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Handshakes

As a P4P volunteer, you will be creating cards for patients at various hospitals and cancer centres internationally, including the HopeSpring Cancer Support Centre in Waterloo, ON and the Trillium Hospital in Mississauga, ON.

Keep on reading to find out how to make cards, how to submit them, the volunteer hour process, and more!

how to submit them

highly recommended

Physical Cards

  • Handmade

  • How to submit:

    • Option 1: Mail it to our partnered hospital(s)! (Our address will be given upon request)

      • If you live in the GTA, this is strongly recommended since shipping fees are covered by a stamp. If you truly do not want to ship it, if you live in the GTA, we encourage you to drop it off in person at our address.​

    • Option 2: Take photos/scan your cards!

      • This can be done easily by simply downloading a scanning app (eg. Office Lens, Adobe Scan).​

      • After scanning, upload the pdf. to Google Classroom!

        • All volunteers will receive Classroom link after their application has been reviewed.

    • All of these options are much more thoughtful and personal than making virtual cards, so they are preferred over virtual cards!

  • 1 PHYSICAL CARD = 1 VOLUNTEER HOUR

Virtual Cards

  • Made online 

    • ​eg. Canva, Photoshop, etc.

    • You are allowed to use pre-made templates as a starting point, but please add your own designs and include original messages.

      • We do not want to see cards that look identical​ to pre-made templates from the Internet.

  • How to submit:

    • Submit on Google Classroom

      • All volunteers will receive Classroom link after their application has been reviewed.

  • 2 VIRTUAL CARDS = 1 VOLUNTEER HOUR

types of cards

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St. Jude Cards

  • Made Online 

    • Made through St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's website​

    • These cards do not require any designing, you simply have to write a message. 

  • How to submit:

    • Submit directly through the website.

    • For confirmation of your monthly 2 poscards, you will need to upload pictures/screenshots of the cards to Google Classroom.

  • 4 St. JUDE CARDS = 1 VOLUNTEER HOUR

inspo.

volunteer hour process

more info

General Guidelines

DO...

  • Include a general greeting, and sign-off nicely.

    • Direct cards towards a general audience (patients)

      • ​Eg. "Dear friend" or "Hi there"

  • Make cards colourful and be creative! Include engaging designs, icons and more!

  • Ensure that your message is at least 3 full sentences.

    • You may include a quote, but also include your own message.

  • Submit thoughtful, unique cards that clearly show that your effort and time was put into its making.

 

DON'T...

  • Direct the cards towards a specific individual.

    • Eg. "Dear John" or "Dear Mr. Smith"​

  • Directly use a pre-made template from Canva or other platforms.

    • You may use a template as inspiration, but make sure you submit original work!​ (design requirements are not applicable to St. Jude cards)

  • Include religious references or images.

  • Include your full name when signing off, but you may include your first name if you feel comfortable.

  • Submit cards with the same messages word for word.

  • Use blurry images from Google. Instead, use icons or pngs.

All of the guidelines must be followed in order to receive hours.

Hours

2 virtual cards = 1 volunteer hour

1 handmade card = 1 volunteer hour

4 St. Jude cards = 1 volunteer hour

  • You must submit at least 2 cards every month

    • If you fail to submit 2 cards/month, your position will be terminated.

    • Cards that do not follow the guidelines or any unsendable cards will not be counted for volunteer hours OR as the min. of 2 cards.

  • You may earn max. 5 volunteer hours every month.

    • This is equivalent to 10 virtual cards or 5 handmade cards (you may make a combination of both)

  • Email us when you would like to receive your hours!

    • We will provide you with a signed volunteer confirmation letter, from our partnered cancer centre.

how to make cards

how to make an ideal PosCard (step by step)

We prefer that you make handmade cards since they are more personal and meaningful, but you are allowed to make virtual cards as well! Click here for detailed descriptions of each type of card.

1. Choose the type of card

Begin by writing a general greeting!

3. Write a message

Then, write a thoughtful and supportive message!

See the guidelines for more details!

"Dear friend"

"Hi there!"

"You are so inspiring"

"Stay strong and keep being brave!"

"You are not alone - we are supporting you!"

Click here for instructions on how to submit!

5. Submit your cards!

For handmade cards, some materials might include card stock paper, markers/pencil crayons, coloured pens, glue, etc. With handmade cards, you can get creative with your materials!

For virtual cards, you'd need a laptop/phone, and open up a graphic design software, such as Canva (for beginners), or Adobe Photoshop (for more advanced designers).

2. Prepare your materials

Handmade cards: Draw designs or small details around the message. Add a variety of colour in order to make the card look balanced and visually appealing. 

Virtual cards: Look at pre-made templates for inspiration, then use different tools, icons, or lines, to create your own designs! Play around with the font, colours, and format, until you find a simple but attractive combination!

4. Add designs!

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