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The Story of Valentines for Veterans
Valentine's for Veterans started in 2019 as a way to honor our grandparents.
William Arthur Stokesbury, IV served in the US Navy during the Vietnam era and specifically on board a destroyer that was part of the blockade in the Cuban Missile Crisis. As a result of his military service, he lived out his life as a permanently disabled veteran and was wheelchair bound at a young age. Our grandmother devoted her life to caring for him. Sadly, like too many veterans and their families, their lives were entirely changed by his service and there was never enough support available. Valentines Day was a day they looked forward to every year and one of his favorite things to do was to send her cards. He would spend hours reading cards in stores to find the perfect one each time. Our grandfather passed away as a result of his injuries, in 1998 when our mother was only 17 years old and just a few months shy of their 37th Wedding Anniversary. When we first started HeartArt, our grandmother was one of our biggest supporters, always ready to help with deliveries, sort cards, and work at community tables. She was so proud of the work we did to bring smiles to the faces of veterans and their families. We lost our grandmother in December of 2018 and we launched Valentines for Veterans one month later, in their honor.
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By the end of the 2023 campaign, HeartArt and our partners had delivered more than 30,000 Valentines for Veterans across the country and to service members deployed overseas.
How to Participate
There are two primary ways to participate in Valentines for Veterans.
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We Distribute
If you would like to contribute to our distributions, you can send us your donations of: ​
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Cards - can be homemade, store bought or colored using one of the downloadable templates at the bottom of the page. All cards should be signed and follow the guidelines for our coloring cards. Click HERE to read those guidelines.
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Individually Wrapped Candies - can be Valentine's Day themed but they don't have to be.
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Decorated Paper Lunch Bags - you can get these with designs already printed on them or use markers and stickers to decorate your own. Please DO NOT send bags that have already been filled with items because we will not be able to deliver them as is.
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Mail your donations to
HeartArt
102 Delaware Ave
Bridgeville, DE 19933
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or Contact Us to arrange for pick up or locate a donation drop off site.
You Distribute
If you would like to bring Valentines for Veterans to a military base or Veteran Serving Organization near you, we think that is wonderful!
Here are some suggestions:​
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Make contact with your local veteran service organizations, USO or military installation as early as possible. Let them know what you want to do and ask for their suggestions on distribution, as well as any rules or limitations they may have.
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Get others involved - talk to schools, places of worship, scout troops, service organizations, American Legion and VFW posts or other civic organizations. Download our flyer template HERE and customize with your information.
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Be sure to personally check every card that comes in, to make sure it is appropriate for delivery. Oftentimes people will write things in cards that, while they are well intentioned, are not appropriate. If it feels at all questionable, it is best not to distribute that card. ​
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If you are making and distributing bags, be sure that all treats are individually wrapped from a store. Do not distribute homemade treats unless you have made them yourself or know exactly how they were made and are able to provide allergen information. Never put homemade treats in sealed bags, and make sure that your contact at the point of distribution is ok with you providing home made treats.
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Regardless of how you participate, share your pictures with us and let us know how many Valentines for Veterans you are able to distribute so that we can share your story and celebrate your impact.
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Photos and information can be sent to GiveHeartArt@gmail.com
Valentine Card Downloads
