Making Cards for CityMeals on Wheels' Elderly

sample cards from our Brownies

NYC-based Citymeals on Wheels has a program where they invite individuals and  children (through schools and volunteer organizations) to decorate cards for their meal recipients.  A decorated card will get delivered with every meal to brighten the day of a lonely elderly person.  

You can see how far-reaching these cards have been so far at:

http://www.citymeals.org/food-for-thought/student-designed-cards

Citymeals provides the template which needs to be printed or taped to cardstock. Templates usually correspond to holiday themes and need to be delivered to Citymeals on Wheels volunteer coordinator by specified dates.

Advance prep/supplies:

1. Print templates from Citymeals on Wheels
2. Copy templates onto card stock (two cards fit on each 8.5x11 sheet of cardstock)
3. Collect stickers, markers, crayons
4. If you want you can also include magazines for collages and glue sticks

sample card from http://www.citymeals.org

Activity Plan:

1. Girls can decorate cards however they want but no glitter please!
2. Keep greetings general.
3. Sign cards "A Daisy Girl Scout" or "Daisy Troop XXXX".  Avoid last names or specific locations.
4. Collect the cards and mail together to Citymeals on Wheels

Experience shows:

• Girls don't always listen to instructions and they love glitter.  Double check and make sure you leave the glitter glue home.
• Simple is better (see Halloween sample above) and allows girls to create many cards instead of just one!

Alternatives:

1. Decorate cards for Holiday season for the military through the Red Cross Holiday Mail for Heroes.  You can recycle last year's Christmas card covers and the girls can make their own cards to send to Heroes.