Cards for a good cause

I donate money to quite a few different charities through the mail. (As a result I already have about eight 2012 calendars and enough address labels to last two lifetimes - and I'm sure I've recycled about twice as many. Seriously.) One charity I donated to for the first time this summer is Operation Write Home. But I didn't donate just money, I donated cards, too.

Operation Write Home is an organization that supports American armed forces stationed overseas by sending them blank handmade greeting cards for them to send home to friends and family, as well as cards of gratitude to encourage them. It's the perfect thing for me: I can make all the cards I want, and when my own "stash" is full, I can donate them to a great cause where I know they'll be used and appreciated. And since they collect and send out cards on an ongoing basis, I don't have to worry about meeting a deadline or making a certain number of cards. My first package included twenty cards for different occasions, and this weekend I started working on my second donation (four cards done so far!).

For more information about where to send your cards, what types of cards are needed, etc., check out the  Operation Write Home Web site. And the next time you're looking way for a way to make a difference and be creative at the same time, consider making cards to donate to Operation Write Home!