Throughout the summer of 2020, a campaign has been happening in the neighborhood of Ballard, Seattle. The goal of the campaigns is to collect handmade greeting cards and engage the communities in art and creativity. All cards collected will be sold and proceeds will go to community charities. Dear Ballard started on the first day of summer on June 20th and wrapped up at Labor Day with a goal of 250 cards. Mini campaigns during the holidays continued into 2021 and 2022. Cards are still available on a limited basis.

The Story:

Art is a conversation.

Let’s use our creativity to support each other and our communuity!

Back in the early stages of quarantine, people needed to find ways to reach out to friends and family and a great way to do this was to write a letter or send a card through snail mail. Taking time to write the message and receiving the card meant more than people realized. Small acts of kindness were happening all around us and another thing was happening with people staying at home so much…. they were picking up hobbies like never before. Many people turned to crafts and art and out of quarantine the greeting card campaigns were born.

The Organizers

Kate and Maya Rappe started Dear Ballard to bring community together through art. Maya, then a rising senior at Bishop Blanchet High School to work on something meaningful during this COVID-summer, after all her summer plans were cancelled. Kate is a graphic designer and artist and found that art was one of the best ways to express herself during this historic global pandemic

The Charities

Dear Ballard chose to support The Ballard Food Bank and ACLU of Washington.

Dear Ballard has continued efforts of fundraising in smaller batches of card sales, with those proceeds going to the Ballard Food Bank.