How A Group From New York Life Insurance Crafts For A Cause
When a group from New York Life Insurance made and donated handmade cards to The Nursing Home Card Project (now called Caring by Card), they demonstrated that workplace giving isn’t always just monetary donations.
But before we get to the project details, a little back story.
As you may have experienced, when it comes to most situations, it’s rarely fun to be the middleman.
When it comes to Create To Donate, however, that’s the whole point of the blog.
The Contact Form Is There For A Reason
I mean that’s why I have a contact form, after all!
Readers send me a message detailing what they want to make and I point them in the right direction or, I connect them directly to a nonprofit in need.
It’s typically individuals who get in touch, but once in a while I also get someone representing larger groups.
For example, years ago I had a Girl Scout troop leader get in touch asking for pointers on the tutorial for a simple toiletry bag with a zipper. The girls wanted to earn their sewing badge and planned on donating the bags they made to Hope In A Suitcase.
Most recently, Mike from New York Life Insurance’s Cleveland office emailed to get more information about making and donating cards to seniors.
Team Building While You Craft For A Cause
Now, this post isn’t intended to be an explanation about how the life insurance business works.
But it is important to note that like many large corporations, New York Life Insurance has many “lines of business”/departments with people who need to connect in ways that aren’t always business focused.
So Mike, who is in Annuities, wanted to host an event at the office that included several other lines of business not only in the Cleveland office, but also in the Dallas and New York.
Knowing that they wanted to donate handmade cards to nursing homes, I immediately thought of Caring by Card (formerly The Nursing Home Card Project) and introduced him to the founder, Rachel.
How To Plan A Card-Making Party At Work
Mike kindly included me on the email chain as he and Caring by Card coordinated the project, which gave me the idea for this post.
I know that there are companies big and small that would like to give back and new project ideas are always welcome.
Plus, it’s nice to have an event that is not only flexible but can also be completed at the office in a broad time frame.
So Mike and I chatted about how he planned and organized a card-making event at three different New York Life Insurance offices so that other companies can learn from their experience.
Crafting For A Cause Builds Connections
One key takeaway I learned from Mike is that making handmade cards is a great way to bring together team members who typically work from home.
Even though people within his department may all be part of the Cleveland office, they may not see each other regularly.
So Mike Smith, who is part of the Annuities group in Cleveland, wanted to host an event at the office that included several other lines of business and offices. To make that happen, he collaborated with Audrey Lawson in Dallas and Donna Lauria in the New York office.
Mike’s Cleveland office had a goal of donating 85 handmade cards, which turns out, didn’t take as much time as they thought it would. The Dallas and New York offices also had a number of cards they planned to donate.
Card making was also a great experience because people could come in and make as few or as many as they’d like depending on the time they had to contribute to the event.
This was also a cost-effective event since the supplies only cost around $30.
Handmade Card Supplies
This is what Mike ordered for the event:
- 100 blank cards and envelopes (this card and envelope set would work nicely*)
- Uplifting stickers (some sticker options are here and here*)
- Markers (basic markers are a great workhorse*)
As an Amazon Affiliate, I may earn a small commission if you buy the product using my link.
Organizations That Want Handmade Cards
Mike and Caring by Card now have an established relationship and he hopes to expand New York Life Insurance’s donation to the organization in 2025.
I know that Rachel and her team always welcome new volunteers, but if seniors and nursing homes aren’t your current focus.
There are a whole host of other nonprofits that would love you to flex your creativity and donate your handmade cards to their cause.
Here are some additional organizations you might consider:
Handmade Cards Are A Great Indoor Activity
If you are considering holding a card-making event at work, another benefit is that it’s a year-round option.
As long as you have access to an indoor common area, it doesn’t matter if it’s raining, snowing, or too hot to stay outside for any extended period of time.
Card Donations Make A Difference
If you have a group looking to do something creative and give back, card donations make a difference!
And since most organizations have a year-round need, you can make and donate handmade cards any time.
So please consider breaking out your crafting supplies and use your creativity to craft for a cause.
