Adventure Mom

An Adventure, Travel and Lifestyle blog designed to encourage you to try something new.

5 Card Challenge

Cards that Care * 5 Card Challenge Update

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Several weeks ago, Erin from A bird and a bean, and I issued our readers a challenge to make 5 homemade cards for heart/stroke patients. I was contacted by Elisa, who shared about why heart patients were dear to her heart and the desire to bring homemade cards to heart patients to help brighten their day. (you can read more about that here)

I’m happy to announce that there were over 700 homemade cards and trinkets donated!!!!!!

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A lot of our donations went to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Heart Institute.

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Elisa dropped off the donations with Amy Howe from the American Heart Association. The picture below is Jean (on the left) who is an RN as Amy  (on the right) shared one of the donated homemade cards.

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Due to privacy at the hospital, they were unable to get a lot of pictures of the cards with the patients. They were able to get this picture of a patient receiving a card. He has been going to the hospital for treatment for most of his life and was there for a check up.

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It puts a smile on my face to think that over 700 heart/stroke patients, who are going through a really difficult time, will have a brighter day because of you.

Thanks so much to everyone who participated!

I would love to do this again sometime in the future. This is something that anyone can do in any city!

Small things done with great love can change the world!

 

 

Cards that Care * 5 Card Challenge

By 5 Comments

I’m sure you are like me and struggle with the desire to help others and making/finding the time in your schedule to give back. I was presented with an opportunity that I knew was the perfect opportunity to put into action what has been tugging on my heart for a while.

I was approached by Elisa who asked if I would be interested in getting out the message about creating homemade cards for heart/stroke patients. This story is close to her heart. You can read more from her personal story here.

Here is what Elisa had to share in her own words

As I stated, FirstLight HomeCare decided that we would as a company participate in a community project that benefits/gives back to local organizations. With the first quarter including February (Heart Month) and the AHA’s largest local fundraiser, the Heart Mini, in March, along with my personal connection to them…it was easy to decide to partner up with them.

The idea of creating homemade cards to be distributed to the local hospitals for heart/stroke patients came from my experience with the health care industry and my own experience with a sick family member. It is a scary situation, and often people are alone and have no local family to hold their hand. What a wonderful way to spread a feeling of support to someone you don’t even know!

I can only imagine how wonderful it would feel to receive a little “get well” or “thinking of you” trinket/card from someone who cared enough to create it for me! We were in the perfect situation to accomplish this, as FirstLight HomeCare works with many retirement communities and long term care facilities that are always looking for ways to let their residents utilize their talents to spread a little smile!

I went to various communities and was met with an overwhelming sense of joy as they agreed to participate (even going as far to ask me if we could continue to do this on a monthly basis)!

You can drop off homemade cards at the Kenton Country Public Library  (Erlanger Branch location) during the week of March 11.

If you are in Ohio you can contact Elisa for a pickup location at ewitkowski@firstlighthomecare.com

 

Even though this effort is local to the Cincinnati metro area, it doesn’t have to stop there.

This is a project that anyone can do in any city and can continue on each month to an organization of your choice.

I love that this also is a project that has flexibility. Some volunteer organizations are not as kid friendly due to volunteer roles and limitations because of legalities with age. You can finally put some of your kid’s extra art to use and unload some creative clutter in a positive way and brighten someone’s day.

So will you join Erin from A Bird and A Bean and I as we take the challenge to create 5 homemade cards or trinkets for a heart/stroke patients?

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You can hashtag your images and tweets with #5CardChallenge