Despite the fact that communication is more or less the only way to connect with each other in the age of physical distancing, sometimes it’s difficult to find the right words to say - especially when every day seems to bring a new, unprecedented situation to support our loved ones through.
That’s where Quarantine Greeting Cards, launched earlier this month by Vancouver friends Sarah Boland and Teresa Mayede, is stepping in.
After much of society shut down, Boland found that her searches for cards or gifts to drop off to friends weren’t yielding anything that properly acknowledged how everyone is feeling during the ongoing pandemic.
That, and, “The way we kind of cope with life is by adding a little bit of humor and sarcasm to our lives to brighten things up a bit,” explained Mayede, over the phone from where she and Boland are self-isolating (separately) in their respective homes.
“That's kind of how it came about, was seeing that there was a need to create another form of human connection, and writing cards was something that we typically do.”
To that end, Quarantine Greeting Cards was born, and, like the pandemic itself, escalated quickly. After coming up with the idea, “on a Thursday night two Thursdays ago,” the site launched just five days later, Boland said.
The hilarious and stylish cards offer timely greetings - oftentimes, with a dose of the profanity we all deserve to be using right now.
If you’re unsure what to say to friends who’ve had to cancel or postpone their wedding, for example? Try, “The best day of your life … is every day you don’t catch the coronavirus. Sorry about your wedding.”
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Unable to meet a loved one’s new baby? Congratulate them on their new “quarantennial!”
Have a friend celebrating a birthday while social distancing? “This year doesn’t count,” “You are too old to be on Tik Tok” or perhaps, “Is your age considered high risk now?”
ScreenshotOther designs also offer specific “Thank you for your bravery” messages for the frontline workers in your life, whether they work for grocery stores, postal delivery services, or in the health care sector.
Moreover, a portion of the proceeds from each order are being donated to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank.
“We want to create an impact, if possible, where we're living and just with the amount of people that are getting laid off and the delays with getting the government money, we thought [giving back] to the food bank was the most impact we could have locally,” Boland said.
While the duo wished the community well and shared their hope for everyone to remain safe, healthy, and connected during this time, Mayede said they’re also appreciative for the positive response the venture has received so far.
“I think people are enjoying the humor and enjoying finding something that really speaks to what we're all dealing with right now in a way that’s not so serious,” Mayede said.
“If there's anything we've learned from being in quarantine, it’s that life is really short and, you know, we just need something uplifting and light to deal with what we're going through.”
To order cards or digital downloads, visit Quarantine Greeting Cards' website.
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