| Frequently Asked Questions
- Q. As an artist once I complete a box how do I find a hospital
that is in need of boxes?
- Please register with our
online system (will open in a new window); you will find detailed
information in our tutorial. You
only need to register once. Please activate your account
and send the required email to our administration in order to
allow us to fully install your account. Once you have received
an email from our administration confirming the installation
of your account and you have boxes to send, please
log into the system each time new boxes are ready to be
mailed and notify us by filling in the blanks in the form.
You will receive an email message with the name and address
of a hospital as close to your area as possible.You only have
to register once, so write down your user name and password
when you are registering. You will receive an email from admin,
requesting you to send us certain information to confirm your
registration(see tutorial). You will receive this email only
once
- Q. Why can I not create boxes for a hospital in my area or
state?
- If a hospital in your area or state is a member of the program
you may be asked to send boxes to them. We have a long waiting
list of hospitals who want to receive Memory Boxes, but. We
do not have enough boxes being created at this time to fill
all the needs of the hospitals already in the program.
- Q. Why do you not provide boxes other than just for stillborn
babies and newborn infants who do not survive?
- There are two reasons; first, we have a waiting list of hospitals
wanting boxes. Until we can meet the needs of the hospitals
for stillborn babies and newborn infants who do not survive,
we do not feel it is appropriate to expand the program beyond
that scope.
The second reason is a family losing an older child or family
member already has photos, memories, and memorabilia from that
person's life. When a mother goes into a hospital to have a
child and loses the newborn, they do not have the benefit of
the photos, memories, etc. The box is a way to give the family
something to hold onto and to affirm the life of the child,
no matter how brief. Most mothers will tell you they loved their
baby from the moment they found out they were pregnant. Although
the child's "life" may not have been long, the family's
relationship with the child began long before it was born.
- Q. What size boxes do you use?
- We use paper mache boxes because they are lighter in weight
and less expensive to mail. We can use three or four sizes approximately
12 inch, 10 inch, 8 ½ inch, or 7 inch and about 3 to
8 inches deep) and in all shapes, except rectangles. There is
a need for the larger boxes for babies who may have lived a
little longer and a need for the smaller boxes for the premature
babies. Boxes are often sold in sets of three, buying or ordering
the set of three nested boxes will save you money and also will
make it easier to pack and ship the finished boxes.
- Q. What designs are appropriate for the boxes?
- The boxes can have bears, bunnies, children's toys, children,
baby faces, flowers, things that are typical of children's decorations
- whatever you think would comfort you if you were a recipient
of the box. The boxes can be decorated with Wallies (similar
to decals), rub-on transfers, stamps, stencils or a decoupage
technique can be used on them.
- Q. What colors should the boxes be?
- Although you are free to use any colors you like, our participating
hospitals generally prefer the pastel colors. The recipients
of the boxes are from every walk of life, race, religion, and
color. If you had lost a child, would you want to receive the
box? If yes, then there will be a family who will love and appreciate
the box.
- Q. How did the program get started?
- Click here for the answer.
- Q. Are you a nonprofit organization?
- No. For the artists participating in the program please keep
the receipts for boxes and supplies used in the creation of
the boxes. Also, keep the receipts for mailing the boxes to
hospitals. These receipts can be used as a deduction on the
US 1040 Income Tax Form, Schedule A, Gifts to Charity.
- Q. If I do not have time to create boxes, can I still contribute
to the program in some way?
- Yes. Please click here for
more information.
- Q. Are there a minimum number of boxes I need to make to
be a part of the program?
- No. We are happy to have any boxes you want to create. Each
box is precious to the recipient family.
- Q. What are the requirements to join the program?
- You only need to have a desire to help comfort a grieving
family and to be willing to create boxes for the program.
- Q. How do I get the boxes to the hospital?
- Please register with our
online system (will open in a new window); you will find detailed
information in our tutorial. You
only need to register once. Please activate your account
and send the required email to our administration in order to
allow us to fully install your account. Once you have received
an email from our administration confirming the installation
of your account and you have boxes to send, please
log into the system each time new boxes are ready to be
mailed and notify us by filling in the blanks in the form.
You will receive and email with the address of the Hospital
and other details.Then you will pack and ship the boxes to the
hospital. It is your choice whether you send them through the
US Post Office Service or by private carrier, such as UPS or
FedEx Ground. If you chose the Post Office you can get free
Priority Mail boxes. The #7 Priority box will ship one nested
set of three paper mache boxes. It will weigh approximately
three pounds and can be shipped for about $6.64 if you purchase
the postage online or $7.70 at the Post Office. FedEx Ground
is another alternative and is sometimes cheaper than the Post
Office. It includes $100.00 in free insurance and a free tracking
number.
- Q. Is the Tole Friends Memory Box Program a money making
venture?
- No. The program is run by volunteers, and any money donated
to the program is used to help artists produce more boxes. The
more boxes we can produce the more families who can be comforted
when they lose a newborn. This is our sole purpose to be in
existence.
- Q. How do I get my chapter/guild involved in the program?
- Chapters of SDP and other Adult Arts & Crafts Guilds
may participate by appointing one member to be the liaison between
the Chapter/Guild and the program. Detailed information is here.
Many chapters adopt hospitals in their general area, so that
they do not have to incur the shipping costs. We will be happy
to set this up for the chapter, if they will supply the name
and phone number of the hospital. There is a waiting list of
hospitals who desire to receive boxes, so there may be a hospital
in your area already waiting for boxes.
- Q. I do not live in the USA, how can I participate in the
program?
- At this moment we only have US hospitals registered with
us but there are sister organizations in Canada and Australia.
If you live in Canada you may email
here, and if you live in Australia you may email
here. If you do not live in these countries, please contact
us and we will be happy to assist you in anyway we can to
help you set up a program in your country.
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