A North Delta woman is asking anyone with love in their heart this holiday season to share a little of it with members of the homeless community.

This year, for the third time, Erin Schulte is organizing the Christmas Card Collective B次元官网网址� an international effort that delivers festive greeting cards, inscribed with friendly messages, to people sleeping in shelters during a time that should be filled with family and fellowship.

Christmas, Schulte said, is a season to spend with the people you love and to reach out to others who may not have anyone in their lives B次元官网网址� not simply an opportunity to pile gifts under the tree.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 about mending gaps and bridging distances and bringing family together,B次元官网网址� she said.

The project B次元官网网址� which aims to deliver 10,000 personal, heartfelt greetings this year B次元官网网址� came to life after Schulte spent five years operating a pop-up soup kitchen on 135A Street in Whalley B次元官网网址� formerly the site of a large tent city. Each December, she noticed that the people who lived rough along the strip would receive socks and food and other practical gifts from various charitable groups.

B次元官网网址淚 thought, wouldnB次元官网网址檛 it be lovely for them to receive cards from the community B次元官网网址� to remind them theyB次元官网网址檙e being thought of.B次元官网网址�

And so began the Collective.

Started in the Lower Mainland in 2017, SchulteB次元官网网址檚 effort has now expanded to Alberta and Ontario, and into the U.S. This year, cards will be distributed to local shelters, as well as in Red Deer, Calgary, Toronto, Seattle and as far south as a mission in Los Angeles.

Each evening in the days leading up to Christmas, as people are welcomed into the shelters, they will find on their pillow an envelope containing a card with a personal message hand-written inside.

B次元官网网址淥ne could be from a four-year-old who has coloured and glittered (the paper), the next night (it might be) a gut-wrenching message,B次元官网网址� said Schulte, who has taken it upon herself to personally read each missive before sealing it and sending it off for delivery.

In years past, she has provided enough cards for three consecutive nights. This year, her goal is to extend that to five nights.

Knowing the cards are coming creates a real sense of anticipation among the recipients, she said.

In its first year, the project sent out around 2,000 cards; in 2018, it was closer to 5,000. This year, Schulte has set a goal of doubling that figure.

Reading, sealing and bundling so many cards is an admittedly exhausting process that, last year, kept her up some nights until 4 a.m., so this year, Schulte is looking for volunteers to help share the workload.

B次元官网网址淩eading these cards is a beautiful thing, if you want to get into the Christmas spirit. Some will make you bawl your eyes out, others will make you laugh (at) what kids will write.B次元官网网址�

While she knew she wanted to make the season brighter for people who often have little to celebrate, Schulte found her efforts had an unexpected benefit.

B次元官网网址淚 didnB次元官网网址檛 think about the other side of it,B次元官网网址� she said.

That B次元官网网址渙ther side,B次元官网网址� she explained, is the conversations that the project has sparked among children and their families B次元官网网址� discussions about homelessness and the true meaning of Christmas.

ItB次元官网网址檚 an issue that is B次元官网网址渟o out-of-sight, out-of-mind for kids,B次元官网网址� she said.

Schulte hopes the project will help to shift familiesB次元官网网址� focus away from so-called B次元官网网址渨ish lists,B次元官网网址� which she compares to a grocery shopping list, with parents simply spending money and ticking off items.

B次元官网网址淚 would like to see the commercial side of Christmas not be so important,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淭he week of Christmas, thereB次元官网网址檚 nothing you can give me that equals the feeling of knowing people are opening up these cards.B次元官网网址�

SheB次元官网网址檚 heard that some people carry the cards with them all year round, but one of her most treasured responses is a photo of a manB次元官网网址檚 hands holding an open card. It was sent to her from the California mission.

This year, the Christmas Card CollectiveB次元官网网址檚 reach has extended even farther south.

Word of the project has made it to Brazil, where a teacher read SchulteB次元官网网址檚 story online and contacted her via email. The woman, named Michelle, explained that her students had filled out cards for a similar project in that country, titled Make it Merry, only to learn they would not be collected and distributed this year.

B次元官网网址淐an I send you the cards the students have already written?B次元官网网址� Michelle asked Schulte.

Locally, classrooms and sports teams across the Lower Mainland have taken part in past years and, Schulte expects, will do so again this year.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 never been a group (that has participated) that hasnB次元官网网址檛 wanted to do it again.B次元官网网址�

SheB次元官网网址檚 inviting social groups, youth groups or individuals B次元官网网址� anyone who wants to get involved B次元官网网址� to contact her.

Participants will be asked to fill out the cards and place them inside unsealed envelopes.

ItB次元官网网址檚 important that the messages being delivered are filled with love and kindness, so she wonB次元官网网址檛 pass along any that havenB次元官网网址檛 been vetted.

Anyone who wishes to get involved in any capacity can email Schulte at erinlauren@hotmail.com, or find her on (Erin Schulte).

A Facebook page has also been created, called B次元官网网址�.B次元官网网址�

Schulte expects to begin collecting the completed cards in the third week of November, and to continue until Dec. 5 or 6, in order to get them to their respective destinations in time for distribution.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 get to see firsthand how they are receivedB次元官网网址� but the messages I get back are so nice,B次元官网网址� she said.

SheB次元官网网址檚 also grateful for the corporate support her efforts have continued to receive.

Blank cards are this year being provided by Aline Greetings, while distribution is once more being provided by VanKam Freightways and Hercules Forwarding.

While her own focus is on the Christmas Card Collective, Schulte noted that the need for fellowship reaches beyond the homeless community.

B次元官网网址淎 lot of people are alone at Christmastime. ThereB次元官网网址檚 a lot people can do B次元官网网址� bake cookies and knock on their door,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淐hristmas is not about anything you can possibly buy in a store. ItB次元官网网址檚 about community B次元官网网址� bringing family and friends together.

B次元官网网址淏ring humanity back B次元官网网址� thatB次元官网网址檚 my wish for Christmas this year.B次元官网网址�

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