Live Life Lightly: Carmen’s Volunteer Story

Written by Lyra Brown, VP Communications

October 1, 2025

For Carmen Pare Baird, cardmaking is more than a pastime — it is a way to spread joy, love, and connection. Since 2010, she has found happiness in paper crafting, both scrapbooking and cardmaking, using scissors, glue, and imagination to brighten the lives of others.“It’s a great creative outlet that allows me to bring joy to others via the resulting

albums and cards,” she said.

Her journey with Cards for Care began through friendship. In 2018, shortly after moving back to Edmonton, Carmen attended a scrapbooking weekend hosted by Pat. By chance, they discovered a surprising connection: Carmen had gone to school with Pat’s husband. That spark of recognition grew into a lasting friendship and a mutual passion for giving back.“We started making cards together for charity 4 years ago,” Carmen said. “Being able to spend time together and then share the results of our craft is heartwarming.”

Being able to spend time together and then share the results of our craft and make people smile is heartwarming.

Whether starting with a single patterned sheet or folding paper into intricate 3D creations, Carmen approaches every card like a small work of art. “My absolute favourite thing to do is make multi-fold, 3D cards like explosion cards, secret window cards, etc. In those cases, the card design dictates what paper is used.”

Her creativity is matched by her compassion, which shines through in her volunteer work with Cards for Care. “While the time spent with the creative volunteers is always fun, I think my best memory so far was meeting Brendan and his team of Lyra, Phoebe and Susan,” she said. “Watching the passion these people have for this cause is beautiful, and it renews my faith in humanity daily.”

Carmen Pare Baird, VP of Donations, brings both creativity and inspiration to Cards for Care. Her motto: “Live Life Lightly.”

Pat has remained an anchor in her journey. Carmen called Pat’s energy “awesome, inspiring,” adding that, “She brings her team together in camaraderie as often as possible, and we form friendships because of that. I volunteered with SCARS for several years, and now adding Cards for Care just brings a new element of contentment for taking time for others.”

For Carmen, a handmade card carries more than paper and ink. "It is an envelope of emotions: joy, love, care, and compassion. There is a whole gamut of emotions that can come from opening a homemade card. I know because I get them from my friends!"

As she became more involved with Cards for Care, Carmen’s role grew. What began as a love for crafting has developed into a leadership position. She now serves as our Vice President of Donations, helping to organize and manage the many supplies that fuel the group’s creativity. Her quiet leadership ensures that donations are well-used, volunteers have what they need, and the cardmaking runs smoothly. It is a role that shows her resilience as much as her creativity.

“Being involved with a charitable organization that positively impacts others makes your heart smile. An open heart is a happy heart.”

Volunteering, she said, has changed her life just as much as it has touched the lives of recipients. Cards for Care, she added, “does that in spades.”

Her message for anyone thinking about volunteering is simple.

“Do it! Even if you can only commit a few hours a month, every small effort on your part benefits others and is returned to you tenfold. The beauty of Cards for Care is that you are part of a team. Everyone contributes based on their availability.”

Carmen’s story reminds us that the simplest gestures, whether a folded card, a kind word, or an open heart, can leave the deepest impact.