For my 12 Days of Giving voluntary work I wanted to support a local charity I felt passionate about and use my skills in the best way possible. After a search on good old Google I came across Leatherhead-based children’s charity, Post Pals. Post Pals was set up to bring a little joy to sick children and their families. The concept is beautifully simple; choose a child or children profiled on the charity’s website, read about them from their profiles; their personalities, likes and dislikes, their family and their physical and mental condition. Then it’s your choice how you send them a little joy; either a letter, a card, a gift, or even an experience. The website encourages you to share these letters and gifts with not just the sick children, but also their siblings who can be overlooked, and even to consider sending a little joy to the parents who just may need an evening out for dinner.
Each Christmas I spend time making Christmas cards for family members, but this year I decided to choose 12 children from Post Pals to create a card for and send them a personalised letter. You can see how I got on in the video. It was a hugely rewarding task – emotional too! Reading about the 12 children and their families – some battling conditions I’ve not even heard of, some still undiagnosed after years – it really puts life into perspective and reminds you to feel grateful for each and every healthy day we live.
Christmas for these children and their families isn’t guaranteed, nor is a roast dinner around the table even an option in some cases. What can be guaranteed though is that these children receive a little bit of joy when they open up their letter, card, or gift from the likes of you and me.
All it costs is a stamp and your time. I encourage you to visit Post Pals and send a little joy as well.
