Today we would like to share with you two easy ways to make the most of the power of a postcard in brighting someone's day. In particular, of those who might need it the most.

Post Pals

Post Pals is a website ran by a group of volunteers that allows anyone to send postcards/letters/parcels to very sick children. Sending a cheerful post is a very simple and easy way to give this children something to look forward to when they are often isolated and suffering.

The founder of Post Pals is Vikki George who is herself bed-bound for the last seven years due to suffer from ME. Instead of loosing her hope, she spends her time helping sick children through her Post Pals.

Here's a video that explains it further.

We find this to be a great cause and a good example of how a simple postcard can make a big difference.

Children welfare stamps organisation Kinderpostzegels

Kinderpostzegels is organization based (but not specific to) the Netherlands with the same goal of helping children, but through the use of stamps. Here's what Lilian Visscher from Kinderpostzegels shared about it with us:

Stichting Kinderpostzegels Nederland (Kinderpostzegels) is a children’s charity with the slogan: 'for children, by children'. The annual Children’s Welfare Stamps Campaign, with 200.000 children selling stamps and postcards to 2 million people is a striking example of this, forming the organisation’s showpiece. In this campaign, children help other children. Kinderpostzegels uses the proceeds to support projects focusing primarily on children. Kinderpostzegels believes it is important to involve children as much as possible in the projects.

Kinderpostzegels believes that all children are entitled to develop their individual talents and abilities. They are one of the most vulnerable groups in society and sometimes need extra help and protection.

Kinderpostzegels is an independent organisation, which means it is not tied to governments or economic or political movements.Kinderpostzegels raises and allocates funds for the benefit of children in the Netherlands as well as outside this country.

The postcrossers from Holland can help children who need extra help and protection, by sending their postcards with a children’s welfare stamp. There are two ways: they can order stamps online from our website or they can make up their postcard with children’s welfare stamp online on www.postmijnkaart.nl.

This means that whenever you are sending (for example) a Postcrossing postcard, you can be helping children just by using their stamps. Neat, uh?

So, two easy ways to help children through postcards. Do you know others? Share them in the comments so that others know about them too!

From time to time we get requests to help many different causes by spreading the word about them. While we would like to help them all, that is not always possible. However, today one of our members brought to our attention something particularly touching and we had to share it with you all.

Here's a text about it that explains it much better than we can:

"I am a fifth grade teacher in London, Ohio, and one of my most sincere and joyous students, Reagyn, has a brain tumor. It is now in stage three, and her family is being forced to move to Virginia for a few months so she can receive proton radiation from one of the best doctors in the country. Reagyn remains optimistic and spreads positive energy everywhere she goes. She helps others and puts everyone before herself. In fact, last week she headed a school wide campaign to start saving pop tabs so that Ronald McDonald would visit Children's Hospital in Columbus. Needless to say, there are a few thousand pop tabs already. Recently, we had a conversation about what she collects, and she said nothing, well except for SillyBandz; but what fifth grader doesn't? Then I asked her what she has always wanted to collect but never got the opportunity. She told me she wished she could receive "postcards from all over the world." Let's make this happen!

This is where my favor comes into play. We are asking anybody and everybody to send a little note of support and/or telling her something about your location on a POSTCARD. My entire class and our wonderful secretaries are helping Reagyn fulfill this dream. Please, please pass this email on to everyone you know. It would make a huge difference in Reagyn's life. She received her first postcard today from London, England!

She now has her own website at www.reagynsworld.weebly.com. Feel free to leave her a short blog of support on her website.

All postcards can be sent to London Elementary at:

Reagyn Semler
c/o London Elementary
380 Elm Street
London, Ohio 43140
United States of America

Thank you for your support!
Chad Reeser
5th grade teacher
London Elementary School"

I don't think there's a better match than cards from Postcrossers for someone who wishes to receive postcards from all over the world! Grab a postcard and send her a bold Happy Postcrossing! Tell her about you location and make her smile! That's it! As simple as a postcard.

Note: We want to underline that this is a request for postcards only. Please do not send any money - only postcards are being asked for. They also request for postcards to not be on envelopes so that it's easier for Reagyn to go through all of them.