all the materials will be ready for everyone!

We'll EDIT this post with additional parties, so please come back and look to see if a party in your area has been added; additionally we'll post on the Facebook page when this post has had an update added, so if you're a fan you'll be notified!

Mailroom Monday: March 1, 2010

2010-03-01T04:40:00.000-08:00

Each week it's so amazing that our shippers are able to continue sending box after box after box overseas! This past week saw 6,835 cards mailed out...that's 21 boxes! (Shipping cost $259.00.)

Pictured at right are 11 boxes staged and waiting for final steps. They're filled with A2 cards on the bottom, a small stack of oversized cards on one half of the top, and space is available for the packets of Anyhero mail that will fill the other half. The flyer you can see on top of that front box is one that was donated by a local printer who wanted to help out—it's a beautiful color flyer, and has photos of heroes holding cards...hopefully showing our contacts just how much we love pictures of them with our handiwork!

After the AnyHero mail is added to the boxes, a letter to the specific contact is added, then the box is taped closed, mailing label added, customs form filled out, and a large "Operation Write Home" label added to the outside. We've been told that some mailrooms may be priroritizing our boxes since they know what's inside by that big beautiful label on the box!

To heroes in Afghanistan:
350 cards to an Air Force unit
350 cards to an Air Force unit
330 cards to an Army unit
330 cards to an Air Force unit
330 cards to an Army unit
340 cards to an Marines unit
340 cards to an Army unit
340 cards to an Marines unit
185 cards to an Army unit
330 cards to an Marines unit
330 cards to an USAF unit

To heroes in Iraq:
350 cards to an Army unit
350 cards to an Air Force unit
350 cards to an Army unit
200 cards to an Other unit
330 cards to an Army unit
340 cards to an Army unit
340 cards to an Army unit
340 cards to an Army unit
340 cards to an Army unit

To heroes in Kuwait:
340 cards to an Army unit

Other fun statistics:
Number of boxes sent:1,253
Number of hero contacts: 696
Total cards sent: 345,374

Deadline reminders:
St Patricks Day: passed
Easter: passed
Half&Half Challenge: March 15 in the hands of the shipper!
Mother's Day: April 1

Shipper needs this week: Now updated on our "Biggest Needs" post here.

Cards by state

2010-02-27T04:31:00.000-08:00

As promised, we're sharing a little more info about the graphs posted in our Annual Review a few weeks ago....these maps were one of the most interesting pieces of information to figure out!

We counted the cards sent in 2009 alone; some of these may include cards mailed or delivered to a location like a conference or card drive but were made in another state. But we just count the address from which they were mailed to OWH.

CA 26,214
WA 16,517
TX 15,936
MN 14,077
FL 10,308
OH 10,019
IL 9,258
WI 7,900
NC 7,810
CT 7,351
MO 6,962
NY 6,744
Ut 6,546
TN 6,486
PA 6,148
AZ 5,770
VA 5,664
MA 5,660
IN 5,286
GA 4,938
MI 4,878
NV 4,718
NH 4,431
MD 3,568
NJ 3,307
IA 2,382
CO 2,363
SC 2,291
ME 2,105
OR 2,072
KS 1,977
ID 1,780
NE 1,450
HI 1,445
RI 1,141
WV 1,136
OK 1,009
KY 993
AK 904
NM 780
ND 686
LA 652
AL 638
MS 432
SD 279
DE 257
MT 192
WY 186
VT 166

Are you ready to move your state up on the list? What plans can you think of to get more of your local folks to help with the cause? Let's get creative and invite more people to join in the fun!

Making cards in Paradise!

2010-02-26T04:01:00.000-08:00

Some crafters at the Paradise Scrapbook Boutique in Paradise, California got together to make cards for our heroes...and it looks like they had a wonderful time! If you're in the Paradise area, they've got every 4th Monday, 10-5, set as an OWH day....this week was their first event, and they have over 200 cards to send in! That's 200 heroes and 200 families who will be smiling more because of their efforts. Way to go, ladies!

Check out the great news coverage!
First is a nice article in "Back at the Ranch," and below is a great piece of tv coverage!

The participants put up two blog posts with lots more photos and commentary - be sure to leave them some love, both on this blog and on theirs!

Paradise Scrapbook Boutique

Glitter Grammy Plays with Paper

Are you going to be hosting a cardmaking party?
Consider emailing a link to this post to your local newspaper or tv station—they would love to do a warm fuzzy spot like this. Just think how happy it makes you when you see a positive feature story on your television.

Plus, you may find more cardmakers in your town!

If you have photos from your event, or a blog post you've written up about your cardmaking party, be sure to let us know...it inspires us all to see others joining in the addiction of serving our heroes!

Thankful Thursday: February 25, 2010

2010-02-25T04:41:00.000-08:00

Check out this "AnyHero Sculpture" sent in by a young person from Utah! How wonderful - and one of our heroes is going to totally TREASURE this!! (It folds down flat - his neck detaches from his head. Otherwise we'd need a big box to ship it in!)

This week saw 8,352 cards arriving with our shippers....lots and lots of sorting, stamping backs, tucking into envelopes, and prepping to mail. Thank you everyone!

Kristi G, San Antonio TX, thanks for the fabulous Easter cards!!
Teresa K, Vancouver WA, thanks...your cards are so precious! Thanks much for the donation too!
SuzAnn H, Salt Lake City UT - your cards are so lovely, bless you!
Nora G, Medford OR, thanks so very much, love your flower cards! The donation is a huge blessing too!
Ann L, Orem UT - wow, these cards are so pretty, thank you! Bless you for your constant donations, you're making a huge difference!
Judie F and Robin G, Coeur d'Alene ID, what great cards!! Thanks especially for the Easter ones, I needed those! Your generous donation is muuuuch appreciated!
Dee N, Duluth MN, thanks for cleaning out your stash for our heroes - they're going to love them all!
Thank you Samantha M and the Future Leaders of Mentor High School in Mentor, OH!! Your cards will bring a lot of joy to our heroes! Thanks too for the generous donation to purchase envelopes. You all rock!
Thank you, Debra K of Burke, VA for another beautiful collection of cards! I love the "Happy-O-Meter" cards! So clever! Thank you too for the donation for shipping!
Thank you Lori R in Springfield, VA for the beautiful box of cards. Every box you send is a pleasure to see!
Dawna L, Bloomington IL......what a wonderfully organized box of beautiful cards! Appreciate you having them so neatly organized by theme for me!!!
Susanna H, Olympia WA, thanks so much, your cards are very nice!
Kathy S, Reedley CA, I love all your springy cards!
Lina W, Hampton VA - WOW! All the great Easter and Scripture cards...beautiful!
Sandra F, Irvine CA - thanks so much for the cards, our heroes will love them all!
Erika P and sis, W Jordan VT, wow, such awesome cards!!!
Dee H, W Jordan VT, thank you for your pretty cards!
StampinSher, thanks so very much for all your lovely cards - and for such a generous donation!
Thank you children from the First District Elementary School in Meadville, PA. Your hero letters are terrific. So many nice messages for our heroes!
Thank you, Diane G. in Barberton, OH! Your cards are beautiful and such a nice variety! Thanks for making cards that will appeal to children. Thanks too for the hero card.
Thank you, Kathy P. in White Lake, MI! Your cards are outstanding! Thanks for the cards for our heroes to send to their children! Thanks too for the Hero letters!
Thank you, Donna D. in Monroe, LA! Your cards are a breath of springtime! Lovely! Thanks too for the card for a hero!
Lisa S. in Jacksonville, FL, thank you for the cards and the donation. I love the Easter cards! They're beautiful!
Lindsay M. in Carrboro, NC, thank you for the cards and the donation! You sent a package of springtime!! These cards will brighten someone's day.
Carol B. from St. Alban's, ME, thank you for the beautiful card and the letters to Any Hero! Loved the snowman card!
Shirley S. in Columbus, MS, thank you so much for the beautiful cards and the generous donation. LOVE thos black and white cards! Classy!
Nancy K, Idaho Falls ID - great cards, and congrats on your efforts selling Valentines to benefit OWH!!!
Cheryl Y, S Pasadena CA, love love love your pretty cards!! Thanks for the generous donation once again too!
Denise W, Las Vegas NV, thanks for getting these to us quickly...praying for your husband!
Cindy E and Los Gatos Elks Lodge, San Jose CA - love love love your cards! Those Mother's day cards are stunning...so many Moms will be thrilled!
Stephanie H, Seattle WA - great cards, I love your floral photographs!
Gayla G, Dillsboro IN, these are fantastic - love the sentiment on your thinking of you cards :)
Carole G. in Tuxedo, NY, thank you for the beautiful cards for our heroes. Thanks for the letter to Any Hero too! I love the bear cards best!
Thank you Eileen M. and friends AKA Card Making for OWH of St. Marys, PA! You packed a lot of love in that big box! Thank you too for the cards for Any Hero and the generous donation!
Thank you Lily H. in Pittsburgh, PA for the lovely cards, donations, pens and extra sentiment labels! You are so thoughtful! And very talented!!
Patricia B. in Winchester, VA, thank you for the terrific cards for our heroes! These are bound to be a big hit.
Joanne M. in Allentown, PA, thank you for the lovely cards and generous donation. Your Easter cards are fun!!
Thank you Gamma Sigma Sigma at Slippery Rock University in PA for the card for our heroes! Thanks too for your generous donation.
Allison L. in New Market, MD, thank you for these terrific cards! Such a nice variety of occasions and techniques!
Allison L. in New Market, MD, thank you for these terrific cards! Such a nice variety of occasions and techniques!
Thank you Elaine H in Keene, NH for the cards you made for our heroes. Your thoughtfulness will bring joy to many hearts! Thank you.
Thanks Ramona M. in Warrior, AL for the terrific variety of cards! Thanks too for the letter to a hero. I love the cards with frogs!!
Jann H, Ravensdale WA - love your package of springy cards, thank you!
Beth F, Bothell WA, love your style---thanks for the goodies to use for prizes too, wow!
Esther E, thank you so much, your cards for Easter and other occasions are just fantastic!
Thank you Harriet C in Winston-Salem, NC! Your cards are terrific, especially that bear card! My favorite. Thank you too for the donation and the letter to a hero!
Thank you Elizabeth S. in New Canaan, CT for the HUGE collection of cards!! Oh, my. So many pretty cards! You are very talented!
Luann H, Sturgeon PA---thanks for the wonderful donation!
Andrea Mc. and Family in Ithaca, NY, I wish you lived next door! Thanks for the box of perfectly packaged and beautiful cards! Thanks to for all the terrific letters to our heroes! You all rock.
Jean U, Thanks so much for the wonderful Easter cards! Your donation is wonderful, bless you for your generosity :)
Louise F, Frazier Park CA - wow, these cards are incredible! LOVE the butterflies...it's springggg!
Jaime M, Spokane WA - these cards are stunning, thank you so much!
Sandy H and Agnes M, your cards are just lovely, bless you, ladies!
Brenda V, Antioch CA, Love all the Easter joy, thank you!
Rachel P, Marysville WA, your cards are so pretty - our heroes are going to love writing home on them!
Melinda B, Tulare CA, love love love your style, thank you for these cards!
Nancy M, Fremont CA, love the cards with your new origami designs! Way to go!
Cheryl B. in Mansfield, MA, thank you for the beautiful box of cards for our heroes! Your cards will bring lots of smiles!
Thanks Caro H of Mint Hill, NC for the terrific cards! I loved the pocket cards. So clever!
Thank you, Nicole S. in Pittsboro, NC! Your cards are always beautiful! Love the terrific baby cards! It's always nice to include a couple in each box.
Thanks Paula E in Virginia Beach, VA! You sent some terrific Easter cards for our heroes to send to their families! Thanks too for the donation for shipping!
Thank you Kelly B. in Norcross, GA for the box of cute bunnies and chicks for our heroes! Love the bunny in the grass cards the best!
Pat G. in Upton, MA, thank you for the cards for our heroes! I needed those bithday cards for kids. Your Easter cards are beautiful!
Thank you Julie C of Princeton IN for the great cards and the generous donation for shipping. I love your "Miss You" cards!
Thank you Penny P. in Parkesburg, PA! Your cards will make a lot of heroes and their families smile! I love the cards with buttons!
Thank you Cecilia S in Raleigh, NC! You packed a lot of cute bunnies in that package! I love these cards! Perfect example of "less is more."
Thank you Leslie T of Willoughby Hills, OH! Your cards are beautiful! So many techniques for so many occasions! Thank you!
Thank you Cyndy R in Contoocook, NH! Your cards are wonderful! Thank you too for the generous donation for shipping and the letters to our Heroes!
Thank you Erica C. in Kenmore, NY!! Your Easter cards are terrific! I love the cards with the buttons! You rock!
Karen B, Ft Worth TX.....thank you the this wonderful box of cards. WOW!
Dena L, St Cloud MN......this is an awesome box of cards. Beautiful!
Sue A, Rockford IL......again, another package of beautiful cards and Any Hero letters!!
Brenda R, East Bethel MN......these are great Easter cards!! Thanks.
Jennifer M, Romeoville IL....thank you so much for this great package of cards!
Anonymous donor in The Woodlands TX......these are beautiful cards, thank you!
Karen H, Monticello MN.....gorgeous cards! Thank you.
Cheryl K, Crest Hill IL..thank you to you and your grandson for making these wonderful cards!!!
Ellen P, Vernon Hills IL.....great thank you cards and just in time as I was out of that theme. Thanks for the Any Hero letters!
Tammy A, Aurora CO.....these cards are so cute! Thanks.
Polly P, St Paul MO......I can tell you got new stamps and love them. These are great cards!!
Sherry J, Minnetonka MN.....another package of great cards! Thanks.
Susan T, Kansas City MO....Yeah! A package from KC!! These are wonderful...thank you.
Betty R, Houston TX.....thank you for these wonderful Easter cards!
Ms Rice, Houston TX....thank you for the beautiful cards.
Maude B, Las Cruces NM....I love these Easter cards!!! Beautiful!
Chris F, Monument CO....thanks for the wonderful cards and ink pens to send along with the cards.
Fowler and Friends, LaGrange IL.....ladies these are awesome Easter cards. Thank you!!
Deb J, Bolckow MO....WOW what a package. These are gorgeous!
Debby P, Buffalo MO....wonderful cards and Any Hero letters. THANK YOU!
Diana L, Wichita KS....thanks for the great cards!!
Laurie B, Greenfield WI....Thank you for the beautiful cards and Any Hero letter.
Linda M....what a great box of cards. Love all the different themes. Beautiful!
Dee N, Duluth MN.....WOW! GORGEOUS cards and so many of them. Thank you!
Barbara B, Lakewood CO...thank you for these great cards!
Mary B, Kenosha WI.....thank you for these beautiful cards!!
Jennifer M, Marshfield WI....these are gorgeous cards. Love them all!
Deloris T, West Salem OH.....wonderful cards. Thank you!
Kathleen J, Brownsburg IN.....thank you for these wonderful Easter cards.
Betty and Marilyn S, Columbus OH.....thank you ladies for these great cards.
LeAnn M, St Paul MN.....thank you for the wonderful spring and Easter cards. Love them.
Valerie B, Farmington NM.....thanks for the wonderful cards.
Joan K, Avon IL....these are beautiful. THANKS!
Nancy K, Hattiesburg MS....great box of cards....love these!
Tammy F and Trevor's Tuff Mamma's, North Judson IN....thanks for the awesome box of cards!!
Mary S, Taunton MN....thanks for the great cards and Any Hero letters.
Lori N, Jefferson City MO...very pretty cards!! Thank you.
Pamela L, Jefferson City MO....thanks for the wonderful cards!
Maureen L and Friends, Cedar Rapids IA.....thank you for these beautiful cards!

Military Mindset (Kleenex alert!)

2010-02-23T05:52:00.000-08:00

In conversation with Alison, she told this story, and we asked her permission to share it....her first note is on the Hero Blog--->"A much bigger difference".

My favorite story about these cards is about when Bill sent one to me almost as soon as he arrived in country. He had been traveling for 5 days, 6 flights, and still had 1 more flight before reaching his FOB. The base he was on was attacked almost as soon as he arrived, and the security went sky high very suddenly. So he grabbed one of your cards, and in typical male-brain fashion simply told me that there had been a breach of security and he had only one minute to say hi. That was it. So I get this card 10 days later, and I'm expecting some outpouring of love and adoration, right? Instead a card travels 8000 miles and all it has is 2 sentences, telling me nothing more than just "Hi." I of course being Right Brained thought he was already pulling away from me!!

Eventually I came to understand I was completely wrong in my interpretation of that card...

As I thought about it more, and filtered it through the lens of who Bill is, I suddenly got it: Bill has deployed before, he's 54 and been in for 20 years. He knows EXACTLY how fragile life is over there. So in his mind, if he was going to die in an attack, he wanted to drop something in the mail to me that I would have to hold on to, and in that moment of rushing, all he could think of was to say "Hi and love." I suddenly loved him more than ever.

It helps to understand the military mindset! Otherwise, these short, terse cards make no sense in our world back home. It's now my favorite card and is taped to my bedroom wall so I can see it every day and be reminded of his love...and your organization that helped him reach me when he felt he was at risk.

Thought you'd enjoy that. :-)

Alison

Mailroom Monday: February 22, 2010

2010-02-22T03:20:00.000-08:00

This week we mailed less than 1,000 cards...however we have a special photo to share! One of our cardmakers, Jan K, has a husband serving overseas, and she sent this photo and note:

My husband is stationed in Abu Dhabi, so I made 130 greeting cards with the OWH stamp on back, and General Benson (on the right in the attached photo) personally delivered them to the U.S. troops stationed in the United Arab Emirates. USAF Col. Ryder (on the left) is the U.S. Embassy Defense Attaché in Abu Dhabi.

To heroes in Iraq:
335 to an Army unit
335 to an Army unit
325 to a USO serving Soldiers

Other fun statistics:
Number of boxes sent: 1232
Number of hero contacts: 682
Total cards sent: 338,539

Deadline reminders:
St Patricks Day: passed
Easter: Feb 26 (sooner is preferable!)
Half&Half Challenge: March 15 to the shipper!
Mother's Day: April 1

Shipper needs this week: Now updated on our "Biggest Needs" post here.

VFW Patriot's Pen Essay

2010-02-21T02:24:00.000-08:00

One of our cardmakers sent a link to this essay from a student in her hometown....this the national winner in the VFW’s Patriot’s Pen essay contest by Abigail in Mesquite NV; the essay was originally posted here....if you want to leave a comment she's sure to read, go leave her a comment there. You can also read more of her story here....this is one amazing young lady! She'll get to travel to D.C. in March for a week of visiting the White House and Capitol, and have a chance to read her essay. Way to go Abbie!

When is the right time to honor our military heroes?

The last few days I’ve thought about the many freedoms I enjoy as an American citizen. I’ve considered the sacrifices our service men and women have made to preserve those freedoms. When is the time to honor them? Every time I exercise the freedoms they fight for, every time I feel the security so many have died for, that’s the time!

When I see the symbolic colors of red, white, and blue on an American flag, that’s the time! When I see the 50 white stars I think of our freedom. When I see the red and white stripes, I think of the 13 original colonies, and the very beginnings of our wonderful country. Whenever I see our American flag, I appreciate and honor my military heroes.

Every time I exercise my freedom of speech, that’s the time! I know that I can say what I believe. Even if you disagree, I’m defended in my right to say it. I’m so thankful that I can express myself through my words, and not worry if someone disagrees, because that is a freedom my military heroes fight for every day.

Every time I contemplate that I have a roof over my head and a meal each night, that’s the time! I’m thankful that my parents have the freedoms to get a good education and a job, so they can earn a living to support my family. I know that without my military heroes, my parents and I might never have had the opportunity to get a good education.

Every time I realize that my potential is only limited by the size of my dreams, that’s the time! I know that in America, I can be anything I want to be! I know that if I work hard, study hard, and never give up, I will someday be that person. All thanks to my military heroes who defend my freedom each day.

Lastly, every time I get on my knees and pray to my Heavenly Father, that’s the time. I thank him for our country, and the freedom we share. I thank him for giving strength to our service men and women, and to the families of those soldiers. I ask him to help our president make wise decisions that will keep our country safe, strong, and secure.

That’s the time, now’s the time, there is always time to honor our military heroes.

Abigail Barnard is an eighth-grade student at Charles M. Hughes Middle School.

The theme for the 2010-2011 essay: Does patriotism still matter? If you know a 6th, 7th, or 8th grader who would like to enter the contest, click here for details!

Cardmakers by state

2010-02-20T04:08:00.000-08:00

As promised, we're sharing a little more info about the graphs posted in our Annual Review a few weeks ago....these maps were one of the most interesting pieces of information to figure out!

We counted the cardmakers who sent in cards in 2009 alone; those who sent in the past but not in 2009 are not counted in this list. There are also possibly more people involved with making the cards in a number of the packages, but if only one name is listed on the Packing Slip, we only count that as one person.

CA 158
TX 103
WA 91
FL 81
NY 61
OH 61
MN 56
NC 55
PA 55
VA 47
WI 47
IL 46
MA 46
MI 45
IN 39
AZ 39
MD 35
MO 32
NJ 32
OR 31
GA 30
CO 27
CT 22
IA 21
OK 21
TN 21
Ut 21
ME 18
KS 17
SC 16
ID 12
KY 12
NV 12
NH 11
AL 9
LA 9
NE 9
RI 9
AK 8
NM 8
ND 6
WV 6
HI 5
SD 5
MS 4
WY 4
DE 3
MT 3
VT 3

So...do you want to change the map color for your state? Here are a few ideas!

Go invite some friends over for a cardmaking party! Have everyone fill out a packing slip for their cards.
Head over to your local stamping store and see if they'll hold a card drive for your community. Stock them up with packing slips to have on hand when people drop off cards!
Call your local TV station or town newspaper and ask them to do a story on your efforts with OWH—that will surely spread the word in your community!
__________ Other ideas? Post your plans and ideas in a comment below!

Next week we'll share the list of how many cards were sent in from each state!

Thankful Thursday: February 18, 2010

2010-02-18T04:50:00.000-08:00

We received 4,732 cards this week! It's always so amazing to see the faithfulness of soooo many cardmakers across the USA. People of all stripes, types, talents, locations - you are all wonderful in your support of our heroes. THANK YOU!

The photo here is Sandy's mail on Tuesday...the bottom boxes are filled with 125 empty flat rate boxes for packing up cards; the middle horizontal box is 6,000 envelopes purchased for the cards that come without envies; and all the ones on top are cards! And, of course, the furry redhead with all four legs on the floor is Ciara. :)

Ginny H. in Calabash, NC! Your Easter bunnies rock! Thanks for the terrific package of cards. Thanks too for the big envelopes. They'll certainly be used.
Thank you Etta D. in Elizabethtown, PA for the terrific cards! I really liked the butterfly card! My favorite.
Thank you, Therese D. in Lewiston, ME! Your cards are beautiful! And so many too! Thanks for tucking the back flaps in the envelopes! You rock!
Ms Zickmund, Plainfield IL.....thank you for the great cards!
Valerie B, Farmington NM....thanks for the great birthday and St Patty's Day cards!
Beverly D, Rochester NY....thank you for the great cards!
Sue S, Hendersonville TN...thank you for the wonderful cards and Any Hero letter!!
Mary Lou H, Jenison MI......What wonderful cards and such a nice assortment. Thank you!
Lori N......another fabulous box of cards!!! Thank you.
Lorraine D, Norwood PA.......these Easter cards are GORGEOUS!!! Thank you so much!!!
Laura C, Park Rapids MN - perfect selection and timing! Your Easter cards filled out one last box that I was packing. Thanks soooo much!
Kim N, Bloomington IL, I love your cards so much! Our heroes certainly do too...thank you!
Judy B,Cleburne TX.....thanks so much for the gorgeous cards and the many Any Hero letters!!!
Deb S, Farmington NM..... thank you so much for getting your son's class involved in making these cards. They are wonderful!!
Joan J, and Beckie, Lodi CA - wonderful cards, thanks from our heroes!! Joan, bless you for your generous donation too!
Lina W, Hampton VA ....congratulations on finding out how many cards you made! Well done! Thanks for these to add to your 2010 total :)
Penny G, Swall Meadows, CA, your cards are always so nice, so much TLC poured into them. Thanks!
Terri O, Wyndmoor PA, thanks for the lovely cards and donation for shipping...glad you got your prize! :)
Cathy B, San Pedro CA - thank you, your cards and donation are a huge blessing!
Kelly M, Redwood City CA, thanks soooooo much! I love the stitching on your cards, they're wonderful!
Leslie F and friends, thanks soooo much! The St Pat's and AnyHero cards are getting packed up right now! :)
Thanks so much for the wonderful cards Celeste---LaiLynn's are soooo cute too, give her a big hug for us!!
Thank you, Diane W. in Stoneham, MA for the terrific cards and the generous donation! I love the cards with the spinners! So clever!
Thank you Alice S. in Philadelphia, PA for your artful cards! They are beautiful and so unusual! Thanks for the shipping donation too!
Thank you, Paula S in Stamford, CT for the huge box of outstanding cards for our heroes! WOW! Thanks too for the the AnyHero cards and the generous donation! You rock!
Thank you Lorraine S in Orrington, ME for the terrific collection of cards. Love the iris folding! Thanks for sending the envelope supply too!
Thank you Solon Middle School Student Ambassadors in Solon, OH for the terrific cards for our military heroes! Well done!
Thank you, Lisa E. in Taylorsville, NC for the terrific cards! My favorites are the "friend" cards! Thanks for the hero cards too!
Marian J, Huber Heights OH.....gorgeous cards! Thank you.
Janis D, Olustee OK.....these are fabulous cards!!! Thank you.
Karen H, Monticello MN.....WOW! Awesome cards!! Love your style.
Ann M, Hutchinson MN......thanks so much for these lovely cards and the Any Hero letter.
Hannah M.....thank you for the St Patty's Day and Any Hero letters. I was in need of both kinds. Thanks.
Mary E, San Rafael CA, thanks for the awesome cards! Love your "made by me" signoff on the backs - cute!
Buffy F, San Francisco, CA, your cards are lovely....the papers are delicious!
Cheryl G, Edmonds WA, your cards are fantastic - thanks for the candies for our heroes, too!
Melissa R, Marysville WA, thanks so much for the cards - thanks for finishing the ones from the cardmaking party a few weeks ago!
Linda G, NJ, thank you so much for your generous donation!
Thank you Lauren L in Plainfield, IL for the HUGE collection of beautiful cards! Thank you too for the letters for our heroes! Your work will bring LOTS of smiles!
Thank you Kathy C. of Ilion, NY for the terrific cards! I love the thumbprint cards. So clever!
Thank you Dolores A. in Frederick MD, for the outstanding Easter cards you made for our heroes. Thanks too for the cards your wrote to our heroes!!
Thank you Melissa L in Rockville, MD for the terrific cards you sent for our heroes! I love the "Welcome Spring" card best!!
Thanks Debbie K. in Burke, VA for another package of beautiful cards and the generous donation for shipping! Your bunny cards make me smile, and I know our heroes and their families will too.
Thank you Cindee N in Harrisburg, PA for the terrific cards and the donation! The "Love You Lots" cards are my favorites!
Big thanks to the Manhattan Scrapbooking Meetup Group in NY!! What a lovely box of cards! Thank you to for the generous donation for shipping!
Renee H, Andover MN.....cute cards, especially the St Patty's Day cards! Thanks!!
Joan W, Tacoma WA, thanks for all the love you pour into your cards!
Brenda R, East Bethel MN, thanks so much for your donation!
Stephanie G, New York NY, awesome box of cards, thank you so much for the donation and pens toooo!
Patty S, Santee CA, what a great first package of cards!! Thank you!
Laura O, Cottontown TN, thanks so much for the fantastic cards - and the pens and treats for our heroes!
Patti S, St Louis MO, thank you, your cards are wonderful as always, and your AnyHero letters and donation are appreciated!
Janice A, Bountiful UT,love love love your cards! Thank you for the generous donation too!
Alexandra L, Boise ID, bless you for sharing your talents with our heroes!
Betty W, Mountain Home ID, your cards are lovely, thanks!
Pam J, I love your cards, and our heroes will too, thanks!
Seongsook D, Elk Grove CA, your cards are so pretty...thank you for so faithfully supporting our heroes!
Donna M, Ft Wainwright AK, thanks to you and the students for all the wonderful cards!!
Laura C, University Place WA, thank you for the cards!!
Joyce N, Lakewood WA, thanks so much, the cards are wonderful!
Denise W, N Las Vegas NV, thanks once again - awesome!
Thank you Caro H in Mint Hill, NC for the terrific cards! I can't wait to put those baby cards in the boxes for our heroes!
Patti C. in Ruby, NY, thank you for the terrific cards, the generous donation, and the card for a hero! I just love those pocket cards with the bunnies!
Nikki M......got your package today. These cards are awesome!! Thanks!
Donna D, Monroe LA - thank you SO much for your generous donation!
Kimberley M, Kennewick, WA, your cards are wonderful - I love love love those chocolate bunnies!

Half and Half Challenge! Due March 15

2010-02-17T06:49:00.000-08:00

It's time for another card drive.....with Mother's Day coming up, we'll have a lot of heroes who will be wanting to send some love home to Mom! We have 10 prizes offered up...cardmaking supplies donated by various companies and individuals. Thank you to them all for their generosity in helping us get a lot of cards made!

The challenge:

Make a selection of cards; any quantity is fine.
Your cards should be approx. half Mothers Day and/or Father's Day, and half anytime cards (thinking of you, birthday, love, miss you, thank you, etc)
Send in your cards to any shipper.
Include this packing slip.
Cards must arrive to the shipper by March 15th.
We'll draw random winners from all participants!

Bloggers, feel free to post one of our banners on your blog, link them back to this post, and help us spread the word! Note: To post the animated banner, you'll likely need to upload the code from the Photobucket album; if you simply download it from here, it will not animate if uploaded directly into Blogger.

Mailroom Monday: February 15, 2010

2010-02-15T05:37:00.000-08:00

7795 cards were mailed out this week!! (Shipping cost $330) Our list of new heroes waiting has been reduced down to just a few, thanks to all of our wonderful cardmakers!

To heroes in Afghanistan:
160 cards to an Army unit
160 cards to an Army unit
160 cards to an Army unit
160 cards to an Army unit
160 cards to an Army unit
160 cards to an Army unit
160 cards to an Army unit
345 cards to an Army unit
345 cards to an Army unit
55 cards to an Army unit
320 cards to an Air Force unit
320 cards to an Air Force unit
330 cards to an Army unit
330 cards to an Army unit

To heroes in Iraq:
345 cards to an Army unit
345 cards to an Army unit
320 cards to an Army unit
320 cards to an Army unit
330 cards to an Army unit
330 cards to an Army unit
330 cards to an Army unit
330 cards to an Army unit
330 cards to an Army unit
330 cards to an Air Force unit
330 cards to an Army unit
330 cards to an Army unit
330 cards to an National Guard unit
330 cards to an Army unit

Other fun statistics:
Number of boxes sent: 1229
Number of hero contacts: 682
Total cards sent: 335,374

Deadline reminders:
Valentines: passed

St Patricks Day: passed
Easter: Feb 26 (sooner is preferable!)

Shipper needs this week: Now updated on our "Biggest Needs" post here.

The Lunches (Kleenex Alert)

2010-02-13T17:32:00.000-08:00

This story's been circulating in email, and though the Snopes page doesn't have a determination of its truth, the story is well worth repeating anyway.

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. 'I'm glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap,' I thought.

Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation.

'Where are you headed?' I asked the soldier seated nearest to me.

''Petawawa. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we're being deployed to Afghanistan."

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time.

As I reached for my wallet, I overheard a soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. "No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to base." His friend agreed.

I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. "Take a lunch to all those soldiers." She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. "My son was a soldier in Iraq; it's almost like you are doing it for him."

Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, "Which do you like best - beef or chicken?"

"'Chicken,' I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class.

'This is your thanks."

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. "I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this." He handed me twenty-five dollars.

Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand and said, "I want to shake your hand." Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain's hand.. With a booming voice he said, "I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot." I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.

Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.

When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars!

Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. "It will take you some time to reach the base... It will be about time for a sandwich. God bless you."

Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers.

As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals. It seemed so little.

Every time each of you makes a card or donates shipping funds—think of it as "buying lunch" for one of countless heroes who may never hear a "thank you" from America. Thank you for all you do to honor their service by giving so much from your heart.

OWH's Biggest Needs

2010-02-12T06:02:00.000-08:00

If you're looking to target what the biggest needs are for Operation Write Home, you've come to the right place! We'll update this post regularly - rather than on the Mailroom Monday posts. We also have a link to this post on our homepage, so you can always find it quickly! You can also click on the "Needs" category off to the right.

Note: We accept any themes your creativity produces - so if you're not in the "zone" to meet the requests on this post, please don't hold back on what you have to offer for our heroes!

Kris: I've been busy packing and shipping boxes so my supply is getting depleted. Have quite a few boxes that need to be packed for my regulars who are due for another box. At the moment my biggest need is for thank you, miss you/thinking of you, and anniversary cards. Of course I can always use other themes that are sent in. I have a good stash for Mother's Day and Father's Day but need LOTS more of those. So don't forget the March Challenge.....half Mother's and Father's day and half other themes.

Sandy: I'm so happy to report I've sent out almost every card on my shelves! Hooah! That means I need a little bit of everything from love and miss you to general and birthday. Easter too....and don't forget to get started on Mother's Day!

Dixie: Everything! Shelves are empty here, so keep on sending yours in...I can especially use general thinking of you and missing you cards. Thanks!

Other ways you can help:
Post on your blog, Twitter, or Facebook about OWH.
Find friends who have a "stash" of cards that's collecting dust.
Host a cardmaking party of your own.
Set up a challenge for your friends online or at your stamp club.
Ask a local retailer for their old sample cards.
Help out by hosting a challenge on the Stars and Stamps blog!

Thankful Thursday: February 11, 2010

2010-02-11T00:37:00.000-08:00

5918 cards were received this week....thank you all, every card is needed! We've had a bumper crop of new heroes requesting cards—18 new ones, most in Afghanistan!! That's 18 x 325 cards....plus all our current contacts!

Kristin K....great cards, love your mix of patterned paper! Thanks.
Barb K....fabulous cards!!! Thank you for all the Any Hero letters too.
Linda Z.....awesome cards!! Thank you so much.
Anita A, Turlock CA - thanks so much for your lovely cards, AnyHero cards, and great donation!
Los Gatos Elks Lodge #1857, WOW! So many cards in one box, I don't know how you do it. Thanks!
Leslie M, Kailua HI - thanks again for such an awesome box full of pretty cards!
Pam P, North Hollywood CA, your cards are sooooo wonderful, our heroes will love them!
Thank you Karen G. in Oakland Park, FL. You sent a terrific assortment of cards for the new shipper's stash!
Thank you Pam L. in Mineral Bluff, GA, for your terrific St Pat's cards. I especially liked the one with the calendar on the front. Clever!
Amber M, Goshen IN, thank you so much, your St Pats and other cards are simply lovely!
McDaniel College, Gamma Sigma Sigma - WOW! 626 Anyhero cards - absolutely amazing, thank you!
Renee D, Marshall MN...Thank you for the package of wonderful cards. The children's Any Hero cards are great!
Carla M and West County Christian Church, Chesterfield MO......thank you for the wonderful cards. LOVE THEM!
Thank you nancy F in Trexlertown, PA for the fun cards and the generous donation. I'm still laughing at the clever sentiments!
Thank you Marcie M in Muncy, PA for your beautiful cards. Loved the "Hi" cards especially! Thanks too for your donation!!
Thank you Pat in Bethel Park, PA!! So MANY beautiful cards for our heroes to send to their families and friends!
Jeanine D. Cleveland TX.....wonderful, beautiful cards! Thanks for the Any Hero letters too!
Thank you Maeve S. in Knoxville, TN for your great gcards. Thank you too for the bookmarks. I can't wait to put them in a box for our heroes!
Gai J, Dallas TX.....Love these cards.....gorgeous!!
Shelley F, Bellevue WA, awesome package of cards - and thanks so much for your donation!
Heidi M, Lynnwood WA - great package of cards, thanks soooo much!
Heidi M, Lynnwood WA - great package of cards, thanks soooo much!
Pearl G, Bellevue WA, thanks so much for the great cards!
Fran T, Cabot AR, thanks so much - every card counts!
Velda S, Mesquite NV - thank you so much for sharing your seniors' beginning card class's work - they're wonderful!
Lee B, Dalton WI - wow, what a great package - and the little packets are adorable!
Vickie W, Reno NV - wonderful cards, our heroes will love them!!
Lee B, Dalton WI - another box!!! Oh my, thank you so much!
Phyllis Z and the Lincoln Hills Stampers - thanks sooooo much! Wow on all the AnyHero cards, our contacts are going to love them all!
Valley UU Church, Chandler AZ, thank you for the great AnyHero notes!
To our anonymous cardmaker in Tucson - wowsers, what an amazing box full of cards, thank you!
Thank you Amy, S. in Aurora, CO for the beautiful cards! I love the Easter cards; they make me wish for springtime!
Teresa P, Dubuque IA, these are awesome, thanks sooooo much!
Thank you ladies and gentlemen at TILL in Watertown, MA for the terrific postcards for our heroes!
Thank you Ellen B. of Pasadena, MD. You springtime cards are terrific! Your letters to soldiers will touch some hearts!
Thank you Janet M in Biddleford, ME for the terrific variety of cards! I love the butterflies!
Thank you Brenda E. of Macomb, MI, for the terrific cards, hero letter, and donation! Your cards with the trees stamp are my favorites!
Thanks to Mr. C's algebra class in Concord, NC for assembling all the cards! Thanks too for tucking all those flaps in the envelopes! You rock!
Thank you Danyse K. of Charlotte, NC for the terrific cards an the donation! It was great to meet you!
Thank you Nicole S. in Pittsboro, NC for the lovely cards! So many occasions! Loved the button cards!
Thank you AndreaM. from Ithaca, NY for the beautiful cards and the generous donation! You sent a terrific variety, and they were all labeled and tucked too! Thanks!
Thank you Gamma Sigma Sigma at SRU in Slippery Rock, PA. for the St. Patrick's Day cards and all the others! I hope you had fun coloring!!
Thanks, Sandy D. of Hanover, PA for the terrific collection of cards! I loved the pretty flower ones!
Thank you Cathy B. in Columbia, SC for your terrific cards and generous donation! Thanks too for tucking the cards!!
Thank you Nicole S. in Pittsboro, NC for the lovely cards! So many occasions! Loved the button cards!
Sandra F, Irvine CA, our heroes are going to love your creations, thank you!
Jan C and AZ Scrappers, Phoenix AZ - what an incredible box of cards, thank you soooo much for your donation too!
Ellen H, Vancouver WA, thanks for more great cards...hope your internet access is back soon! (And if you're reading this I guess it is, huh!)
Cindy M, Pewaukee WI, your cards are adorable!! Thank you so much!
Thank you Pat C. in N Ft. Myers, FL for the terrific collection of cards and envelopes. You will bring a lot of joy to a lot of heroes!
Thank you Dolores A. in Frederick, MD for your beautiful cards and the letters to our heroes! Your cards will make keeping in touch with home a delight!
Thank you Lynn F in Chapel Hill for your beautiful cards for our heroes! You will make a lot of people happy.
Dee N, Duluth MN.....your cards are FABULOUS! Love your style!
Robyne B, Lees Summit MO......these St Pat's and Easter cards are gorgeous. THANKS!
Jane S, Las Cruces NM....thank you for the beautiful cards!
Maude B, Las Cruces NM....thanks for the wonderful cards.
Dorothy B and WINGS, Corpus Christi TX.....these cards are gorgeous. Thanks everyone who helped make them.
Debby M, Las Cruces NM....thank you for these beautiful cards. Love them!
Kathy R and Pleasant Valley Baptist Church, Livonia NY....thank you for these great St Patty's day cards.
Joan H, High Ridge MO.....thank you for the beautiful cards!!!
Betty T, Salina KS....thanks so much for these wonderful cards!!
Thank you Janet M in Biddeford, ME for the terrific St. Patrick's Day card. What a nice collection to send to our heroes!
Thank you, Pat F. in Mansfield, PA for the terrific cards and the donation. I love the little birdie cards!!
Thank you Carol L for the terrific box of cards and the donation! Your cards will make a lot of people smile! I loved the friend cards especially!
Thank you Wendy L in Circleville, OH, for the HUGE box of cards you sent for our heroes! You're very talented. Thanks for sending the big envelopes for the big cards too!
Thank you Nancy H. in Fallston, MD for the terrific Easter cards and the generous donation! I love the eggs and "magic" bunny cards! They make me smile! Clever!
Thank you Solon Civic Club in Solon, OH for the St. Patrick's Day cards for our heroes. They are terrific! (Could someone in this group email Dixie?)
Ellen H, Vancouver WA, wow! Another package of beauties, thank you! Your donation is a huge help too!
SuzAnn H, Salt Lake City - Adorable!! Love your lil mice especially!!
Ann L, Orem UT - you are such an ongoing blessing to OWH and our heroes...thank you!
Esther & Eileen J, El Paso TX.....thank you for the cards and Any Hero letters!
Sharon M, Lubbock TX......these cards are gorgeous! Thank you.
Sue A, Rockford IL......fabulous cards once again! I love your style!!! Thanks so much!
Joan K, Avon IL.....gorgeous cards, love your style!! Thank you.
Carole Ann S, The Woodlands TX......WOW! what a box of cards. Thanks for having them organized by themes. They are FABULOUS!!

Envelopes stacked as high as Big Ben!

2010-02-10T05:26:00.000-08:00

Yesterday our Facebook friends played along with a little guessing game. The question:

How tall is the stack of 18,000 envelopes that OWH just ordered?

(Flat on top of each other, not end-to-end.)

To give our blog readers a moment to ponder a guess, we looked for a few other things that are about the same height...like this chocolate replica of Big Ben (more pics of this stunning tasty sculpture are here!):

Or this 3 story home...

Or perhaps as tall as this rocket if it were standing up:

Have you got perspective yet on just how many envelopes it is? Quite a few, to say the least! We order them in large quantity every 6 to 8 weeks...the length of time they last depends on how many people donate envelopes with their cards, vs how many donate funds instead of mailing in the envelopes.

We've kept you in suspense long enough....the answer is 36 feet! The 18,000 are divided between our three shippers, so fortunately none of them need to buy a new home to store the entire stack of envelopes!

(And for the folks who sent message to ask: $393.96!)

Golden Tape Gun Awards

2010-02-09T05:54:00.000-08:00

This award poster might seem a little tongue-in-cheek (or tape-on-box!), but....without our wonderful volunteer shippers, where would we be? They fully deserve an award for their tireless work! Anyone know where we can buy a golden tape gun?

On just about every day of the year, our shippers:

receive packages in the mail
open them and check for packing slips, and start counting if there's no total
stamp the backs if that's not done
match them with envelopes
email every donor with an acknowledgement
report every donation
sort cards by type
keep up with hero contacts by email
do triage in the card hospital as needed (repairing, adding liners to dark cards, etc)

And then on packing days, our shippers:

sort and pack boxes of over 300 cards each
pack up 15-20 or more AnyHero letters for each box
write a letter to each contact
tape up each box and fill out customs form
traipse to the Post Office and stand in line
report boxes shipped

These are heroic tasks, and a little bulletpoint list barely scratches the surface of the enormity of the gift of time and energy our shippers give to OWH! Their families sacrifice as well—giving them time to do this valuable work.

In our Annual Review published last week, you may have noticed this little pie chart...it shows the percentages of the total shipments from 2009 made from each location. Washington's been the heavy lifter since the inception of the project, partially because the west coast is quite prolific in cardmaking (gooooo California!), and partially because Sandy has a lot of personal cardmaking friends out there across the land!

Currently our shippers are all-volunteer...our small cash revenues aren't enough to pay any staff at this time. (Until recently, our shippers even purchased their own packing tape!) Yes, they do love our heroes, and receive their favorite payment when they do the "happy dance" at the mailbox when a card or letter comes from one of their contacts...or when an email pops up from someone they've shipped their cards to. Getting to know a hero is the greatest honor, and hearing about the impact of OWH's service is quite a joy!

Some of you have emailed us with offers to become an OWH shipper—and we want to say thanks so much for your heart to help! However, right now we're waiting to see what 2010 will bring. A while back we had more shippers at the same time, and cards were divided between so many locations that it was challenging to get boxes out to meet our heroes' requests. With three shippers, it's more work for those individuals, but is also making us more efficient in responding to our service members' needs. If volume increases further in the coming months we may add another shipper, but for the time being we're waiting to see what happens. Stay tuned!

If you live near one of our shippers and would like to assist them sometime, please feel free to contact them. You might be able to assist with stamping the backs of cards, matching with envelopes, triage in the card hospital, or even packing boxes.....depending on what day you're able to help, and what needs the shipper has at the time.

Many thanks to our rockin' OWH shippers....keep on shippin'!