Holiday Postage Challenge

Thanks for visiting our blog and welcome back those of you who have been here before!  We are delighted to have new people discovering our organization every week and that we already have devoted followers who are actively participating in our challenges!  We hope you are staying up to date with our happenings at Card Care Connection.  If you missed our newsletter last month, you can check it out here:  http://cardcareconnection.com/Newsletter.aspx
While Card Care Connection is nondenominational, we recognize that the holiday season is near.  Regardless of what holiday you may celebrate, it is a time of year for giving to others and sharing love.  In the spirit of gift-giving this time of year, we encourage you to consider sending in a book of stamps to help cover the cost of postage for sending cards to referrals.  Postage adds up quickly for our program.  We anticipate a large number of cards to be sent this holiday season, so every stamp helps! 

Donations can be sent to:
Card Care Connection
112 Saddlehorn Court
Fenton, MO 63026
We still welcome any and all card submissions this month even though our challenge is for stamps.  As a reminder, please follow our general guidelines:
·         Appropriate sentiments: Thinking of you, have a nice day, hello, care & concern, and hopeful messages are welcome.  Please try to avoid get well soon, feel better, and religious messages.
·         Do not handwrite or stamp inside the card. 
·         Please include blank, unsealed envelopes with your cards.
·         Include a packing slip with your cards/donations so that you can get credit for your contributions and we can let you know the cards were received.
Thank you again for all of your support, and Happy Holidays!

Fall Card Challenge

Welcome back card crafters!  We want to thank you for all the hard work you put into our last challenge – we received a number of beautiful cards for our program.   We have collected a total of 2,000 cards which is very exciting!
The seasons are changing; days are getting shorter, and the weather is growing colder.  This is a time of year that can sometimes make a person feel even more isolated either from the changing weather or from memories of lost loved ones as the holiday season draws near. 
With this in mind, we would like to invite you to create seasonal cards.  Seasonal cards include fall and winter themes and colors, but please refrain from decorating for specific holidays.  Our cards go out to individuals who have different beliefs and celebrate holidays in different ways.  Providing cards to individuals facing cancer in these coming cold months will provide a warmth and comfort that they may need.
Our inspiration for this challenge comes from a few beautiful cards we received from our crafters, shown below.  The buttons, fall colors, and embellishments makes these cards extra special.  Feel free to use these as a guide or to come up with your own pattern.  We are excited to see the different ways you can create a card for the seasons!   Good luck and we look forward to it!  Keep an eye out for our next newsletter in your inbox!  If you aren’t signed up for the mailing list, sign up here: http://cardcareconnection.com/Newsletter.aspx 

Thanks to Lisa L., First Presbyterian Church of Dearborn, and Diamond Lake Lutheran Church for these donations.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month Challenge

Hi Card Makers!
We have been busy at Card Care Connection the last few months with the roll out of our first newsletter, increase in referrals and card donations.  As fall sets in and our organization continues to grow, we propose another challenge.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month!  In honor of this month, we invite you to create cards that incorporate the color of the breast cancer awareness campaign, pink.  We encourage you to be creative and incorporate special touches to give the cards extra pizazz.  Please refrain, however, from decorating cards with the pink breast cancer ribbon, since our cards go out to recipients with all types of cancer.
One in eight women will develop breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.  With staggering statistics, it is important that the issue remains in our thoughts and actions as it may affect us or those close to us.
So this month, take some time to think about those you may know who have been affected by cancer.  Your help will provide extra support in the times when it is needed most – at the bedside of someone who is suffering alone, or awaiting an individual at home after he or she has left the hospital.  We challenge you to donate cards that can be meaningful to recipients and give a spark of hope to those battling the disease.
We look forward to seeing the creative ways you use pink!  If you would like to sign up for our newsletter or stay up to date on our latest news, visit our website at http://www.cardcareconnection.com. 

Butterfly Card Contest

Welcome, card makers!  Card Care Connection has been busy behind the scenes of our brand new website, preparing to expand our outreach to new card recipients and card makers.  We provide motivational cards to those who are suffering from cancer.  Through this program, handmade cards are sent free of charge to identified individuals.  With the arrival of our site, we would like to post a new challenge for you. 
Our challenge this month is a butterfly  theme.  Your creation must incorporate butterflies, and we encourage you to be creative in your use of materials (stamped sentiments, paper cutouts, ribbons, etc.).  The butterfly is an uplifting, gender neutral image that serves as a powerful message to card recipients of all ages.  It is a symbol of hope and transformation, feelings we  wish to inspire in individuals who receive your handmade cards. 
Please take a moment to share your butterfly- themed card creations with us by uploading pictures here!  You can visit our new website at http://www.cardcareconnection.com/  , where you can sign up for our newsletter, connect with other card makers, and read our latest news.