Who We Are

You matter to me is a movement of like-minded people who are committed to touching people’s lives, one card at a time. We celebrate the human experience, whether it is joyous or difficult in the moment.

The way that we touch people’s lives is by producing events that provide people the opportunity to send unexpected, heartfelt, meaningful greeting cards to people they love and also to people that they have never met. We believe that people expressing their love for another human being, whether that person is a family member, friend or a complete stranger is one thing that can make a difference in the world. Money should never be a reason to withhold an expression of love, so anyone who attends and sends cards at a You Matter to Me event does not pay for the cards and stamps and never will.

This is why we do what we do

Cede Bear

In November 2008, my 20 year old niece and god daughter, Mercedes (Cede Bear) got sick, really sick. What started out as a simple infection developed into pancreatitis and began to cause her so much pain that the doctors put her into a drug induced coma so that she would not have to endure the agony. She was hospitalized for 3 weeks enduring the pain, drugs, needles and hospital food.

At one point, the doctor said that he could do no more and that she had to decide to live. He said that the best thing for her was for her to receive love and good wishes from family and friends. So I sent an email to many dear friends around the country and they responded. A few days later, Cede Bear began receiving dozens of greeting cards from people she had never met, all telling her that she was loved and wanting her to get better.

She began to improve slowly and the cards perked her up. She was blown away by the outpouring of love and support that she received from complete strangers! On December 7, Cede was finally released from the hospital and went home. On December 9, her roommates found her in bed not breathing. On December 10, I was at her bedside when the doctors disconnected the machines that were keeping her alive and allowed her to pass away.

I asked her roommate if I could have the cards that were sent to her, which she gave me. They are among my most treasured possessions.

Cede’s passing brought our family closer and has started many conversations among my brothers, sisters and parents and as a result has healed many long standing wounds.

Knowing how much the cards from strangers meant to her and having been a part of the healing that occurred in my family, I began to wonder if sending unexpected, heartfelt, meaningful cards to family, friends and strangers would change the world, at least a little bit. So I began to send cards regularly to people, some I knew and some I did not.

What I found is that in doing so, I began to change. I realized that my own heart was softening and the outpouring of love I was expressing was being felt first by me as I wrote the card and thought the loving and supportive thoughts for the other person.

Jim Christopherson, founder

So, I began to wonder. What would happen if groups of people got together and sent cards to people they loved? What would the group dynamics be? Would it be possible for thousands or millions of people to send unexpected heartfelt meaningful cards to others and if so, would it change people’s lives?

My friends and I have produced a few events of this and have watched people become real, authentic and vulnerable in the process, telling the person they are sending the card to how much they love and care for them.

Being a witness to people expressing their love, caring, and support has changed my life. If you want to help us grow, please click on the “Work with Us” tab and fill out the form.

Namaste.
Jim

www.twitter.com/youmattertome