There is a constellation of red stars, of different sizes and punched out of cardboard, on the long table where Sara sits. And she, hunter of stars, picks them up in her hands, smears glue on one side and distribute sparklers around a Christmas tree full of good wishes. “That’s it, another one,” says Sara, as she places the new postcard in the finished pile, along with this collection of greetings with which the Traspinedo City Council will wish a joyous Christmas and, hopefully, a prosperous and better 2021.
At the next table, José is in charge of preparing the stars that Sara will then paste. One post further, Toño folds and distributes the postcard templates. The three of them, Sara, José, Toño, along with Patricia, David, Felipe or José Luis, these days have more work than usual in the Tudela de Duero occupational workshop, belonging to the integrated network of services for people with disabilities in rural areas.
At this time of year, its activity focuses on the production of graphic arts products, such as notebooks, notebooks, diaries, Christmas details … and Christmas postcards. They have prepared more than 1,500. Commissions from city councils, companies or individuals that this time are more numerous than ever.
Perhaps the family restrictions, the impossibility of getting together with colleagues, of traveling to see friends, has been a shock to recover the printed, personalized greeting, beyond a chain message spread through WhatsApp.
“Yes we have seen an increase in requests. Perhaps it is because of the covid ”, point out Esther Herguedas and Yolanda González, in charge of an occupational workshop owned by the Tudela de Duero City Council, in collaboration with the Social Services management of the Board, the Provincial Council and the People Foundation. Here “natural and professional” support is provided to fifteen adults with intellectual disabilities from Tudela and surrounding municipalities. “Opportunities are provided for their personal development, for their socio-occupational insertion and to carry out work that is socially useful”, Esther and Yolanda explain, who recall that users perceive “financial compensation as a reward for their effort and work.”
A job now focused on Christmas postcards, but which also includes manipulations of industry, cleaning, crafting or preparing, for example, wedding invitations (they pick up orders at 983 521 847). “We have very nice models,” says Patricia, flipping through sample pages with possible Christmas stamp options.
“We do not have data on what part of ordinary mail corresponds to Christmas postcards”, they recognize from the Post Office. But congratulations are a traditional element of these dates. One of the most classic options is the one proposed by Unicef, which this year has devised a new solidarity product around postcards.
“The traditional ones continue to exist and are an important source of income for Unicef’s work,” explains Rocío Gutiérrez, spokesperson for the entity in Castilla y León. But now they are betting on the “blue gift.” A person can finance solidarity material on the Unicef website (from measles vaccines to water purification pills, from HIV tests to school kits) and then send a (personalized) Christmas card to another personNot only to congratulate him on Christmas, but to explain that in his name, for example, 135 doses of polio vaccine (in this case, 21.13 euros) have been sent to developing countries. “It is an option to accompany the traditional postcard with a solidarity gift,” they indicate from Unicef (Regaloazul.es).
Last year they already implemented this campaign (not limited exclusively to Christmas), which made it possible to finance programs to serve 303,162 children in treatment against malnutrition or vaccinated against measles to 5,584,650 minors.
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