First created: August 1, 2023 | Last updated: January 20, 2024

In this Covid action campaign, we’re harnessing the power of our personal stories to highlight the impacts of abandoning safety measures, and to demand change.

The first wave of our #Postcards4PublicHealth campaign culminated in an in-person protest and press event on August 28, 2023. The next wave was sent by December 15, 2023 to support our #BCBudget2024 campaign. Our campaign is ongoing, and you can send postcards anytime!

Full Participation Guide

Demands  |  Campaign summary  |  Mail-in  |  Digital  |  In-Person | Resources

Our Demands

Current demand: “Please support DoNoHarm BC’s 2024 provincial budget recommendations, including clean indoor air, a PPE tax credit, and care for Long Covid sufferers. Find them at DoNoHarmBC.ca” (Send this demand before February if possible!)

Original demand: Restore (and maintain) universal masking in healthcare settings. We’ve made incredible progress on this issue, but there’s still more to be done. Find our original demands and key facts here.

Additional demands: This is a chance to tell YOUR story – so highlight the needs that matter most to you! Be specific, and focus on your top asks, such as:

• Clean air in schools
• Improved access to Paxlovid and PCR testing
• Public education about airborne transmission, Long Covid, and the risks of repeated infections

The Campaign

There are many ways to take action. Join in however you can, and spread the word!

💌 Mail-In: how to participate

📣 Advocacy tip: Share stories that are personal, but not unkind or offensive. Ordinary staff members read these and convey our messages to politicians; it’s important to win them over!

1. Get postcards. Use premade ones (like holiday cards), make your own, or print-and-paste our custom artwork. 
2. Write a short message / personal story. Say why YOU want masks to stay in healthcare or renewed pandemic funding in the BC budget. If you prefer, postcards can be anonymous with just your postal code.
3. Share your postcards on social media! Tag @DoNoHarmBC and policy makers, use the #Postcards4PublicHealth hashtag, post on multiple platforms, encourage others to join!
4. Mail your postcards and remember, postage is free to many members of government. You can get your MLA’s contact info here.

📱 Digital: how to participate

📣 Advocacy tip: Many politicians track which email topics are popular each week. Let’s flood their inboxes and keep Covid safety trending! 

1. Send an email to policy makers. Right now you can click to email your MLA calling for renewed pandemic support in the 2024 budget. (Our previous one-click email is here.)
2. Submit a postcard message / personal story to us with this form. (Anonymous submissions welcome.) For those unable to send physical postcards, we’ll deliver the message for you! Otherwise, submitting lets us amplify your message online and to the media.
3. Send a free fax. Fax digital documents to your representative using this tool. Use your email wording, or if you’re feeling fancy, fax all our budget recommendations!
4. Spread the word. Reshare our campaigns (and the personal stories from other British Columbians) at @DoNoHarmBC across socials, and tag folks who should know!

🪧 In-Person: how to participate

📣 Advocacy tip: Until February, BC MLAs are back at their constituency offices instead of in the House. It’s a good time to schedule meetings (or protests)!

On Monday, August 28th, we held Postcards for Public Health: Delivery Day – an in-person protest and press event outside the MLA office of Health Minister Adrian Dix. We shared personal stories from people across BC, and hand-delivered giant postcards containing our demands, including masks in medical settings.

Shortly after this, Minister Dix and Dr. Bonnie Henry announced they were reinstating mask directives in hospitals and long-term care. This is an incredible advocacy win for everyone who fought to protect both healthcare workers and vulnerable patients. At the same time, there’s more to be done – and we’ve now shown that advocacy works! For folks who can do in-person action, here just a few ways to keep showing up for everyone who can’t:

1. Pop by your local MLA office (in a respirator, of course). You don’t even need to go in: you can hand-deliver your #Postcards4PublicHealth, chalk your message on the sidewalk, and/or snag a masked selfie with a sign and tag @DoNoHarmBC. (If you do go in, one of the best ways to be memorable is to take snacks – seriously!)
2. Request a meeting about your asks (this can also be done virtually). If you have an upcoming meeting or call with your MLA, we may be able to help with talking points.
3. Organize your own action or event. This can even be you and a few Covid-safe friends holding a postcard craft night! Check out our DIY Campaign Builder Kit for more ideas.

📂 Resources

POSTCARDS: | Free international postcard art (no logos!) | Sample postcard wording

ORIGINAL CAMPAIGN (August 2023): Demands | | One-click email | | Promo resources |

FOR ORGANIZERS: DIY Campaign Builder kit | Media relations for organizers