Times for special activities and FREE ORIGAMI PAPER

We will have at least 8 different projects going at workday tomorrow. Most projects you can do anytime you want, but we have special helpers coming at the following times to help with specific activities. If you want to help with one of these particular projects – see if coming at these times will work for you (though of course, you are welcome any time!).

11:30 – Paper Cranes***, complete with DVD and written instructions. (Kristy Hall)

12:30 – Gift tags for our Christmas gifts for our boys at the Robertson Memorial Home (Cheryl Hallen)

3:00 – Crocheting granny squares and putting them together into afghans (Trish Dennert)

***Regarding the PAPER CRANES: We will have some origami paper tomorrow, but we need lots more. Here are 2 ways you can help:

1) Michael’s and JoAnn’s both carry it and it’s NOT on sale right now, which means you can use your 50% off coupons to get it.

2) Here’s news of a completely free offer for origami paper via the internet. This is a link to a blog post explaining the offer http://mylitter.com/deals/free-origami-paper/ and here is the offer http://www.everythinginpapercrafting.com/paper_promotion.html. Please take time to order the free paper, whether you are planning to make the cranes yourself or would like to just donate the paper. (If the links don’t work, copy and paste them into your browser.)

Thank you, Ann Molino, for this timely information!

Humanitarian Update and Invitation to workday on October 14, 2010

Come Join Us

Thursday, October 14, 2010
for
WOMEN OF FAITH
HUMANITARIAN WORKDAY!

You are invited to drop by the
LDS Stake Center
at the corner of 5th and Wabash in Redlands
any time between the hours of
11 am and 8 pm

Here’s an update of what’s been done since last workday. Thanks for making it happen!

• YOUNG MEN FROM REDLANDS 1ST WARD: On August 18, these young men made a fleece blanket, wrote their testimonies to be included in copies of the Book of Mormon to go to 4 county jails, and worked on picture books. 
  
  
  
  
  
  

• ROBERTSON BOYS’ HOME:  LaMar's August birthday was made special with his favorite flavors of cake and ice cream, a couple of movie tickets, gifts cards, and a yummy – yes, as in edible - poster.  Usually about four or five woman work together to prepare for each young man’s birthday.  The best part may be making the delivery.  It’s fun for everyone and they are very appreciative!  Thanks to all who have helped over the past 14 months. We’ve made a total of 15 birthday deliveries so far.

 

• Also in August, was Matthew’s birthday.  Again, he was thrilled with his celebration.  He, in fact, insisted that the three moms and their children stay and share the cake and ice cream with him.  As one mom said, “You could tell he really wanted us to stay and enjoy this time with him… he did a great job at playing host… He said, ‘You guys are good people for doing these nice things for us.’ He was so sincere."   
  
  

  

• WORKING WITH STEP BY STEP AND THE PACT: We’ve been providing hygiene kits for area parolees as part of Step by Step – a Reentry Coalition through the Police and Corrections Team (PACT) for several years now. Newcomers to Women of Faith may wonder what this is all about. Check the side bar to read about the value of a hygiene kit to a newly released inmate who is returning home. It is only the first of many ways that Step by Step works to help these men and women transition back into a life that is productive and positive. 
  
  Here you see our hygiene kits being assembled:
  
  

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  There are many services which Step by Step offers. As director of programs for Step by Step, I (Jean), have seen the effect that these services have and are having on the lives of these individuals and their families. It is an honor for me and other volunteers to work with members of the PACT on a weekly basis at parolee check-in. Assisting a parolee identify resources for obtaining the basics of food, clothing, housing, or medical or mental health care, or to obtain his birth certificate, picture ID, driver’s license or other vital document is gratifying.
  
  Here are two volunteers at our SBS table at the Salvation Army in Redlands, all decked out with information. 
  
      
  I especially love it when we are able to help a parolee get back into school, either to get his GED or to go to community college or to receive vocational training. Right now, we are assisting several motivated men who are studying to become such things as a diesel mechanic, a phlebotomist, and an accountant. We are helping in real ways which most often literally make the pursuit of their goals possible. We also are able to refer parolees to a program that assists in preparing for and obtaining employment. Again, with the support of SBS volunteers and agents and officers whose intent includes supporting those individuals who are ready to make something of their lives, some are these individuals are becoming   productive citizens and the future is dramatically improved for their children.
  
  Step by Step is looking into instituting a mentoring program. Statistics show great success in areas where mentoring programs exist. We will be guided by and working closely with those who have set up successful programs in other places. If you would like to find out more about the mentoring program and think you may want to participate as a mentor, please let me know. Meanwhile, thank you for your support through helping to provide hygiene kits. Let’s also remember these individuals and their families in our prayers. “When ye have done it unto the least of these….”  

• Thanks to the Redlands 3rd ward sisters who tied yet two more baby quilts this past month.
  

You’re invited to join us on October 14th and may choose from the following activities:

                      

• ORIGAMI CRANES: We have been invited to participate with the Redlands Sister Cities Association in collaboration with the Riverside     Metropolitan Museum in the California Paper Crane Peace Project.  The goal is, “to make 92,785 origami cranes -one for every person from California who was sent to a Japanese American internment camp, during World War II.” (http://www.riversideca.gov/museum/exhibit-22.asp) The museum has already collected 52,000 cranes.  Come on Thursday to learn this origami art.  We’ll have the following instructional video on hand and will learn together.  Paste the following into your browser to see the video now.   http://www.origami-fun.com/origami-crane.html
  WE WILL NEED LOTS OF ORIGAMI PAPER FOR THIS PROJECT SO IF YOU KNOW OF A GOOD SOURCE, PLEASE LET US KNOW SO WE CAN PASS THE WORD.
  
  
• CARDS FOR CHILDREN At LOMA LINDA CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL:   
  This is a project we just started. We’re making greeting cards that will be given to the children by the nursing staff as needed.  We are prepared to create ‘get well’, ‘thinking of you’, 'cheery thoughts’, and other cards.  We could use more cute paper and card stock if you have any to donate.
  
  
• CELEBRATIONS FOR OUR ‘ADOPTED’ BOYS AT THE ROBERTSON BOYS HOME:
  In addition to birthdays, we’ll be celebrating Halloween, then Christmas which is just around the corner.  Thanks to students at Anderson School in San Bernardino who are preparing a Halloween surprise for the boys.  And to 9 of you (and counting) who responded to our request for help with the Halloween celebration.
  
  At workday this week, we’ll be making Christmas gift tags for the boys.  Then in November, you’ll be able to choose a tag for one of the young men, and bring it back with either a gift card or another item as indicated on the tag.  If you aren’t able to make it to workday, but would like us to save one for you, let us know!   
  
  Here are the gift tags from last year:
  
  
  
  
   
   
• COLLECTING FOR INROADS REHABILITATION PROGRAM: We heard that there are some of you who have items you still wanted to donate to the program.  You’re in luck!  We didn’t make the delivery yet, so bring your donations and we’ll add them to the load:  children’s books, puzzles, and toys; Big Wheel type riding toys and helmets; paperback copies of classic novels – several of the same title is especially nice (i.e. Red Badge of Courage) and paperback copies of the Book of Mormon and Bible and religious materials from any denomination – both in English and Spanish. None of these items need to be new, but we hope they’ll be in really good shape.
  
  
• GRANNY SQUARES INTO AFGHANS: Hey, we need an expert or two who can lead out in this! We have well over a hundred squares but need help getting more of them put together.  We also have a bunch of beautiful but tiny crocheted blankets that need to be combined to make more useful sizes of baby afghans.  But we need expert help for this…
  
  

• WINTER HATS FOR THE HOMELESS:   These will be given to the homeless through the Blessing Center which has a ‘cold-weather shelter’ that operates from December 1st thru the end of March each year.  When the temperature is expected to dip below 40 degrees or when it is raining, the homeless have a warm, dry place to sleep.
  
  A call to the Blessing Center this week confirmed that they will definitely need all the hats that we can give them this winter.  Last year, 120 hats were delivered on Christmas Eve.  All were gone before the winter season was over.  We’ve been saving up all the hats that have been turned in over the months.   Keep it up!  How many will we have this year?  If you need yarn, stop by and pick some up.  
  
  
   

 SLIPPERS ON LOOMS:  Learn how to make slippers on the smallest hat loom (the blue one).   

 

ASSEMBLE HYGIENE KITS for area parolees. Thanks to several faith groups from all over town for your contributions to this cause! Contributions of any hygiene items are welcome, including trial size. Our most needed items right now are pocket-size notebooks, washcloths, and men’s deodorant.  The 99cent store, Dollar Tree, and Big Lots are good places to pick up some inexpensively.

• QUILTS:  As always... there will be quilts to sew and tie.
  

From times past...

Do you remember what this was all about?

     

After 2 years, it’s about time to share the following.  This came from California Senator Bob Dutton in September 2008.  Completely unexpected…

      

If you’d like to participate in our work, but can’t come to workday, you can still participate by making a donation or choosing something you'd like to do at home. Just contact the specialist from your ward or congregation. If you do not have one, contact Jean Arnott at jeanarnott@gmail.com.

If you would like to contribute financially, you may do so by making a check out to the Redlands California Stake and send it to Jean Arnott, 31838 Florida Avenue, Mentone 92359.

If you know someone who doesn’t know about our efforts and might like to help, please pass the word along to them.

We’ll continue to have workdays on the 2nd Thursday of each month through 2010. So put a star on those dates and see you next time on November 11th, same time & place.