Send a handwritten Christmas card to someone who is homeless
‘Tis the season. This is the third year MakeItMerry (MIM) has invited people to write a Christmas card to someone who is homeless. Everyone deserves some ‘merry’ this time of year, especially those down on their luck.
The magic of a MIM is that a small thing, a handwritten card, has huge meaning. It spreads warmth and the knowledge that someone took the time and cared enough to write someone they don’t even know. Here is how MIM got started.
Mini post office inside the homeless shelter
My new favorite part of MIM is our ‘mailing station.’ This is where we literally create a mini post office in the homeless shelter complete with postage stamps, pens, and Christmas cards.
We help anyone at the shelter who would like to mail a Christmas card to family or friends. Sometimes remembering the exact address creates challenges, but with the help of wifi and google street view we have gotten quite good at sleuthing out the correct address.
Homeless man was the inspiration
The idea of running a mailing station was actually inspired by a homeless man I met while delivering the MIM cards.
Instead of keeping his card he wanted to know if I could mail it to his brother who lived across the country whom he hadn’t been in communication with in several years. This man knew the exact address, all I had to do was put a stamp on the card and look up the postal code.
We all have a desire to give
What this man taught me was that no matter our situation in life we all have a desire to give. The ability to do so is tied to our dignity and self worth. If I’m honest, this simple truth did not occur to me.
I had only been thinking what could we do for the homeless. Instead of what they could do for others and what this would mean to them on a personal level. I’m so grateful to this man for teaching me this.
Talented creative people
We also held a card making event last year. The creatives in the shelter thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to make a card of their own and many made cards to give to their friends who lived in the shelter.
Get your cards to Calgary by December 10
Thank you to all who have participated in MIM before. We hope you will join us again this year. In case you are wondering what to write in your card we’ve put together some suggestions and ideas.
Pop your card in the mail so it arrives by December 10th. If you are local there are several drop off locations around the city.
Any questions?
p.s. those in the photos gave us permission to take their photo and to share them.