Behind the Scenes: Progress with Open Door Group & Launching on Facebook

It’s been just over a week since the first blog post went live, and things have been quietly moving forward behind the scenes. Like many grassroots projects, the You Matter Card is growing step by step—through persistence, relationship-building, and a lot of following up. Here’s a quick update on three developments I’m excited to share.

A Hand-Delivered Connection: Reaching Out to Open Door Group

Earlier this summer, I reached out to the Open Door Group (ODG) Thrive program—an organization I know and admire from my time as a client there. I wanted to share the You Matter Card with May and Radka, who I believed could help bring the project into their community. When I didn’t hear back by email, I decided to follow up in person.

This week, I hand-delivered a package containing the card, a letter, and a poster directly to Radka. It turns out the silence wasn’t disinterest—Radka had been away on vacation for five weeks and had just returned that day. Later that same day, May emailed me to explain that the ODG team had been understaffed over the summer, and she hadn’t had the chance to reply. She also let me know she’d caught Radka up on the project and suggested we set up a time to talk this fall to discuss how the card might be shared—possibly as a poster or another form of outreach.

It’s a reminder that delays don’t always mean rejection. Sometimes, the timing just needs to catch up with the intention.

Interest from BC Housing: A Seed for Future Collaboration

Not long after that, I received a message from Chelzea, a Tenant Support Worker at my BC Housing complex. She told me that after seeing the card, she was genuinely moved and planned to share it with her manager. I was incredibly touched by her response. It’s one thing to hand out a card—it’s another to know it resonated with someone in a position to help others.

I also took the opportunity to plant a seed: the idea of collaborating on a custom version of the You Matter Card tailored specifically for BC Housing tenants. Nothing is set in stone yet, but the door is open—and sometimes, that’s all it takes to begin something meaningful.

Going Social: The Project Now Has a Facebook Page

In another milestone, I launched the first social media presence for the You Matter Card—on Facebook. The page is up and running, and I’ve made the first post to introduce the project and invite people to visit the website. I also started a small promotional campaign to help spread the word.

This is a big step for me personally, as I’m not naturally drawn to social media. But I know it’s one of the best ways to get the card into more hands, especially among people who might never walk into a clinic or community centre. The hope is that people will see the project, feel inspired, and either use the card for themselves or share it with someone they care about.

If you haven’t already, you can find the page here: Facebook.com/YouMatterCard

A like or a share goes a long way.

What’s Next?

Coming up, I’ll be continuing conversations with other community organizations, working with Rainbow Refugee to customize a version of the card for their audience, and gradually expanding outreach online and offline.

Thanks to everyone who’s shown support so far. Whether you’ve shared the site, handed out a card, or just sent a kind message, it means the world.

Until next time