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I haven't been mailing cards mostly because I was barely making any this year. But now I am getting more stamping done, especially with samples for the upcoming Virtual Stamp Night (hint, hint: Mar 28 & 29)
I have cards for family and some I hope to send to older women from my church who barely get out when there is no crisis. I may send some to nursing homes.
But several Facebook friends have asked if mailing cards is okay. I can easily use a small sponge instead of licking envelopes, which I generally do anyway. But my cards get "handled" a lot in the midst of the creative process.
Am I overly paranoid? Any dystopia themed stamps you can recommend??
__________________ Kim in Illinois, Dirty Dozen Alum, QFTD#207, FS798, VSN Moderator "Famous Last Words" Spring Virtual Stamp Night, April 19 & 20
I’m mailing a bunch of cards to friends and coworkers. I figure everyone could use a little pick-me-up right now. Jennifer McGuire started the hashtag #sharehandmadekindness if you’re posting to social media.
So far there’s no evidence that covid19 is transmitted through envelopes or packages. But postal or delivery workers could have corid19, be asymptomatic or think they have a cold, and are handling our mail. UPS and USPS workers have not been given gloves or hand sanitizer. (They are at risk.)
Since the virus can live on cardboard for up to 24 hours, we bring in mail/boxes, put them aside, wash our hands and don’t handle the mail for a day or two. It may be an overreaction but doesn’t harm anyone and I’m high risk so why not?
That said, if a handmade card came in the mail, I might open it immediately, then wash my hands, because resisting would be futile. ;) Send the cards; goodness knows many of us need a bright spot these days.
Last edited by bjeans; 03-21-2020 at 02:30 PM..
Reason: mean autospell
Chemo Angels is an organization with tons of people sending tons of chemo patients tons of cards. Some "angels" had asked the very same question. Given the fact that the recipients are high-risk, and that the angels send out a ton of mail, they have been checking in with the CDC. This is the response they were given:
"Because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures. It’s not going to be spread in a box or envelope therefore we don't believe mail or packages should be a major concern for individuals."
And as others have said, we can all use more happy mail, now more than ever.
__________________ ~ Kitty ~ "If you can dream it, you can do it." - Walt Disney
Chemo Angels is an organization with tons of people sending tons of chemo patients tons of cards. Some "angels" had asked the very same question. Given the fact that the recipients are high-risk, and that the angels send out a ton of mail, they have been checking in with the CDC. This is the response they were given:
"Because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures. It’s not going to be spread in a box or envelope therefore we don't believe mail or packages should be a major concern for individuals."
And as others have said, we can all use more happy mail, now more than ever.
Absolutely.
The last I checked, CDC hadn’t addressed the threat from postal or delivery carriers who have the virus.
That said, there have been no known cases of getting COVID-19 from cardboard/paper.
An infectious disease doctor at Yale: “Letter carriers and mailboxes just don’t seem to be the most important or even any relevant aspect of COVID-19 transmission. But it’s reasonable just to wash your hands several times a day — any time you’re contacting something that comes in from outside your home.”
That’s my gold standard: any time I contact something that comes in from outside. It’s 20 seconds. Plus lotion time since our hands are begging for mercy.
I am soooo glad someone addressed this (no pun intended LOL) , as I was wondering the same thing and chatted to my sis who is an epidemiologist, it should a ok.
What's funny to me is that growing up my Mom would wipe every piece of grocery item with soap and water, and I thought she was being paranoid! lol I would purposely just put away groceries without doing that if she was not looking. OH my gosh, she's looking down from HEaven now saying, "see I told you so!". LOLOLOL I am doing that as a precaution because I am at higher risk and now isolating per my primary dr. Yes, Mom was right. She lived to 98 too.
__________________ SueEllen
Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature
may heal and give strength to body and soul alike.
Keep close to nature's heart ...
and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.
God never made an ugly landscape. John Muir
Psalm 73:26
My flesh and heart may fail, God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Our postal service is planning to distribute two specially designed and printed postcards free to each household, (national postage pre-paid, no need for stamps) and more available on request at local post offices. They are encouraging people to write them to family, friends, self-isolating family, front-line workers, whoever...I'm thinking it might be the first time many younger people have ever written and sent one. I'm pretty sure the 19-year old staying with us has never sent a card in his life - although while he's been staying here, he's thanked me more than once for all the birthday cards I sent him over the years. I hope people really avail of the postcards.
Last week, I hand delivered a bag of cards to a nursing home where I do a hymn sing every Thursday. Not doing that now, so wanted them to know I was thinking of them.
I will be sending cards to all the elderly in our church too. I have also started calling some of them.
__________________ Ina
"Surely His salvation is near those who fear Him, that His glory may dwell in our land." Psalm 85:9
So far there’s no evidence that covid19 is transmitted through envelopes or packages. But postal or delivery workers could have corid19, be asymptomatic or think they have a cold, and are handling our mail. UPS and USPS workers have not been given gloves or hand sanitizer. (They are at risk.)
Since the virus can live on cardboard for up to 24 hours, we bring in mail/boxes, put them aside, wash our hands and don’t handle the mail for a day or two. It may be an overreaction but doesn’t harm anyone and I’m high risk so why not?
That said, if a handmade card came in the mail, I might open it immediately, then wash my hands, because resisting would be futile. ;) Send the cards; goodness knows many of us need a bright spot these days.
USPS workers do have access to gloves, ever since the anthrax scare. Most choose not to wear them. I did wear them and the post office MUST supply them to those who want them.
I have 6 grandkids...teenage and early 20's...to whom I often send cards. I found the Concord & 9th tricky HUGS die in my stash and decided they are old enough to figure out how to open the cards. Inside I'm using another Concord stamp set "Hugs" sentiment, "Hugs are a silent way of saying...You matter to me" and I'm adding that I'm practicing social distancing, so imagine my hug.
I think this is the Perfect time to be creative in your cards AND to whom you send them. I'm adding my prayer group and people who have helped me in the past. Any healthcare worker would appreciate something pretty and uplifting. How about family members you never mailed to in the past? How about a neighbor with kids 'locked down'. Lots of opportunities to bless people.
I see posts about USPS people not having hand sanitizer; however, when I was there Monday to mail something at the counter, I noticed the clerk was using hand sanitizer after each person. No way to know if this is the case everywhere, but it was here.
With the flu possibility as much as the Covid 19 concern, I have started using tape to seal envelopes so the recipient can see I haven’t licked it. As long as you haven’t been exposed and have been self-quarantined and don’t have symptoms, you should have no concerns.
If I even thought I might have been exposed, I wouldn’t risk using my paper craft things until after a 14 day period with no symptoms. I’ve seen so many different reports about thee time the virus can live on paper, for now, I’m not taking chances exposing anyone who might be at risk.
I love sending cards normally. This past week I've really ramped up production and am getting very positive responses. I'm so glad I took the time to remember friends and family who are stuck at home.
I am loving all the happy things people are doing to relieve loneliness/ boredom/ insert emotion here * !
I am an Educational Assistant in an elementary school, working in kindergarten. We miss our students and they miss us. We are still expected to work, many able to do programming from home as the division rolls out online options this week. But kindergarten is so hands on! There isn’t much I can do from home so I have been going in every day, cleaning and sorting, photocopying etc.
But I had a happy idea today I am going to work from home on Thursday and make a Thinking of you card for every one of our 75 Kindergarteners! Coming from all of us as their teachers. Kids love mail just for them and this will be added to an envelope of materials being sent out. I am so excited to do this for them!
I use my ATG to seal envelopes, since I make my own. As for your theme, encouragement cards are ALWAYS WELCOME! Coffee themed- "Perk Up!" Butterflies- they symbolize new life, Spring Cards, Cheery Colors, Miss You, I'm here for you, etc.... I'm not really sure if this is what you're looking for, but those are the ones I came up while typing here. LOL
I will send out Easter cards, and have been sending birthday cards. So nice to have my niece call and rave about the card I sent her. Made her day.
I have been calling friends and family, to both check on them and relieve them from depression during this trying time. If I can make even one person a little happier, I feel I have done something good for the day.
And keep on sending cards. People NEED to know you care!
I mailed two cards to residents at nursing homes today, just addressed to "Resident" and also an anniversary card and a birthday card. At the post office, they had me put the ones that didn't need to be hand stamped in a box and they stamped the ones that needed it and put them in another box. I did try to mail a little early to allow extra time and also to combine trips rather than run to the PO for just one card. If someone gets their card a little early, I think it will make their special day "special" for a little longer. Keep stamping. My craft room looks like a windstorm hit it but I will clean it up one day.
I got my paper pumpkin kit last week. I dumped the contents out of the box, put the box in "quarantine", and washed my hands. My daughter and I cranked out some cute little cards to include with the hot lunches that we delivered for Meals on Wheels yesterday since they won't be getting anymore hot meals for awhile. They will get large amounts of shelf-stable meals instead. We used little bits of washi to seal the envelopes.
"Quarantine" at our house means that anything that might be contaminated like things we just bought at the grocery store, packages delivered to our house, etc. goes either at one end of the dining room or in the basement refrigerator and doesn't come out of quarantine for three days. It helps us to remember which items are clean and which require careful handling followed by hand washing.
__________________ "When I do good I feel good, when I do bad I feel bad, and that is my religion."
--Abraham Lincoln
I see posts about USPS people not having hand sanitizer; however, when I was there Monday to mail something at the counter, I noticed the clerk was using hand sanitizer after each person. No way to know if this is the case everywhere, but it was here.
With the flu possibility as much as the Covid 19 concern, I have started using tape to seal envelopes so the recipient can see I haven’t licked it. As long as you haven’t been exposed and have been self-quarantined and don’t have symptoms, you should have no concerns.
If I even thought I might have been exposed, I wouldn’t risk using my paper craft things until after a 14 day period with no symptoms. I’ve seen so many different reports about thee time the virus can live on paper, for now, I’m not taking chances exposing anyone who might be at risk.
From many reliable sources - not rumors and non-experts - I’ve only read 24 hours on cardboard, so I apply that to paper (envelopes) too. So if a mail carrier had covid-19, the mail is brought in and not handled until the next day - and we wash our hands well after putting it the mail tray.
Have you seen that 24-hour estimate change? If so, and it’s from a sound source, I’ll change our process.
I've mailed more cards the past 2 weeks than I have in forever. B-days to church friends. Our church went to live streaming for the duration. Sending more to SCS BRAKs than ever.
I started cleaning up the mess I call my stamp room. I dug out all the shoe boxes I had with cards stashed in them. Sorted them by size - 6x6 and 51/2 x 4 1/4. Then took every one that had writing on the inside and cut the front off. I am still remounted the fronts on new card bases. As I put them on new bases I sorted them for not Bday and other types of cards. Now I have an packed shoe box of cards ready to go. Just put them in an envelop and out they go to the mailbox. So far my room doesn't look much neater.
and as I'm looking at this email, I see that the image quality is horrid..
I rarely write in to SplitCoastStampers, but read and enjoy much of what is going on here.. I want to contribute..Coronavirus...and all the cardmakers worldwide.. this is for you.... I've completed this sheet filled with the sentiments in little boxes so that they can easily be cut apart. I'm sure once you read the sentiments, you'll know immediately who to sen I've completed this sheet filled with the sentiments in little boxes so that they can easily be cut apart. I'm sure once you read the sentiments, you'll know immediately who to send what to. *sad smile* Incidentally, although I've added a copyright date with my name, there are no restrictions on these. So that, if you're able to, please feel free to make and sell cards using these sentiments.. We all need uplifting in times like these! And if, for some reason, you need these sent directly to you via email, write to me personally, [email protected]
image quality here is horrid, but please, if you can use these, please write to me via email and I will send directly, along with the individual sentiments so you can size them as you need them
I rarely write in to SplitCoastStampers, but read and enjoy much of what is going on here.. I want to contribute..Coronavirus...and all the cardmakers worldwide.. this is for you.... I've completed this sheet filled with the sentiments in little boxes so that they can easily be cut apart. I'm sure once you read the sentiments, you'll know immediately who to sen I've completed this sheet filled with the sentiments in little boxes so that they can easily be cut apart. I'm sure once you read the sentiments, you'll know immediately who to send what to. *sad smile* Incidentally, although I've added a copyright date with my name, there are no restrictions on these. So that, if you're able to, please feel free to make and sell cards using these sentiments.. We all need uplifting in times like these! And if, for some reason, you need these sent directly to you via email, write to me personally, [email protected]
What an incredibly lovely and generous offer. Thank you - you just may have sparked my card making energy for the first time since “this” all hit.
I too am concerned about the safety of cards that go through the mail, especially if sending to elderly shut-ins. If the virus can live on cardboard for 24 hours, and we don’t know about paper envelopes, I am hesitant to take a chance on infecting someone that might not know to take precautions when they receive their mail.
I send cards all the time! I've been sending more lately! Most have gotten back to me and thanked me for my kind words. We all need a bright spot in our day lately! Mine is cardmaking and making others smile! I use my Aqua Water Brush Pen to seal the envelopes!
I was wondering if it was ok to send cards. I have been thinking of sending hand made thank you cards to the local hospital, grocery stores, pharmacies, fire and sheriffs departments. They are my heros.
Mailing cards during the Pandemic?
