The Postcard Project

June 21, 2017

In the Hume region a Postcard Project has been run as a therapeutic activity for bereaved families in their own homes.

Families who have participated in the project have found it to be extremely moving to create postcards containing messages to their very special child. Filled with love and longing, the cards shared emotions through pictures and words, with participants agreeing the process was powerful and helpful.

“The postcard activity was a lovely thing to do with our girls as they love craft and it got them talking about their sister who had died and her favourite things” said a bereaved mother supported by Very Special Kids.

“It also created and built a trusting relationship with both our Family Support Practitioner and family volunteer who helped out on the day. We found talking about our child and sharing memories to be very helpful. It was a lovely family project to do.”

When asked what it was like for the family to sit down and create a message to their child who had died another mother said, “Writing the message was pretty tough in the beginning. For me, I was looking at it as if I had one chance to send him a card, what would I put on it? Would I get it right? With the support of our Family Support Practitioner and given the time we all needed, we could work our way through that and clear our minds to write a beautiful message to our son. It gave us the opportunity to sit as a family and reflect on our son’s life. We cried a little and also smiled”.

You can view completed postcards here.