The following is an excerpt from another page on the Helfgott blog - please see that page for the archived emails referenced at the end. Operation Oprah was an amazing experience for everyone who participated it and it continues to resonate on a number of levels throughout the Portland area and beyond.
-Web Monkey Eric
In the beginning it seemed like building a castle in the sky. How could natural health professionals reach millions of people, alert the masses about the importance of sustainable and natural health care? We, the peeps at the Helfgott Research Institute, felt like the method of contact needed to embody originality and creativity; a beautiful expression that also reflected the uniqueness of our medicinal practices. Snailmail is a favorite pastime of my own, and somehow my brain led me to believe that this strategy was our golden ticket.
But discovering what message would be delivered and to whom, literally, invaded my walking and waking dreams for weeks. One day at our weekly Helfgott meeting, a subtle spark fled, flipped a switch (probably turned loose a screw) and Operation Oprah was born: a campaign designed around cards for Oprah Winfrey. If we could get Oprah’s attention, then perhaps, just perhaps, millions of viewers, logically concerned about the health of family and friends, could begin to help one another make personal steps towards discovering natural forms of healing.
“Butterflies” upon the cards captured just that. Butterflies are symbols of change, as it is an organism that can completely alter its physical nature, a metamorphosis, with the end product being a graceful and beautiful entity.
The practices held at the Helfgott Research Institute and the information about natural medicine taught at the National College of Natural Medicine represent the art of medicine; the cradled crystallis ripe for a reemergence. Currently our health care system is in dire need of change; preventable diseases are becoming chronic and unmanageable, the public’s needs are not being met, and laundry lists of side effects from medications are becoming the norm. This is NOT how medicine needs be, in actuality, natural methods exist and are capable of treating illnesses, big and small.
Our philanthropic passions remain reflected in these cards, as no short cuts were taken in the construction or process at any point during the entire extent of the project. Each card created for Oprah was handmade and tied with a silky ribbon: each butterfly took 3 layers of stenciling and sketching, no butterfly looks like another, no message inside the card is the same, and each card was individually mailed in a handwritten, quadruple stamped envelope to Ms. Oprah Winfrey herself. All of this effort was to echo the uniqueness of each contributor’s voice; to echo the uniqueness of every patient and the corresponding treatment plan to restore health; and to echo the belief that individuals have the power to make a difference, especially when the cause is great. In the astute words of Margaret Mead:
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
The following is an archive of the emails sent during this time period. Know that this effort was not accomplished by one person, rather a collective of concerned individuals. Each of us truly believed (and still do!) that a change in health care is not only necessary, but possible. I am forever grateful for the compassion expressed in this project. To this day, I still get stopped by strangers asking about the status of Operation Oprah. My personal favorite question: “have I heard from Oprah yet?” brings a smile every time.
Operation Oprah is a success, as it combined the active force of a 1000 individuals (even more if you count the mailmen and paper suppliers) all working together for the central idea of change. Enjoy and spread the word of a health care revolution. Simply imagine the impact if we keep the dialogue going! Benevolent health care is a basic human right.
Be well,
C. Biscuit