Thank you Cathy and Thank you to all of YOU! Project Give Thanks depends on generous people like you and Cathy to keep uplifting the Rocky Mountain Cancer Center’s cancer patients.
To each of you I’m sending my hugs of gratitude,
Sonja
Thank you Cathy and Thank you to all of YOU! Project Give Thanks depends on generous people like you and Cathy to keep uplifting the Rocky Mountain Cancer Center’s cancer patients.
To each of you I’m sending my hugs of gratitude,
Sonja
The story in this post will make you sad but, hopefully, also proud of how you are touching others through your art and generosity.
When healthcare providers tell me wonderful stories about how PGT cards help their patients no names are mentioned; privacy is king. But, I do get to know people a little as I walk the boxes around and offer cards. Patients like to tell their cancer and treatment stories. “A concern shared is a concern lessened” and I’m happy to pay back what I received. Occasionally, I see the same people on subsequent visits and we continue to talk of the future. The caregivers though, they know who isn’t in a chair. They know when one of their’s is not coming back.
My story is about a woman who let everyone, the staff, family and friends, know how much she adored the boxes of beautiful cards. She often said she was looking forward to seeing them on her next visit. Mostly, as I’ve been told, she just wanted to look at the cards and show them to others. Also, this story is about one of the caregivers who knows her well.
Recently, the caregiver quietly asked me if they could use a Project Give Thanks card to send to a patient who hasn’t been to the treatment center in a while. She said that the patient has been talking about and missing the cards. Well, I said SURE and bounded on with “let’s make her a packet of cards, do you know what she likes?” The look on the caregiver’s face stopped me and I heard “I’m afraid she won’t use them.” The eyes I was looking into revealed “won’t use them” was a discreet way of saying something more serious. A few deep breaths later…more slowly and sympathetically, I offered to help select the card or make something extra special but was given the feeling that selecting a card from the box was going to be a private ceremony of sorts. I left it at that. We exchanged a pair of resolute, upside-down smiles and heavy-hearted hugs before returning to our day.
Let’s all feel hopeful that our card was well received and long enjoyed.
Love, Sonja
… at what Project Give Thanks delivered to the Rocky Mountain Cancer Center a few hours ago.
Back when I worked in the plant world we called photos of gorgeous plants and gardens “plant porn” and it gave us a little chuckle. Can’t do that with cards “card porn” might get me arrested. This morning, I thought a bit about this as I sat, camera in hand, in the front seat of my car, fabric draped over the steering wheel, taking pictures of the card in my lap! Good grief! What were passers-by thinking? 🙂 Here are those hastily taken photos which do not give justice to these beautiful cards!
Now that you’ve looked at a lot of cards, I hope you feel the joy that our cancer fighting friends feel when they look in to a box of YOUR handmade, heart-made, cards! Were you distracted from your concerns for just a little while? Did you relax? Open your imagination? You probably saw a card that would be perfect for your special someone and maybe it helped you to remember why they are so special. That’s just some of the Project Give Thanks magic that all of YOU bring by making and donating these gorgeous, funny, serious, love filled cards.
Gratitude and Thanks are in the air and in the hugs I’m sending you now,
Sonja
PS My apologies for not keeping up with your names and cards. I work on PGT at odd moments and often not at home. Sometimes we can only do what we can do and falling short of perfection should never stop us!
FIRST, THANK YOU FOR VOLUNTEERING ON THE LAST SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH 11:00 TO 1:00(ish): Chris, Jan, Kim, Judy, Jill, Cathy, Marla, Tera, Christy, Cindy and to all the generous stampers who mail their cards and card fronts into Project Give Thanks! Read these blog posts to see how many people you have helped, calmed and entertained…. Grateful Hugs to All, Sonja
BIG NEWS: PGT Make and Donate will now be held at my house: Sonja Knaisch (Nash), 7184 Glacier View Road, Gunbarrel, 80503 720-341-3829. The last Sunday of each month 11:00 a.m. to 1:00(ish). We have temporarily run out of cards to assemble so we are making them start to finish and it’s a blast of fun! Join us. We especially invite men who like to volunteer for a good cause. No experience or supplies necessary however, having your own paper snips and glue speeds things up.
Rock, Paper, Scissors, My Hugs Beat Them All,
Sonja
Hey there all you happy stampers,
I have some exciting Project Give Thanks news to announce.
This Sunday, May 18th, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. there will be a volunteer card making workshop and all of the cards will be given to the Rocky Mountain Cancer Center chemo patients. WooHoo!
We will meet at the Scrapbook Shack 525 S. McCaslin Blvd., Louisville, CO 80027 (next to Carrabba’s).
This is a FREE event and materials will be supplied.
In addition to sharing your creative expertise and time, please feel free to donate the beautiful handcrafted cards and card fronts that you are not using. We will give these wonderful handmade cards to some very special people.
One of the many lessons I learned, during my cancer treatment, is that it takes a community of talented and loving people to help get a cancer patient through the overwhelming process of fighting the disease. Patients often want to show their appreciation for that but just don’t have the energy to shop for thank you cards. They also want to stay active in their family’s lives by sending birthday, wedding, baby… cards. That’s where our Project Give Thanks cards come in. They are available, free of course, right in the chemo room which is convenient because receiving treatment usually takes 4 hours and there’s not much to do so, it’s a good time to send a few cards. As you see in the above photo, our cards are available and well received in the cancer support group meeting room too.
Artist, Chris Pereire, is responsible for organizing this event! Be sure to thank her when you see her. It looks like we may be able to meet every month. That would be a huge WOW! I’ll keep you posted.
Big Ol’ inky hugs,
Sonja
My Sister shocked me recently. This wasn’t the kind of static electric shock we used to zap each other with, it was a shocking comment. Michelle wrote on my last post that I should keep up my card ministry. Wow! The word ministry seemed a bit grandiose for Project Give Thanks’ simple mission of supplying creative homemade cards to cancer patients. I’d always thought of ministry as a religious trek to a far off land… But, my Sis is right, WE are tending to the needs of others and that’s what ministering is all about. Yay Us! Oh, but we’re not the only one’s using cards to minister. Check this out…
The folks at Whimseybox in Boulder, CO did some card ministry too… “We dove right into the glitter and glue and by the end of the night we had almost 200 cards for Meels on Wheels of Boulder along with some generous donations.
We had a great turnout and made some new friends as well. It’s amazing the fun that ensues when a bunch of crafty folks congregate. Becky Hensley and Anne Davidson are cofounders of Share Denver. Becky also runs an group called Denver Craft Ninjas which is a monthly meet up of women who are diehard DIYers. These ladies are passionate about cultivating a community of learning, sharing and crafting. We love them for that!
Meals on Wheels of Boulder will take all of our card creations and distribute them, along with nutritious meals, to members of the community to promote independent, healthy living. We hope to spread some cheer this holiday season and what better way to bring good tidings than with a handmade card with a special note inside.”
In addition to confirming our belief that cards are tools of healing, this story reminds us that working in groups is fun and super productive. Let’s do it! Gather round some friends and family to make cards or card fronts and share them with people who are fighting for their lives and good health.
Group Hugs everyone!
Sonja
Thanks to David Roederer for sending this story to me. Mmmwah!
Give Thanks for cards sent from far and near…
A couple of months ago, I heard an NPR story on Hawaiian chocolate. They just raved about how good it is so I wrote on the inside cover of my journal “try Hawaiian chocolates.” About 10 days later I received Hawaiian chocolates in large box of cards from Lori Ikehara-Lyman!!! Talk about the universe (and Lori) responding to what I “put out there.” I asked for cards (I always do) and chocolate; they arrived via USP!
Well, Lori’s done it again! A few weeks ago she sent another large box of beautiful cards and Hawaiian chocolates. While I love the former, I need the latter to keep Project Give Thanks going. The good folks at the Rocky Mountain Cancer Center always remark that it’s so cool to get cards from people in other cities & states. Thank you Lori! Also, in advance, I thank all of you wonderful card artists, where ever you are, for making PGT cards this winter. I look forward to receiving your donations.
New, improved 2013 Hugs on their way,Sonja
PS! THIS POST WAS SCHEDULED FOR LATE DECEMBER ’12 . I JUST DISCOVERED THAT IT DIDN’T APPEAR. SORRY LORI! ALL OF YOUR CARDS WERE ENJOYED AND APPRECIATED BY CHEMO PATIENTS AT RMCC. Mmmwah!
Give Thanks for your consumer power!
Hey there all of you wonderful card artists and cancer survivors. Today, I’m reminding you that money is power and you have money-power. “Me?” you say. Yes, YOU! Buying organic food is using your money-power to send a message: You want and deserve chemical free food!
Here is a fun video to watch and the “dirty dozen” list. That’s a list of the 12 most chemical laden produce and the 12 cleanest ones. This list has been around for many years and as far as I can tell no one disputes it. My tattered copy never leaves my wallet. Food for though, y’all !
Check this out, the kids will like it too: http://youtu.be/SCA6P9lsEfw
Squeaky clean hugs for sale at my produce booth, use your power-money and buy ya’s some. Oh, shoot! Save your money, for you they’re free! Sonja