- Computer Card
Crafters Send Encouraging Words
- by Jane Vaughn
-
- March/April 2003
- Volume 4 - No.2
Who said one person can't
make a difference? In Pittsburgh, Suzanne Virostek is the founder
of Shareacard (www.Shareacard.org) and runs the website. The
purpose of the website is to provide a way for anyone who visits
the site to mail cards to seriously or terminally ill children and
adults. The
effort to establish this site was kicked off in 1999 when someone
contacted an online community of card crafters (American
Greetings® CreateaCard software users) with a special request for
cards. Cards go out through the organization, along with special
holiday mailings to let the recipients know someone cares. Anyone
who has experienced a long-term illness or prolonged recuperation
can tell you how much it can mean to receive a note of
encouragement from a friend.
Each month the website
features two people who would like to receive cards. The
Shareacard organization facilitates the delivery of the mail to
the recipients listed on the website. The site also includes a
history of previous recipients and when updates come in from the
person or the family, posts that information. Anyone visiting the
site may send a card, and although the CAC friends send beautiful
computer-crafted cards by the dozens, any type of card may be
sent, subject to the guidelines posted on the site.
How It All Started
In 1999, Shareacard began as a special program of the CreateACard
friends (CAC friends). Suzanne, a group member and founder , said,
" The group's mail list allowed users of American Greetings®
CreateACard software to share information and ideas. One day we
received a posting from someone asking whether we would like to
send some of our hand-crafted cards to critically ill people. We
thought this was a great idea, and using a variation of the
CreateACard name, we decided to create a website dedicated to this
purpose." Thus, Shareacard was born, with a simple mission: to
bring comfort and hope to the terminally and seriously ill and
help them to not feel
alone.
Suzanne was instrumental
in getting the website running and uses her organizational skills
to pull all of the sites activity together. The site's "Friends in
Need" section spotlights two adults or children each month.
Suzanne says, "from our responses, and through letters from the
families whose loved ones have received cards, I have learned how
valuable this service is to someone who is very ill -- it is
something to look forward to every day and helps them make it
through many difficult days."
Volunteers Do It All
As a volunteer, Suzanne runs the website, in addition to working
with her husband at home and caring for three children. Several
other volunteers in the online community help Suzanne coordinate
the internal organizational work of Shareacard.
Susanne says," We accept
donations to the program to defray the cost of mailing cards or to
fund special gifts or holiday care packages. In the past, we've
also provided services when we were aware of a need, such as
hiring a cleaning service to help out one of the featured
recipients. Our participants send us donations from time to time
and other donations may be in the form of services or goods; for
example, we are fortunate to have received donations from The
Andrew Virostek Foundation, Outback Steak House and WWF (World
Wide Federation of Wrestling), and the NBA, beanie babies from a
private donor's collection, and California Fun toys."
Holiday Card Projects
Suzanne delights in carrying out the Holiday Card Project and was
in the middle of stacks of mail (see photo) when we talked. Over
700 Christmas cards, along with toys, goodies and gifts were sent
to those featured on the site during the previous year. Suzanne
says " During the holidays, my closets are full to the brim with
items such as new toys, stuffed animals and beanie babies,"
Suzanne said. " In 2002, a custom made letter opener with the
Shareacard logo was our gift, and we also provided a toys and
candy package. Gifts of flowers, cookie cakes from Mrs. Fields and
little Christmas trees were also part of our holiday project. This
year, we are planning to send out Easter packets to people that we
featured in the past."
For more information, see
the Shareacard website, www.shareacard.org.
Editor's note:
We are always interested in those quietly making a difference. If
you have news of projects that would be of interest to those in
the computer crafting community, please write me at
editor@pccreateit.com
with some details of your
project or its leader.
-
Article
archived with permission from the PC Createit/Reedy River Press
