PELIPOST | THE OFFICIAL BLOG

More than just a greeting card: deliver hope in prison

For those of us on the outside, we might send or receive greeting cards without a second thought. From holidays, birthdays, and special occasions - the first thing we think of is finding the perfect card. For someone in jail or prison, receiving a greeting card at mail call can make a positive impact on their mental health and serve a symbol of hope in prison.

Because of our experience with family incarceration, we understand this personally. This is why the Pelipost Team is dedicated to keeping hope and family connections alive through cards and pictures. In this blog post, we'll explore the impact greeting cards can have on someone in jail or prison and why they remain an essential lifeline to the outside world.

The Significance of Greeting Cards

Greeting cards may not appear significant at first glance, but when you're serving your time behind bars, they bring a ray of hope and brightness. Here are some reasons why greeting cards matter so much to those incarcerated:

• Emotional Support: Incarceration can be an incredibly lonely and isolating experience. Greeting cards serve as a lifeline to someone in jail or prison, providing much-needed comfort and emotional support. A heartfelt message can make a world of difference in their day.
• Maintaining Relationships: Staying connected with loved ones is vital for an inmate's mental and emotional well-being. Greeting cards help maintain these connections, reminding them that they are loved, missed, and not forgotten.
• Human Connection: In an environment where human interaction is limited, receiving a greeting card reminds inmates that they are still part of the outside world, fostering a sense of belonging. Just hearing their name being called at mail call is something that our incarcerated loved ones look forward to often.
• Hope and Encouragement: Greeting cards often carry messages of hope and encouragement, reminding our loved ones that there is a future beyond bars. These messages can inspire personal growth and a commitment to rehabilitation.
• Celebrating Milestones: Greeting cards allow inmates to be part of birthdays, holidays, and other milestones with their loved ones in a meaningful way. It helps maintain a sense of normalcy amidst challenging circumstances.

The Impact of Receiving Mail in Prison

The experience of receiving mail while incarcerated cannot be emphasized enough. Our incarcerated loved ones eagerly anticipate these mail call moments as they represent a lifeline to the world beyond prison walls. It's not just about the card itself; it's about the connection, the reassurance, and the knowledge that someone on the outside cares.

Pelipost Co-Founder and COO, Becky Calderon's experienced this firsthand, "When you’re in prison, all you have is time. You almost forget that life exists. You block it all out. You see the fences, you see the walls. You cope as best you can. With that said, there was one thing that kept us all rooted in hope for the future: mail call. We would live for mail call. This is how we remained connected and informed with the world outside of our cell. We were all in prison for different reasons but unified by this longing to know we were more than our worst mistakes."

When you’re in prison, all you have is time. You almost forget that life exists. You block it all out. You see the fences, you see the walls. You cope as best you can. With that said, there was one thing that kept us all rooted in hope for the future: mail call. We would live for mail call. -Becky Calderon, Pelipost Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer

Studies have shown that maintaining strong family and friend relationships during incarceration can play a significant role in reducing recidivism rates. When inmates feel connected to a supportive network, they are more likely to stay motivated, focused on rehabilitation, and less prone to reoffending upon release. Greeting cards are a tangible expression of that support, helping inmates maintain their ties to the outside world.

Greetings by Pelipost: Sending More Than Just Cards

Pelipost understands the importance of maintaining connections during incarceration. That's why we've created Greetings by Pelipost—a service dedicated to making it easy for you to send heartfelt greetings to your incarcerated loved ones. We have tons of greeting card options, whether you know exactly what to say or need a little help finding the right words.

1. Diverse Card Options:

With Greetings by Pelipost, you have access to a huge variety of greeting cards, designed exclusively for our community. Celebrate holidays, milestones such as birthdays or graduations, or send get well soon wishes. Even if you just want to say "I miss you," we've got a card for that too.

2. Personalized Photo Cards:

For a truly unique touch, consider our personalized photo cards. You can upload your favorite a selfie, a family photo, even a child's drawing or artwork right from your camera roll to the front of the card. Adding a personal touch like this can be incredibly meaningful to your incarcerated loved one.

3. Easy Customization:

Make the message inside yours. Choose your font and text size and add your special message for your loved one inside. Don't forget to include emojis! 🧡😊 We'll take care of the printing and shipping, so you can focus on sending love and support.

4. Hassle-Free Delivery:

Navigating the process of sending mail to correctional facilities can be confusing and challenging. Every facility has their own unique rules and regulations for what kind of mail they can accept, including greeting cards. Greetings by Pelipost cards are created with facility guidelines in mind, so you don't have to worry about whether they will be accepted. We print our cards on high-quality glossy photo paper, rather than card stock (which is not accepted by many facilities.) When your card is ordered, our team will print and ship your card directly to your loved one's facility.

Send hope in prison, one card at a time

Sending a greeting card is a powerful way to provide hope, connection, and emotional support to your loved one. Greetings by Pelipost is here to make this process effortless, so you can send positivity, love and hope in prison.

A card is so much more than just a card for someone in jail or prison. They serve as a reminder that they're still valued and thought of. Greeting cards can be one of the few sources of color and happiness in a harsh environment.

So, the next time you send a greeting card to a loved one behind bars, remember that you're doing so much more than sending a card. You're sending a piece of your heart, bridging the gap between incarceration and the world outside. Give your loved one a mail call to look forward to with a card from Greetings by Pelipost.

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