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Writer's pictureJen Chess

A whole year! Now what?!

birthday cake with 3 candles on a blue and white checkered table cloth with a yellow background surrounded by purple flowers
Birthday!

This March is our “birthday! It’s been a full year of Paper Thoughts!. There are so many wonderful people who have worked super hard to support us in the last year. If you’re reading this, you’re one of them and you deserve a huge THANK YOU!


Thanks to your support, in one short year we’ve:

  • Created a website, facebook and Instagram page (I’ll have to journal a little more to get over my nerves about making a youtube channel…)

  • Written 9 blog posts (the goal was one a month, but 9/12 isn’t too bad)

  • Developed a database of over 250 journal prompts  on a ton of different topics

  • Developed a “journaling basics guide” to include with every journal given to a kid in need

  • Presented a TedxTalk on the power of journaling (watch it here!)

  • Presented on journaling to a group of human services professionals

  • Attended several tabling events to spread the love of journaling

  • Partnered with South Middle School, Goshen Middle School, Orange County Department of Mental Health and Its a Girl Thing to get journals to kids

and MOST importantly, thanks to your generous donations and support;


We gave out 164 journals and sketchbooks to kids in need


ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY FOUR!


Because you’re such a big part of Paper Thoughts, we want to share our goals for the coming year with you (Check out our blog post on goal setting in the new year here).

  1. Become a registered non-profit.

  2. Share more blog posts with journaling tips and topics

  3. Develop more journaling resources and journal prompts

  4. Give out more than 164 journals and sketchbooks this year


We are SO excited to keep growing in the next year. Want to help? Here’s some things you can do to help us reach our goals!

Non-profit
  • If you have any experience starting a non-profit or the paperwork involved, we’d love to have your guidance and hear your tips and tricks

Blog posts
  • Share your ideas about what we should blog about!

  • Do you want to share your ideas or a story about journaling with the Paper Thoughts following? Volunteer to be a guest blogger. Send us an email or shoot us a message about your idea and we’ll work with you to make it happen! We’d love to have a guest blogger on art journaling, stories about why journaling is helpful to you, or any other topic you can think of!

Journaling Resources
  • We have a LOT of journal prompts, but are always trying to think of more. If you think of a topic that we haven’t covered yet or come across a really cool prompt we might not know about let us know! We’d love to hear it!

Give out more journals!
  • Maybe you have an awesome skill, like web design, photography, video editing, social media, or organization. Maybe you're just looking to get some volunteer hours (I'm looking at you high school kids who want to beef up their resumes!) Reach out to us by email or facebook message to volunteer!

  • Donate to our gofundme page. Just $5 will buy a journal or sketchbook! Share our campaign so others can donate too!

  • Send journals and sketchbooks. Encourage your friends to send us journals too! Paper Thoughts Program POB 64 Walker Valley NY 12588. If you’re local, message us and we can set up an in person pick up!

  • Own a business and want some good press? Email us and we can set up a collection point at your business or you can sponsor us, we’d be sure to share on our website and social media to let everyone know how awesome you are!

  • If you want to bring journaling to a group of kids you know and love, message us on facebook or send us an email and we can work with you to get journals into their hands! If you want we can also set up a time to work with the kids or give a super cool presentation on journaling to them.  

  • If you know an organization or school that might be interested in partnering with us to give out journals let us know! We’d love for you to hook us up!


I know you’re probably super busy (thanks for taking the time to read this!) so if the calls for help above are a little too much, but you still think Paper Thoughts is super cool, not to worry, there’s still important things you can do to help us out!


Last but absolutely not least, we want to share a few very special thank yous for people that went above and beyond to support us in the last year.

  1. Kephra Rubin at Walk Through the Valley for consulting and web design help

  2. Mikenzi Philips at The Art of M for designing our super awesome logo

  3. Shirley Seifert for helping us win a Thrivent Grant

  4. Kelly Robin at Starbucks for organizing journal drives at 3 locations

  5. Jenn Reigler for organizing a journal drive and donating a ton of journal


And of course, everyone who donated and helped distribute journals this past year


You guys are amazing!


The pages of a journal will always listen, will you help kids feel heard in the coming year?



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