Farewell 2020, Hello 2021!

Happy new year everyone! I hope everyone is greeting the new year from a safe and healthy place. The new year is often a time of change—of resolutions for new habits, cleaning and organizing, learning a new skill, or taking on new challenges.

 

A significant change around here is our wonderful, long-time director of everything SAS4Kids—Karen H– has decided to step back and pass the torch to a new crew. It’s taken two of us to continue her work and we both hope we live up to her example. She’s been so helpful during the transition and we will always welcome her input and advice. We wish her the best in her future endeavors and will still get to see her lovely cards on our Challenge blog.

 

We also gained two new design team members and the Challenge Blog is going strong! Please check out the latest entries. Are you interested in entering? Click the “Challenges” tab and give it a try! (Be sure to check the “Challenge Rules” page for important information.)

 

Although some of our hospitals did not accept cards last year due to COVID-19, SAS4Kids continued to send smiles to hospitalized kids across the country, and even started sending cards to a new-to-us hospital. As my hospital liaison said, “Now, more than ever, your cards have really helped kids stay connected to their families and friends.” Sending smiles to kids is the reason we exist. 

 

Thank you for checking in and please consider donating, volunteering, or entering our monthly challenges. 

 

Happy New Year!

 

Jen

Announcing A New Volunteer and Two More Children's Hospitals!

We are very happy to announce an additional volunteer has joined the SAS4Kids family and she will be bringing your cards to kids in two children's hospitals in Cincinnati, Ohio. Kris Adams has been bringing her own cards to a local children's hospital and recently contacted us to ask if she could volunteer and we were thrilled. Her smiling face is on the side of our blog now and the address to send your cards to is:

Kris Adams 
1057 Valley Wood Drive
Batavia, OH 45103

Her hospitals are: Shriner's Hospital for Children and Cincinnati Children's Medical Hospital Center, both in Cincinnati, OH. We asked Kris to share some info about herself and she sent this:

I am Kris Adams and I work as a full time corporate recruiter for a manufacturing company, a mom to 2 grown kids and I love to craft! Whether it has been making dollhouses, cross-stitch, ceramics, quilting or stamping, crafting is one of my favorite past times. I have a room dedicated to my crafts and could probably expand to other rooms if I had the chance! I was very excited to find SAS4Kids so I could share my joy of making cards and hopefully put a smile on as many kids’ faces as I can. I have always lived in Cincinnati and am lucky enough that both kids still live in the area. My favorite vacation spot is Panama City Beach, FL - it is my home away from home and I visit at least once a year. 

Kris will put her current needs in the page for that soon (as do all the volunteers so always be sure to check that before sending in your cards), but to start she will need cards for upcoming holidays and every day cheer cards as well as birthday and thank yous. 

We do not post here unless we have news or changes, but Send a Smile 4 Kids is still very much active with challenges every month and many volunteers delivering your cards to our kids. Thanks for all you have done and continue to do to help put smiles on kids faces!

Happy Holidays From Send a Smile 4 Kids!

We have not posted on this side for a while because there haven't been any changes to report. But we are very active on our challenge side, and have been regularly posting current needs and activity in the pages above.

We are just about done collecting cards for the winter holidays (see current needs) and after the first Saturday of December, the design team will have the rest of the month off to have more time to celebrate with family and friends. Soon we will be looking for winter cards and then spring holiday cards. Other general category cards are also needed by some of the volunteers, so keep checking the Current Needs page here.

Two of our volunteers are stepping away due to changes in their lives. We thank Cyndi Amaya and Cathy Cusson for their work on behalf of our hospitalized kids. If you have been mailing cards to these two volunteers, please check our Contact page and pick another volunteer and children's hospital to support.

Thank you for all the cards you have sent for our kids in 2018! Happy Holidays to you and yours and we wish you a happy and healthy New Year!

Stamping Smiles 4 Our Kids, Karen

Announcing Two More Volunteers and Hospitals SAS4Kids is Now Serving!

We are thrilled to announce that Send a Smile 4 Kids continues to grow and we are now serving two more children's hospitals and announcing two new volunteers. On the side of the blog you will now see Jen Reece's and Dena Hughes' beautiful faces and the hospitals they will be serving. I am happy to introduce you to both of them!

Dena Hughes lives in Tacoma Washington and shared this intro bio with us: 

I am a retired high school social studies teacher, and still substitute a bit. I have three grown sons: one teaches/lives in Japan, two others close by. There are four delightful grandchildren, from 6 months to 12 years old, to keep me smiling.  I am a member of P.E.O. and two book clubs. A dear friend introduced me to stamping 21 years ago, and I've been at it ever since! The vegetable garden, reading, cooking, camping, and traveling the world are my other passions. My blog can be found at www.denajhughes.blogspot.com 

She will be bringing the cards you send to her to Mary Bridge Children's Hospital in Tacoma, WA and her address is:

SAS4Kids C/O Dena Hughes

3621 N Ferdinand St

Tacoma, WA 98407-4113

Dena is ready to receive your cards now and will need all kinds of cards appropriate for children (watch the side of the blog for updates from all volunteers on current needs.)

We are also welcoming Jen Reece as a new volunteer serving Connecticut Children's Hospital in Hartford, CT, but please hold off sending cards to Jen until after August 13th. Here is the intro bio Jen shared with us:

Graphic designer by day, crafter by night! I have been doing arts and crafts as long as I can remember, starting with mud sculptures(!) and progressing to embroidery, cross stitch and crewel work; handicrafts and leather; scrapbooking, origami and other paper crafts; pottery/porcelain throwing; and glass blowing! I am hoping to build a stained glass studio in my basement next year. I want to learn to knit as well as crochet--someday. In my spare time, I volunteer at the local animal shelter walking dogs and socializing cats. I am married to my college sweetie and “mom” to a 3-year old Newfoundland named Kira. I have been volunteering with SAS4K for a few years and am really looking forward to spreading smiles and joy to “my own” hospital in CT.

Jen's address after August 13th is:

SAS4Kids C/O Jen Reece

1561 County Street

Attleboro, MA  02703

We are happy to say we can now put smiles on more children's faces with your continued support and handmade cards!

Stamping smiles 4 Kids, Karen