St. Jude's Ranch for Children

Each year I put aside our own and collect greeting cards from others at Christmas.  I then place them in a manilla envelope.  This marks only the beginning of my card hoarding.  With each holiday or occasion I place more and more on my stash.  Why you ask?  For a great cause! 

I heard about the St. Jude's Ranch for Children about five years ago and it is an organization I knew I would donate to regularly.  Within the ranch, there is a Recycled Card Program.  What the organization does is collect used greeting cards and gives them to the children who are patients at the hospital.  They then reuse the fronts of these cards, reattach a new back and sell them in order to help them learn about entrepreneurship. Most of all, I believe it gives these children a sense of purpose, a hobby and helps pass the time spent in the hospital. 

This year I collected about eighty cards total and am pretty happy with that number.  It is the most I think I have ever collected.  Since there are no major events that entail card giving coming up,  I decided to send it now.  For about $14 in shipping, it is a wonderful way to give back and make a difference.

I encourage others to look into this organization!  If it is something you want to be involved in but do not want to hold on to the cards all year long or do not want to pay the cost to ship them,  let me know!  If you are in my area I would be willing to snag them from you. 

There are a few instructions to follow.  According to the site, greeting cards for any occassion, including Christmas are used.  They can not accept Hallmark, Disney or American Greeting cards and 5" x 7" size or smaller is preferred. Lastly, mail donations to the following address:

St. Jude's Ranch for Children

Recycled Card Program

100 St. Jude's Street

Boulder City, NV 89005