Diane Robinson, back left, Colleen Larsen, back right, and Donna Thompson make and sell greeting cards at Church of the Ascension to support the church's food security program.
Greeting cards spread cheer in more than one direction through a ministry at Church of the Ascension in London.
Caring Cards is the work of Colleen Larsen, Diane Robinson, and Donna Thompson, who each have a talent for producing handmade cards. Besides bringing joy to the recipients, their cards help fund Ascension’s Food Security Program.
The cards sell for $2 each or three for $5. Even at those low prices, sales have added up to donations of $496 to Food Security in 2023 and probably $800 in 2024.
“It’s a group that is doing something they like and not keeping any of the money, but giving it to outreach,” says Diane, who adds she enjoys the creativity of the work.
It helps that a lot of their supplies are donated. Scrapbooking clubs have given unused materials and executors of estates have passed on both materials and tools.
Colleen also likes the creativity of card-making, which grew from her scrapbooking hobby. She adds, “They say something to another person when they’re happy or sad or struggling. I’m shy about what’s appropriate to say and (card-making) helps me to communicate.”
Donna got involved through a friend she met in a pain management group she attends. “I’ve seen the look on people’s faces . . . the joy it brings to people (when they receive one of the cards),” she says.
Diane also started into card-making through medical issues. “When I had breast cancer in 1990, a couple of friends from church got me into it . . . They thought I needed something to do,” she says with a chuckle.
Word has spread beyond Ascension about their ministry. They’ve made cards for charities working with breast cancer and for Smiles 4 Seniors, which gives cards to care-home residents. A pastoral care worker at a Goderich seniors’ home uses their cards at Christmas and Valentine’s Day. In 2024, a Kinette club asked the trio to make 100 cards to send to soldiers posted overseas.
It’s a craft that takes many hours of work, but it brings joy to the makers, the card givers, the card recipients, and the food program.
Sandra Coulson