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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the purpose of ShareaCard?
A: Simple....to bring comfort
and hope to the seriously ill and help them to not feel so
alone. It means so much to them to receive mail and know that
others are thinking of them and praying for them.
Q: Do I have to be a member to send cards
to features?
A: NO, we'd love to have you
commit to sending cards monthly! However, we have members who
send cards in bulk supply and we distribute them to our
monthly features.
Q: I have lots of cards that I'll never
use. Can I send them to ShareaCard?
A:
Certainly! You can place them in a box or
envelope and send them to: ShareaCard.org
992 Hershey Road
Elizabethtown, Pa 17022
Q: Do I have to send all my cards in
individual envelopes?
A: No, no need to send each card in an
individual envelope if you don't want to. All cards get
repackaged into a larger envelope after sorting so it's not
necessary, unless you want to.
Q: How can I participate?
A: Just send cards! We have a
list of "active" features under the "Our Features" tab on each
page. The current feature will appear on the right hand side
of the page. Just click on his/her name and you will see the
mailing information, along with their likes and hobbies to
help in choosing a theme for their cards, if desired.
Q: Ok, I'm all signed up, what happens
next?
A: Send cards! At the end of each month
OR the beginning of the new month, you will receive an email
thru our yahoo mailing list telling you a little about our new
Feature(s). This email will also contain a link to their page
as well as their mailing information. If you join mid-month,you
can still send cards immediately by viewing the Current
Month's Feature on the right hand side of our
HOME page. We also
have a list of "Active" Features on our
FEATURES
page
Q: Do I have to make cards or can I send
store bought cards?
A: You can send ANY cards! We
all lead busy lives so we have no problem with you sending a
store bought card. It's the thought and intent behind the card
that matters.
Q: What kind of cards do I send?
A: We ask that you not send "Get Well"
cards. Most of our features are seriously ill and need
encouragement/thinking of you/praying for you type of cards.
There are some great suggestions on our
ShareaCard Tips Forum Board if you need a place to start.
Q: How do I sign my card?
A: I always sign my card, "Kath in Pa".
It gives my name and my location. The ShareaCard Features
often enjoy seeing where the cards come from (some as far away
as Australia and Canada!) Please DO NOT include your
email address or home mailing address on the inside of
your card anywhere. We respect your right to privacy the same
as we do our Features.
Q: Do I need to write a note inside?
A: Nope! I don't. I'm not much of a
letter writer nor do I have the time (I wish I was and did)
but the most important thing is the thought and intent behind
the card. You CAN write a note or letter if you feel connected
to a Feature but you are not required to and most people
don't.
Q: Can I send gifts to the features?
A: Certainly! Sometimes,
participants enclose bookmarks or items directly into their
cards. Kids, in particular, love to receive little goodies.
Stickers are a real hit! We only ask that you don't enclose
any advertising materials/or solicitation items, as well as
vitamin/health remedies etc...
Q: I'm mailing more than one card, how do I
send them?
A: If mailing more
than one card: You may place the Feature's name on the
individual envelope with NO postage and place the cards into a
bigger envelope with the appropriate postage.
Q: What is the ShareaCard stamp and how do
I use it?
A: Using the ShareaCard
stamp is totally optional. Some
members choose to use it to make a return mailing label
signifying that their card came from ShareaCard.
Q: Will I hear back from the features I
send cards to?
A: ShareaCard is not a penpal program so you won't personally
hear back from our Features. It is a part of the SAC process
for Features to keep us updated a minimum of once every 6
months. We always post these updates on the forums, the yahoo
group and/or our newsletter. To keep everyone's privacy safe
all communication should come through SAC.
Q: Why do all the cards get sent to the
ShareaCard address?
A: For security reasons. We
don't want to disclose our Feature's addresses on the website so we have all
the cards sent to our ShareaCard address. The cards are then
dispersed at intervals each month to our Feature's
home mailing address.
Q:
Do I qualify to be a Feature?
A:
Sometimes, people feel they are not sick enough to be a
Feature or that they are giving up on their family member if
they submit them. This is not true! All of our Features are at
various stages of their illness. You do not have to be
terminally ill in order to be a Feature. In fact, we have many
Features who go into remission! We are just here to help send
you encouragement no matter what stage of your illness you are
in. Who doesn't like to receive mail??!!
Q: How can I have someone I know featured?
A: First off, ask their
permission. Once they consent, just click on the "Submit a
Feature" tab at the top of any page and submit the appropriate
form. Your request will them be reviewed and replied to within
3-7 days.
Q: What is "inactive" status?
A: On our "Features"
page, you will notice all the Features listed according to
year and status. A feature becomes inactive if
we haven't had a current update within the last 6 months or if
they are in good health and have gone into remission. They may
become active again at anytime by sending us an update. Update
forms are available under the "Submit a Feature" tab on each
page.
Q: What is the Holiday Card Project?
A: We know that the holidays can be depressing for those
who are ill. We all are doing our holiday activities while
those who are ill are shut in. Every October we announce a
list of active features and post it to the website. We ask for
Christmas cards to be mailed to our features. You can mail to
one or ALL of our features! Your cards can be homemade or
store bought, we don't care! They are all collected at our
ShareaCard address until early December. Sometime during
the 2nd week of December, Cindy and I get together and Ewww
and Awww over the hundreds and hundreds of amazing cards sent!
Generally, the cards arrive in big envelopes so we sort them
and place them accordingly into a HUGE envelope with each
feature's name and address on it. Then, we load up the bags
and bags of cards and head to the Post Office to send them off
for our features to enjoy! It certainly puts us in the holiday
spirit once we see all the cards! But we can't do it without
you!
Q: Can I help promote ShareaCard?
A: Certainly! There are many ways you can help! Blog about
us! or you can
hang up
flyers around your town or have ShareaCard mentioned in
your church bulletin. Perhaps you can even have your hometown
do a story on your involvement with ShareaCard? If you need
more information or ideas...Contact Us
Q: How can I get a group involved?
A: YES!!! If you have a group interested in mailing cards
to ShareaCard that is wonderful! We've had scout troops,
Sunday School groups, neighborhoods, daycares etc involved!
Contact Us for mailing information.
Q: Who do I contact if I have further
questions?
A: You may contact us by using
the form located in the
Contact Us area.
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