Showing Support

MAR 15, 2018 – I was with my friend Hannlis yesterday, just after her 94-year-old mending hip got a thumbs-up from her orthopedic surgeon. “I want to join the March for Our Lives on the 24th,” she said, to which I was shocked but not surprised. Seeing the dumbfounded look on my face as she wheeled off with her walker, she stressed, “We should ALL be showing those students that we support them in fighting this good fight.”  Indeed.

I updated her on our Please Listen postcard campaign that Cardie Gloria Dougherty initiated … Gloria has now single-handedly sent 850 of these small but mighty means of expression to her legislators, or given them to friends who will write and mail their own “I want you to hear…” messages. “My birthday is coming up,” Gloria shared with us, “and, as a gift, my husband Ron is buying me 1,000 more stamps for another batch of the postcards I ordered today!”

In fact, since Gloria inspired us to create them, we’ve shipped 12,000 of the free postcards to caring Cardies across the country. Within hours of our eblast announcing them, Lisa Mer in Minnesota emailed, “I work as an instructional coach/teacher at a middle school. I love the cards! And I’d like to have them for us to do a lesson for our 1,400 students as a way to voice how they are feeling.”  Lisa’s request prompted us to send a good large supply to student government groups at Stoneman Douglas in Parkland, and in Columbine, Aurora, and Sandy Hook, too.

As I was wrapping up this story last evening, my niece Jennifer happened to send a pic of her postcard to Ohio Congresswoman Joyce Beatty. Smart-thinking Jennifer had cleanly typed, cut & taped the message, “Today I registered my sweet girl, Madison, for kindergarten. Coincidentally, this is the same day our brave students across the country are participating in the school walk-out calling for gun control. I wish I had the answer, or something brilliant to tell you about what to do, but I don’t. I’m a mom terrified to send her big girl off to school, and am begging you to do whatever you can to make our schools safe. This morning Madison told me that she wants to play hockey for the Columbus Blue Jackets. I’d rather be fighting to allow women to play in the NHL than worrying that my daughter will not make it safely through K-8. Just please keep guns out of schools. They don’t belong there.”

It was a month ago today that our Fulfillment Manager John Bowman got an initial printing quote for 15,000 as well as 20,000 Please Listen postcards. We said, “Oh, John, 15,000 should be plenty.” He wrote a personal check for the $212 cost difference saying, “Knowing our Cardies, we’ll need 20,000.” His check was shredded, and the order for 20,000 placed.

So, with admiration for the actions already taken by thousands of grieving students across the land — as well as Gloria, Jennifer and John — we’re letting you know that there are plenty more FREE postcards for the asking. And, if you share Hannlis’ sense that we need to show support for amazing students and concerned parents that we know and love, below are a few card designs that might speak to and for you. Thanks for caring.