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Kids Make An Extra Valentine's Day Card
for Area Hospitals/Hospices and Food & Friends!

A Fun Student Project - Here's How It Works:

Every year, children make Valentine’s Day cards. Why not make an extra card for the disadvantaged? I make it easy for you and your class:

  • I send the school some envelopes.
  • Each student makes a Valentine’s Day card for their new friend who may be a hospital patient or a client of  Food & Friends
  • You send me back the stuffed envelopes in a box that has a prepaid Fedex label.
  • I deliver the cards to Food & Friends and to DC/MD/VA local hospitals.
  • The hospitals and facilities distribute the beautiful cards to their patients/residents and staff.

The students are happy because they shared some love. The teachers are happy because they taught a valuable lesson.  The school is happy that it was able to contribute to the community.  The people who get the cards are VERY happy. Everyone is happy!

But, please don’t delay in signing up.  We close registration when 140 schools have signed up.  In 2024 we had 120 schools and we hope they will all return.

How to Sign Up? - It's So Easy!

Just click below to let me know the name of your school or organization, the address, and how many envelopes to send to you. You will receive the envelopes in early January with instructions. So I can order enough envelopes, which take months to print and deliver, please sign up as early as possible.  Please remember to encourage your colleagues to join – there are so many hospitals that would love to have cards.

Best Ways for Schools to Organize:

Schools have different structures. Here are some ideas how other schools handle this project:

  • Someone in the school office sends an email to the teachers and then collects the cards and sends them to us in a box with pre-paid mailing label that we provide; or
  • The faculty advisor to the student government group,  student community involvement group, or high school Honor Society has the group members address the elementary or middle school classes to stoke interest, help the teacher on the day the cards are prepared, and retrieve the cards; or
  • The person that handles community affairs coordinates the teachers and collects and sends the cards to us; or
  • Teachers manage their class participation themselves; and
  • For older students, instead of full-class participation, the school just leaves envelopes and supplies available with a poster inviting students to make cards for a great cause.

Who Will Receive the Cards?

I volunteer for DC-based Food & Friends which delivers meals to seriously ill adults and children living in the DC/MD/VA area, along with their families and caregivers. Last year they prepared and home-delivered  1.2 million healthy meals with the help of over 5400 volunteers! Food & Friends is built on a single premise: anyone can get sick and everyone can help.   

I also deliver cards to DC/MD/VA area hospitals and nursing homes, so I am trying to collect as many cards as possible. So, please, spread the word to teachers and schools to encourage them to participate! 

Who is Organizing This?

My name is Patrick Kaufmann and I am a tenth-grader at the Washington International School in DC. 

2024 is my fourth year on this project and I hope that the neighborhood schools will join me.

Will you join the fun?