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Join The Mighty Community and Send a Card to Those in the Hospital for the Holidays

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Two years ago when we asked our Mighty community to come together to send cards to those in the hospital for the holidays, we weren’t sure what would happen. We partnered with McLean, a psychiatric hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, with just under 300 beds, and hoped we would receive enough cards to ensure everyone got one. What you did next went above and beyond our expectations.

We knocked our goal of 300 cards out of the park, receiving more than 10,000. Cards came in from around the world, from Puerto Rico to France, sharing messages of love and light. The next year, we added another hospital, St. Jude’s, and because of germ regulations, switched to digital cards. Again, the community stepped up, sending more than 5,000 digital cards — some of which went to St. Jude while others were printed and went to McLean.

Now in its third year, we’re again sending handwritten and handmade cards to people in hospitals around the country. There are multiple ways to get involved, from sending a card to hosting a card-making party.

Help us spread some holiday cheer this year. Here’s how:

Participating is easy! You can make a card, buy a card or download and print one of our card templates below. Your card doesn’t need to be fancy. It just needs to come from you.

What you write is up to you. Send season’s greetings, warm wishes or a message that may have helped you during a tough time in your life. Please do not put any identifying information in your cards, such as your address, email, telephone or last name. You can, however, put your first name as well as what state (or country!) you are from to show how far your message has traveled. Because we don’t know who will be receiving the card, please try to make your message as inclusive as possible. Some hospitals have requested non-denominational cards only.

If you are making multiple cards, you can send them all in one package. The Mighty’s staff will be pre-screening cards before they are delivered, so for the sake of our fingers, please do not seal cards in individual envelopes.

The more the merrier, so recruit family, friends, co-workers to create cards as well. Make it a challenge among your friends or host a card-decorating party and invite our community! 

And don’t forget to share your cards with The Mighty’s community, too. Show us your cards by sharing a photo of them on The Mighty using the iOS or Android app with the hashtag #WarmWishes. The holidays can be a hard time for folks. Let’s light up everyone’s Mighty feed with positive and encouraging messages.

All cards must be postmarked by Thursday, December 12, so they can be delivered by December 24.

This year we’re partnering with six hospitals around the country. You can learn more about each hospital and the types of cards they’re requesting below.

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center 

Just because it’s sunny all year round in Los Angeles doesn’t mean the adults and kids at Cedars-Sinai wouldn’t benefit from some warm wishes. Cedars-Sinai requests non-denominational cards only. 

Gateways Hospital

Gateways provides inpatient mental health care to kids, teens and adults in Los Angeles regardless of their ability to pay. Send an uplifting message that’s appropriate for people of all ages!

HopeWay 

Send positive, encouraging notes to adults at HopeWay’s residential mental health treatment center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

McLean Hospital

Send love, light and messages of hope to those at McLean Hospital, a psychiatric hospital for adults and children in Belmont, Massachusetts.

Lenox Hill Hospital 

City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, send some holiday cheer to folks of all ages spending the holidays at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

Morristown Medical Center, Goryeb Children’s Hospital

Send a bright and colorful card to the children and families spending the holidays at Goryeb Children’s Hospital in Morristown, New Jersey.

If you work at a hospital or inpatient facility and would like to receive holiday cards for the folks under your care, send us an email and let us know.

If you want your cards to go to Goryeb Children’s Hospital, HopeWay, Lenox Hill Hospital or McLean Hospital send cards to:

The Mighty

225 W. 35th St, Suite 1101

New York, New York 10001

If you want your cards delivered to Cedars-Sinai Hospital or Gateways Hospital, mail your cards to:

The Mighty

210 N. Glenoaks Blvd, Ste C

Burbank, California 91502

Print and color in one of our beautifully designed templates. Choose from our “To Me, You Are Purrfect,” “Have a Pawsitively Happy Holiday,” and “If Hugs Were Snowflakes, I’d Send You a Blizzard” printable cards.

Originally published: November 20, 2019
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