Here at The Rainbow Cards Project we believe that gestures don’t have to be grand to matter, and that every act of kindness, no matter how small, can have a powerful impact on the recipient's life. We understand how lonely it can sometimes feel to be LGBTQ+ and to have to encounter so much prejudice and dehumanisation simply for who we are or who we love, and we want to help combat that and reach out to those who are feeling the impact of this hatefulness and isolation. If you decide to become a recipient we will be so happy to welcome you into this little found-family we are creating and we hope the project will have a positive and uplifting impact, even if only a small one, on your life.
HOW DO I BECOME A RECIPIENT?
Becoming a recipient is simple - if you are LGBTQ+ and any member(s) of your family have stopped sending you cards on your birthday or during the holidays, or have otherwise left you feeling outcast by them because of your sexuality or gender, you fit the criteria to join. There are no restrictions of age, gender, location or anything else. It's as simple as this: if you say that you fit that loose criteria we will welcome you with open arms! All you have to do is fill in a short form to tell us a little bit about yourself and then you’ll receive an email letting you know you’ve been added to our list of recipients! After that you don’t have to do anything else, but at any time you can request for a change to be made to your info (such as a new address or different pronouns) by sending us a quick email. If you ever decide it’s time for you to leave the project you can easily opt out by emailing us and expressing your wish to leave and we will remove your information from our system, no questions asked.
THE 'NAMED RECIPIENT' OPTION
There is a list of named recipients for senders can write to on the website at all times, either on the 'Send a Card' page or 'The Nice List'. This means that senders can specifically write their card to you - called a ‘named recipient’ card - meaning that it will include your first name, rather than keeping the card unnamed and beginning it with something like ‘Hi!’ instead of ‘Dear [name]’. We call that other kind of a card a ‘general recipient’ card which, while they may include less specific personalisation, we believe they don’t contain any less love and are just as heartfelt.
The only information shared in that monthly list will be your first name, pronouns, (if relevant) a rough idea of how soon your birthday is (e.g. late July) and other non-identifying information - such as your favourite colour or hobby - if you have included it in your form, which helps senders personalise the card. Your last name, address and all other personal information will remain private and secure, but if you wish you can still choose to opt out of the ‘named recipient’ option when you sign up, or do so later by emailing us.
