Write Your Mother, Soldier!

On Saturday, I hosted several crafters for a day of fun, food and support for Operation Write Home.This organization, started in 2008 by Sandy Allnock, collects handmade cards to send to our troops outside of the U.S. who do not have access to card stores. These soldiers can then choose from these handcrafted cards to send messages home to family and loved ones. 

I did not have an auspicious start. I am generally very good about setting up a day before - cleaning, setting up tables, preparing food and supplies. But I had had a busy week and took Friday to have a date out with my husband. I rose early Saturday, put all the food in my car, drove to the location close by.....and found the doorknob did not unlock. Someone had broken off a key or put an object inside the lock. Grrr!!

I had no idea how much cleaning it would need, the tables were not set up, I had food to put out, I hadn't brought my craft tools yet! I panicked a lot a little. I had crafters coming in an hour at 10:00 am! I got out my phone and woke up two people with other keys to the locale, the property manager, and the maintenance contractor (luckily all good friends of mine). The contractor came and let me in AT 5 MINUTES TO 10:00! Thank goodness that was the day everyone was fashionably late.

My crafter friends, always ready to give and share their supplies, time and efforts, brought their paper and stamps and inks and punches and - well, I could go on. We have a lot of supplies! They made paid a nominal admission fee to cover meals, purchased raffle tickets for a donation to Operation Write Home, and used their supplies to make cards for people they will never meet. 

While I did not require that they make cards all day, I did require a 3 card minimum either brought to or made at the event. Everyone did that and many made more. My good friend, Amy, brought and made 45! 

I did not provide kits so it was a slower creative process than it could have been. Next time I will make it more of an assembly line process with personal touches added by those who want to. This time, I wanted the cards to reflect what they wanted to make. I printed out the guidelines, provided the normal prerequisite of lots of chocolate, and let them go for it!

While the event was 12 hours, some crafters came later or left earlier. By the end of the day I had collected 109 cards! The little raffle raised $41.00 to donate towards OWH postage costs.

Maggie's Place, a local crafting spot, is also collecting cards throughout the year. I will send them out as each holiday deadline approaches. And Maggie generously donated a gift certificate, which was by far the most popular raffle item!

Towards the end of the day, I realized that these cards would go from Operation Write Home to troops all over the world, who would then choose their favorites of what we made and send them to their loved ones here in the U.S., or elsewhere. Our cards would make people happy many miles away and more than once. They might even save them as a keepsake! (A crafter's ultimate compliment.)

Was it a huge monetary donation or a case of cards? No. But it was  a lot of fun and the point was accomplished. I could have made 20 cards by myself and sent them out, but instead I had 8 people join me and as many more that want to add to the boxes as I send them out. This was so much fun to do! It was the perfect dovetail of using the tools I have, my time and talent.