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For everyone with a pen, paper, and a few free minutes

Make a card.
Make a day.

Not part of a chapter, workplace, or school? You've got two wonderfully simple ways to spread some joy. Pick whichever fits your week.

made for you,by a stranger.
HELLOBY HAND
Option one · Drop in

Pop in to a popup!

Free to attend, supplies included, friends not required (but encouraged). We add new dates every month. Subscribe at the bottom of the page to hear first!

Live popup calendar Open on Luma

Tap any date to RSVP on Luma. New popups land at the top of the list.

Don't see your city? Become an ambassador and host one!

Option two · Mail-in

Make at home,
mail to our P.O. Box.

Get cozy, put on something warm, and make as many cards as you'd like. One, ten, a hundred. We accept rolling mail year-round.

A row of brown paper bags filled with handmade cards, ready to be mailed
mail-in · photo
Send toHello by HandP.O. Box 49823Austin, TX 78765

Got a big batch? Drop us a note at hbh@artlyworld.org so we can plan the route.

A quick mailing guide

What to make

  • ·Any size between 4×6 and 6×8 works beautifully
  • ·Heavier card stock holds up best in transit
  • ·Skip glitter, perishables, or anything 3D. Postal sorters can be rough!
  • ·Front: a drawing, sticker, photo, or just bold lettering
  • ·Inside: a few warm sentences. See prompts below.

What to write

  • ·"I was thinking of you today." (Yes, even from a stranger!)
  • ·A song lyric, a recipe, a memory of someone you love
  • ·"Today I noticed something beautiful outside my window and thought of you"
  • ·Keep it warm. Skip politics, religion, or last names.
  • ·No need to sign your full name. First name and city is plenty.

How to ship

  • ·Tuck cards into a single envelope. Unsealed inside is fine.
  • ·Standard postage (1 stamp) for 1–3 cards. Weigh larger bundles.
  • ·Add a tiny note if you'd like a card to go to memory care, hospice, etc.
  • ·Cards arrive at facilities within 4–6 weeks of mailing.
  • ·We'll email you a thank-you the day your batch ships out!
After you send it

Where your card goes next.

Your envelope doesn't just vanish into the mail. Here's the whole trip, mailbox to mail call.

01

It reaches our P.O. Box

Every card you mail in lands at our Austin P.O. Box, ready to be opened.

02

We open and check it

We open, lightly check, and route everything within 14 days.

03

We photograph it

Your card is photographed for the public archive, so you can see it made the cut.

04

We batch and postmark it

It's sorted and sealed into a batch with others heading the same way, then stamped with our handmade postmark.

05

It's hand-delivered

A volunteer hand-delivers the batch to a partner care facility, where it becomes part of mail call.

Cards arrive at facilities within 4–6 weeks of mailing, and we'll email you a thank-you the day your batch ships out.

Mailing in? A few more answers

Questions from first-time senders.

Still curious? Write us at hbh@artlyworld.org. We read everything.

How will I know my card arrived?

We'll email you a thank-you the day your batch ships out. From there, cards arrive at facilities within 4–6 weeks of mailing.

Do I need to seal the envelope?

No. Tuck your card into a single envelope, unsealed is fine. We open every envelope by hand before routing it along.

Can I send a big batch at once?

Yes. Any quantity, any month. Weigh larger bundles for postage, and drop us a note at hbh@artlyworld.org so we can plan the route.

What actually happens to my card after I mail it?

It's opened, lightly checked, and routed within 14 days. Then it's photographed for the archive, sealed into a batch with our handmade postmark, and hand-delivered to a partner care facility.

One card, today!

Twenty minutes.
One handmade card.
Somebody's afternoon, made.

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