On the program’s webpage, the library suggests writing sentiments such as “Best wishes” or “Thinking of you” in addition to “Happy Holidays,” instead of “Get well soon,” religious quotes, or something else that might not be appropriate for all hospital patients. They need to remain unsealed when submitted to the library.

MESSAGES OF GOODWILL

Felicia Fiedler, training and volunteer librarian at East Flagstaff Community Library, says this project was inspired by a similar program hosted by DeviantArt that she participated in when she was younger. She actually started the project by submitting the cards from the library to DeviantArt, but there were some that didn’t meet the site’s guidelines, so she realized that instead of letting them go to waste, she could take them to a rehabilitation center, where cards with phrasing such as “Get well soon” would be more appropriate for those on the road to recovery. Now, Fiedler continues to collect cards for the local rehab, and the rest go to the local Flagstaff hospital.

“Last year I had over 500 cards donated, which is our largest donation yet! Some years there are fewer, but I would say between 50–100 is an average amount,” Fiedler reports. “Here are the cards we received last year, and the [photo] with the bin and folders is the total amount. I separate them into different bags based on the type of card they are.”

“I really enjoy going through all the cards,” she says. “It takes a lot of time to check each one to see if they meet the guidelines or if they forgot to add a message inside, but I love seeing the creativity. One of my favorite card donations came from what I believe to be an individual who made these really cute animal-themed cards that had a simple message inside. There was just so much love and care put into the cards.”

GATHERING TO CREATE

The in-person card-making event is typically attended by about 20 patrons. “It is a good mix of families and seniors,” Fiedler notes. “Last year we had teens who helped make cards because we held the program after school. This year we are having it later in the day to see if that helps more people to attend. We also put out holiday card kits for families to take home! They include hot cocoa, hot cider, and supplies to make holiday cards.” The kits are designed for families of four, and the library also keeps supplies out at the library so patrons can walk up and contribute on a whim. Early on in the life of the project, a Boy Scout troop even dropped off some cards, Fiedler shares, which inspired her to get the word out about the project. She aims to expand it to include more participants each year.

INVOLVE THE COMMUNITY

Fiedler stresses the importance of collaboration for any library looking to implement this project. During the pandemic, the library was accepting donated cards through its book return slot. “After COVID, I started reaching out to classes and community groups, which is when I started to offer to pick up the [card] donations, since I was based at the East Library and that can be difficult for some of the teachers to go to,” Fiedler notes. “I wanted to involve our community as much as possible, so this was an easy enough way to do it since Flagstaff is mostly 15 minutes from one side of town to the other.”

The holiday card project “can help create unity and bring joy to all participants. It can start as a simple crafting program to create holiday cards, accepting donations to give to the hospital or anything similar to one,” says Fiedler. “Then see what you collect, deliver them or work with the hospital staff or outreach team for pickup, and during it all you can watch the smiles grow from there.”

Photos courtesy of Felicia Fiedler