08/28/2026
Psych Ward Greeting Cards – It All Begins With a Card Donor ❤️
I love our card donors, and I am immensely grateful for their kindness and generosity. Without them, our program simply would not be possible. We would not have touched the lives and warmed the hearts of well over 25,000 psychiatric inpatients.
It all begins with a card donor.
And the beautiful thing is that giving is reciprocal. It benefits the patients who receive the cards, but it also means so much to the people who make them. I’ve heard from so many of our card donors, and they often tell me the same thing: making cards and contributing in this way gives them a sense of meaning and purpose.
That’s the power of a card. ❤️
Maryellen of New York is a relatively recent—but incredibly prolific—donor whom I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know. She has lovingly made hundreds of cards for us, each filled with kindness, creativity, and care.
Mental illness has also touched Maryellen’s family personally. She has a sister and a daughter with bipolar disorder, so she understands firsthand how difficult mental illness can be—and how much a small gesture of kindness can mean.
That’s bipolar love. ❤️
Many of our donors make cards because they know firsthand what it means to struggle with mental illness themselves or to love someone who does. They take that experience and turn it into hope for someone else.
I asked Maryellen to write a brief note about why she makes cards for us—a testimonial and, I hope, an inspiration to anyone wondering whether they should donate too.
You absolutely should. ❤️
“My name is Maryellen, I am 75 and recently moved to Amherst NY where I met two ladies who were already involved in this card making project. I started making Christmas cards about 20 years ago, then birthday, then wedding, Halloween, and everyday cards. I still primarily do Christmas & birthday, and I love making wedding cards. So, I have accumulated so much material over the years, that when I heard about this program, I knew it was right up my alley! I have watched hundreds of YouTube videos on card making and enjoy experimenting with new folds and styles. I have even entered some into the Erie County Fair and received ribbons! So, I scoured the internet for encouraging and uplifting quotes and graphics to make cards that would hopefully be appealing to those receiving them. And I get the great satisfaction of having created something unique. I make them while I am watching TV in the evening, so the time is not wasted, and I am trying to use up products I already have, so no additional expense! And people just keep giving me more materials that I cannot seem to make any headway using it all up! After making close to 1,000 cards I am running out of ideas, but not papers!
In closing, thank you for giving me an outlet and purpose for my crafting!”
August card donors: Amy & David, Ann of AZ, Claire of MD, Dede of OR, Jann of NY, Joanne of WI, JurisPro, Karen P., Karlie of Rewind NY, Katy of CA, Kendra, Kiana of Canada, Linda T., Maryellen of NY, Mind4youth UHS of MD, Nancy, Rachel of OR, Target of CA, and Thermo Fisher Scientific of TX.
You too can show compassion to psych inpatients by making a donation:
www.psychwardgreetingcards.org
