Thank you so much for your interest in making birthday cards for the clients of our Schechter Holocaust Services program. JF&CS is committed to reaching out to each and every client to send them some joy on their birthday and to let them know that the Jewish community is remembering them.

Guidelines for Making Cards

All sizes are fine, but we find that 8.5″x11″ card stock is easier for younger artists to decorate. Once the paper is folded in half to create standard card flaps, the front can be decorated however the artists would like. Feel free to print a template for your artists to color. Artists can use markers, colored pencils, crayons, flat stickers, paint...the sky is the limit! We recommend staying away from glitter, beads, or bumpy stickers due to their tendency to fall off in travel.

When decorating the cards, please leave the inside panels blank so JF&CS staff can write a note in each card.

On the back of the card, feel free to write something like: “Lovingly made for you by ___________________ from ____________________ ” (the second blank being the name of your organization, school, or the town you live in). If the artist is a child, they can also include their age. It’s up to you, of course! Please keep all decorating on the front and back of the cards, leaving the inside blank.

Please note:

• We ask that nothing be written about the recipients being Holocaust survivors or having endured hardships.
• If you are proficient in Russian, we would love to receive cards with Russian text, as we have many Russian-speaking clients.
• Please ask your artists to use colors and images that have a light, upbeat, cheery, peaceful, or neutral theme. We can’t send cards that have scary pictures on them.
• We need corresponding envelopes to whatever size cards you make. Unfortunately, we cannot provide envelopes. Please leave the cards outside of their envelopes.

Delivering Your Cards to JF&CS

We have several options for delivering the cards. Whichever method you choose, please provide your email address so we can easily communicate with you.

1. Mail the cards in a larger envelope or box to:

Ava Harder
Volunteer Services Manager
JF&CS
1430 Main Street
Waltham, MA 02451

2. Drop off your cards at JF&CS Headquarters (1430 Main Street, Waltham). Drop-offs can occur Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Ava Harder's name must be on the package. You will leave cards in a box in the front hall and will not have contact with other people.

3. If you have created a large number of cards and are not able to send them to JF&CS Headquarters, please contact Ava Harder (aharder@jfcsboston.org or 781-693-5007) to arrange a mutually convenient location for socially distanced in-person drop-off (into the trunk of a car).

Please remember to leave cards out of their matching envelopes. If you have any questions, please contact Ava Harder at aharder@jfcsboston.org or 781-693-5007. Thank you so much for making cards for our clients — it means so much to them!