Monday, August 3, 2009

Elizabeth F. McClung needs you!!

In the past 18 months, over 300 people have asked to be part of the Postcard Project – requesting postcards for themselves or their loved ones. We send postcards to over 400 individuals.

Last week I sent an email to individuals we had email addresses for asking for their help. If you’ve received and responded to that email there’s no need for you to read further. This blog entry is intended to reach those people who have never given us email addresses or have changed their email addresses and haven’t let us know.

It’s hard to believe that it was only last year that Elizabeth started the Postcard Project. It was just going to be a one-time deal, sending postcards to any of her readers at
Screw Bronze while we were in Japan for our grand adventure before Elizabeth’s health prevented further travels. Well, several thousand postcards later, she’s still at it.

Unfortunately, every few weeks a postcard is returned as the recipient has moved. I thought it was time to update our mailing list so that Beth’s postcards and the energy she put into creating them is not wasted.

The Postcard Project is a really important project for Beth. She’s intimately familiar with loneliness and wants to do her part to change the world, letting others know they are not alone. She does this with her postcards. At first she did it all on her own but as her health has steadily deteriorated she has needed more and more assistance. In fact, there are weeks where she doesn’t get to stamp or sticker at all, just matching cards to people and writing all the comments. But she’s adamant about her motto – no one gets left behind! And if that means she works through the night, or falls over when she’s putting her weight behind some of the larger animal stamps, so be it.

Now this kind of freaks me out, to put it mildly. And I struggle between supporting Beth with her dreams of helping others and trying to put a stop to the dream because of the cost to her health. But I know stopping the project has an emotional cost – the postcards are Beth’s way of reaching out to others – and stopping the project would leave a gaping hole in her ‘community’ and feeling of self-worth as a human being.

So, I have a couple of favours to ask…

My first request is for you to contact me to let me know what you thought of the postcards, whether they have made a difference in your or your loved one’s life, and whether you/they would like to continue receiving them. Please be honest. If they brighten your day or your week we want to keep sending them to you. If they’re about as interesting as the other stuff in your mailbox, please tell us that too, so we can take you off the list and help conserve Beth’s energy.

Send an email to me at Linda.mcclung at shaw.ca or leave a comment here. If we don’t hear from you by August 15, 2009 we will remove your name from the list, assuming our information is out of date or that you do not want to receive further postcards.

I want to stress again that Beth really wants to send you postcards if you still want them. Don’t feel guilty about receiving them if they make a difference to you. You’re the one we really want to reach. It’s just that we don’t hear back from most people so have no idea how they are received. And I’m honest enough to admit that I sometimes wonder what’s the point and wish Beth would spend her time elsewhere.

But reading the responses from last week’s email, my faith in the recipients has been restored. The comments reinforced the difference that Beth’s postcards have made in people’s lives. They’ve inspired me to give Beth more help with the cards and less negativity. I’m also going to compile many of the positive comments into a word document that Beth can turn to time and time again when she is feeling alone and of little value.

My second request is that, if you are able, please reciprocate and send Elizabeth a postcard or note back. Her personal mail has gone down to a slow dribble and she’s feeling the loneliness of being indoors and alone most of the time. Receiving mail from you would really keep her spirits up. We put return address labels on the postcards, but I’ve included our post office address in case you may have misplaced your cards.

Elizabeth McClung
PO Box 2560
Port Angeles, WA 98362
USA

Thanks for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.

6 comments:

Raccoon said...

expect an e-mail in the next couple of days, but...

I love getting them!

Kate J said...

I always appreciate Beth's cards, and would always love to receive more... BUT I'm sure there are other people more needing of them than me, so please don't feel you need to send any more.
I've just put one of my own into the post for Beth, and sorry if I've been a bit remiss on sending them. Will Do Better!
Love & peace
KateJ

Neil said...

Kate: I feel the same way. Beth is expending her energy on me, and while I love the cards, there are people who need them more than I do. I won't be upset if I don't get them, but if it pleases Beth to send them to me, it certainly pleases me to receive them!

T som i Timortinel said...

I love to get cards, it is nice when I know that one is on it's way and to go look for it in the mail box every morning. I haven't got the email, but I haven't changed my own email or anything.

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry I didn't see this post until today. I've been doing pretty poorly myself because of several things relating to my health, flare, new fatigue, muscle pain which won't go away.. and recovering from my Ketamine infusion, so I haven't kept up with my favorite blogs like I should.

I love the postcards, they're actually the only mail I get that is actually perssonal other than, maybe, on my birthday. They bring a smile to my face and I've kept every one of them, as well as the gifts and still feel them when I need to remember that people care. I'd hate to think that since I've been behind, anyone might think I didn't love the post cards, they are truly the best! That said, I worry about all of you and would understand the challenge which continuing the cards poses.

Thank you for the work the three of you have done to brighten our days!

Also, if you need my address ever again, I go by puppybraille (AT) livejournal.com if you don't have my earthlink.net address.

Now I should get caught up further... Thank you for all you've all done!

Anonymous said...

i have only been a reader to beth's blog for the past few days, but withing the short time of reading, beths blog and the postcard project the three of you have been doing has brought to me a great deal of inspiration. i have sent beth an e-mail this night explaining i wish to help when i am able to. although i am currently out of work, when i am able to save up enough you can expect my support when i am able to. i hope all of you the best and that she does in fact wish to keep in contact