HOPE is in the Cards

hope_envelopes

HOPE is in the Cards was created by Russ Haan, a small business owner who was struggling with keeping his company open, his employees employed, and providing for his family. He came up with a sweet, idealistic notion:

What if every American sent just one letter or card of support to another American. What would happen? What would it do to our collective national spirit if the word HOPE was written on the back of every envelope?

You’d go to your mailbox and it would be filled with something besides bills and collections notices. It would contain HOPE. And better yet, you might even have a personal card or letter from someone saying THANK YOU or I BELIEVE IN YOU.

Wondering how to participate? Easy. Send a card to someone who needs some love or encouragement, and write or stamp the word “hope” on the back of each envelope. There are also HOPE events – like the one in Battery Park City on June 29th in NYC – to attend.

And because I love me some Thinking of You cards, here are my personal Etsy picks:

picnik-collage

Clockwise from top left: Bee Card by SparklePaw; She’s Sassy, Classy & a Little Bad-Assey from Allisonstrine; Marshmallow Love by SweetAndKindOf; Hey Stranger by TweeCards

Please let me know if you participate in Hope is in the Cards! I know I’m going to send some hope out myself…

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 10th, 2009 at 9:23 am and is filed under Happy Hooplah. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

CREATIVE COMMONS

Basically, what this means is that everything I write is my own property (duh), but you can use it on your blog or in your newsletter or as skywriting as long as you don't change nothin' & you add the following : "Michelle Ward, aka The When I Grow Up Coach, helps creative people devise the career they think they can't have - or discover it to begin with! A certified life coach by the International Coach Academy, a musical theater actress with her BFA from NYU/Tisch, and a Corporate America escapee, Michelle has served as an expert source and contributor for such outlets as Newsweek, Forbes, and Psychology Today, as well as leading workshops and seminars at SXSW 2011 and the sold-out Etsy Success Symposium. She could be found coachin', bloggin' & givin' away free stuff at whenigrowupcoach.com."

Caitlin Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 8:01 am

LOVE the idea! When I was in college and feeling a little lonely, I would have "mail Karma" days and send out cards and letters to lots of friends and family. Admittedly, it was basically self serving because I was hoping for some mail in return, but still I think (hope) it brought some cheer to the people who received them. And that was a goal too, even if I didn't get mail in return. I need to stock up on some more cards. Time to spend some money on Etsy!!

Meghan Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 8:39 am

This is just the karma pick me up that I was looking for! Thank you so much for featuring it l:0)

admin Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 8:47 am

So glad it resonated with you both, Caitlin & Meghan! The moment I saw it I knew I had to get it up here for my readers.

Caitlin – I actually wrote almost all of my wedding thank yous on my honeymoon. People thought it was nuts, but it made me feel good to thank everyone for making my special day so, uh, special. I have a feeling that the college cards you sent reminded you how many supportive people you have in your life, and warmed you as much as it did them. It's OK to be a little selfish, too

carolyn Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 9:52 am

I love this idea! I want hope cards !!

admin Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 9:55 am

How come I knew that you would SO be all over this, Carolyn?

Thankfully you can use any card. Just write the word HOPE on the envelope and it totally counts.