Operation Happy Holidays!
Girl Scout Troop 4651 - Liesel Blau and Mia Graham
Girl Scouts Liesel Blau and Mia Graham started Operation Happy Holidays in
2016 to make cards for senior citizens living in skilled nursing facilities who might
not get any other gifts for the holidays. Believe it or not, in Orange County alone
there are over 14,000 seniors without family or friends to celebrate the holidays
with. This is our eighth year partnering with Smilemakers, a company who shares
the goal to not let any senior be forgotten. Smilemakers delivers gifts to over 6,000
seniors, and it is our goal to accompany each gift with a handmade card, but that’s a
lot of cards, so we need your help! This is a super fun and easy community service
activity to do with your service organization, friends, family, a club, or any other
group, and we really encourage you to participate!
Since our cards are being given to seniors in skilled nursing facilities, we need
to make sure they meet some guidelines so that the cards are appropriate for
seniors with dierent faiths and health conditions. We also want to make sure we
donate cards that seniors won’t find upsetting or confusing. With that in mind,
please follow the guidelines on the next page.
CARD DONATIONS
PLEASE DROP YOUR CARDS AT ONE OF
THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS by 11/24/23:
- 8 Craftsbury Place, Ladera Ranch, CA
- Council on Aging Oce: 2 Executive Circle, Suite 175, Irvine, CA
Monday - Friday 9AM -4PM
Cards must be received no later than Friday, November 24th.
Thank you in advance for your help with Operation Happy Holidays!
Please email us with any questions!
Card Guidelines...DO’s and DON’Ts
DO…
● Use 8.5x11 CARDSTOCK, folded in half.
● Make generic holiday cards not specific to a faith. Remember, these are
generic holiday cards, not Christmas cards.
● ONLY WRITE “Happy Holidays!” IN THE CARDS! Some messages
referring to family and specific faiths could be upsetting, so please only
write this. Thank you!
● REFRAIN FROM SIGNING YOUR NAME ON THE CARD.
● Feel free to copy the designs and examples provided OR create a design
of your own.
● Make as many cards as you like.
● Take your time and make each card special. For many seniors, your
card may be the only one they receive the entire holiday season.
DON’T…
● DON’T SIGN THE CARDS with your name or group! Some seniors find it
confusing to receive a card from someone they don’t know. It is
upsetting to them if they don’t remember you if you sign your name or
organization. Just write the message and that is all. Please DON’T SIGN
THE CARD. We cannot use any signed cards and don’t want your eorts
to go to waste.
● DON’T use regular paper. It rips easily and marker bleeds through the
paper. Please use cardstock so the card will look and feel special!
● DON’T use glitter or puy paint! These don’t travel well and your card
won’t look as nice when it gets presented to the senior recipient.
● DON’T use neon colored cardstock or markers. Please stick to neutral or
holiday related colors (white, kraft, green, red and blue).
Questions?
Email [email protected]
CARD DESIGNS
& INSPO
Reminder: DON’T sign the cards, and ONLY write
“Happy Holidays!”
