"The best antidote I know for worry is work. The best medicine for despair is service. The best cure for weariness is the challenge of helping someone who is even more tired." Gordon B. Hinckley

Thursday, November 10^th is workday!  Come help with the regular fare plus the following two seasonal projects which we are participating in for the third year:

Clean, Warm, and Cozy coat drive

A quick look at last year’s drive:

Here are Redlands 4th Ward Young Men if front of the UHaul they loaded with donated coats, blankets, sleeping bags, etc, then unloaded!   Quick work!
 

Here’s before we started…

 

In progress…

 

One of many loads ready to be delivered…

Help sort coats (and quilts, blankets, winter wear, even sleeping bags) – lots of them! – and take a bag home to wash.   This project is done in conjunction with the Redlands Service Club Council.  This month we’ll be processing donations from Beattie Middle School, Citrus Valley HS, RHS and REV.  (Heard today that students at REV were taking off their sweatshirts on the spot to donate.)  Also from city sites including Joslyn Center and Redlands Community Center.   The University of Redlands, Boys and Girls Clubs, Rotary and Kiwanis also collected for us. Next month, there will be more from other schools and groups.  Our processed items this month will go to two community organizations – Youth Hope and Family Service Association of Redlands.

Youth Hope’s mission is to build confidence and promote self-sufficiency for homeless and runaway youth by providing trust, hope, support, and education.” Their goal is “to take youth from the street to employment to becoming self-sufficient adults.”   With the recent cold snap, these youth are really needing both warm jackets and sleeping bags and blankets.  To learn more about Youth Hope and their activities, visit www.youthhope.org. 

SPECIAL NOTE TO YOU WHO CROCHET HATS!  Heidi from Youth Hope wants to include a new hat in each youth’s Christmas gifts this year.  Do you think we can make 70 hats before Christmas?!  We have about 15 or 20 so we have a good head start!  These would be the larger sizes.

Family Service Association of Redlands has been an integral part of the community since 1898 serving low-income and homeless families. Their mission is “to alleviate poverty, encourage self-sufficiency, and promote the dignity of all people".  Their programs “provide emergency support, case management, education and referrals that focus on helping families become more self-sufficient and prevent homelessness.  Their Home Again Project is a unique program providing homeless families with comprehensive services toward permanent housing, employment and family stability.” To learn more about FSA, visit www.redlandsfamilyservice.org.  Here is a picture from last year at FSA.  These racks of coats are ready for the clients of FSA to choose from:

Robertson Memorial Boys Home

Choose a gift tag from our Christmas tree and return it with a gift for our adopted boys.   We would like to provide each boy with two gift cards ($20 Target; $15 Walmart) and $10 for a duffle bag.  If you are unable to come on Thursday, but would still like to provide a gift for one of our boys, contact your humanitarian specialist or Jean Arnott at jeanarnott@gmail.com.  Many Thanks!!! 

Here is last year’s tree.  It looked best EMPTY!

 

Last year our gifts were delivered along with filled Christmas stockings, goodies, and lots of holiday cheer and activities by Girl Scout Troops 979 and 17.  Though a few of the boys were a little reluctant at first, all soon joined in and everyone had a great time as you can see from these pictures taken of the activity.  By the time the evening was over, the boys were expressing their joy and pleading with the girl scouts to return!  These young men so need to experience normal, healthy fun with other youth and adults who are examples of joy and good relationships.    

(Sorry, these pictures will be up in the next 48 hours.)

Eleven young single adults from the Yucaipa Stake and Crafton Hills Ward hosted our boys at a Halloween activity last month.  Again, while a couple of the boys were reluctant to participate in the beginning, the young adults were successful in getting every one to join in the pumpkin carving, cupcake decorating, and other activities, and left amid comments from the boys such as “We wish you could stay longer.", "When will you come back?", and "Can you come at Christmas time?".   The answer:  “YES, they’ll be going back for Christmas!”  

LLUCH NICU and Labor & Delivery Bereavement Programs

 

We made our first delivery of items this week: 32”, 12”, and 8” blankets (crocheted and flannel w/crocheted trim); baby gowns in three sizes; tiny crocheted bonnets and hats in several sizes; head bands; and handmade cards, (fabric envelopes were given to them previously). We’ve been careful here in the beginning to make sure that we are making things exactly the way the nurses would like them to be.  As we are getting the final approval on each item, we are ready to step up production. 

• Crocheting around 8” x 8” and 32” x 32” flannel blankets. We especially need to start working on the 32” blankets, now that we know that the size is right!  If you’ve been taking four 8” blankets to do at home, that’s the same as doing (1) 32” one.  You will need a size 1.25 to 1.50 crochet hook and white cotton crochet thread.  (We could use donations of both the thread and crochet hooks.)
• Sewing small fabric envelopes.
• Cutting out and sewing tiny gowns made of flannel, micro-fleece, and stretch knit fabric. 
• Making beautiful cards (If you are a scrap-booker, you may have scraps that fit what we need.  Come take a look.) 
• Crocheting or knitting 8” x 8”, 12” x 12”, and 32” x 32” blankets.  Some must be white, others can be pastel blue and pink. We have samples you can look at.  Bring your crochet hook and we’ll find a blanket size to fit.  If knitting, bring size 8 needles. 
• Crocheting tiny hats of varying sizes.   
• Preparing ‘memory boxes’ by applying vinyl lettering to white, and pastel colored photo boxes.  (Keep you eyes open for good deals at Michael’s and Joann’s for these soft colors of photo boxes.)

These are only a few of the items we’re making for this program.  We have fairly strict specifications for the different items, so before you get started, be sure we share with you what is needed.  Then go for it.  This will be an ongoing project and much of it can be done from home.  We especially need crocheters and knitters!  Please let us know if you would like to help from home. 

Donations needed for NICU Bereavement Project:

• White cotton crochet thread and crochet hooks size 1.25 or 1.5
• Crochet hooks (size 1.25 or 1.5) and knitting needles (size 8) Do you have a collection gathering dust?
• New photo boxes in white and soft pastel colors
• Baby yarn in white, pastel pink, and pastel blue
• Flannel in soft baby prints and pastel solids (no solid yellow)
• Small stuffed animals: bears and lambs (beanie babies okay)

We have a beautiful power point describing the “Empty Arms, Aching Hearts” program at LLUCH.  If you would like to see it, let me know and I’ll email it directly to you. 

 

Housewarming Kits for families at Inland Temporary Homes

Inland Temporary Homes is “here to help families committed to getting past a crisis which culminated with homelessness.  We are in partnership for the future of these families by providing a safe and stable living environment where they can be together while steps are taken to re-establish the family as a healthy unit.”   Learn more about Inland Temporary Homes by visiting http://www.ithomes.org/. 

We’ll be putting together two more kits for families moving from ITH shelters into transitional housing in November.  The kits include the following:

• laundry basket
• bucket filled with cleaning products such as spray cleaners, Ajax, dishwashing detergent, cleaning rags, toilet bowl cleaner, toilet brush, dust pan, laundry detergent etc.
• hygiene items such as family size shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shaving cream, lotion, shaving kit, etc.
• household items such as towels, wash cloths, sheets, a tablecloth
• a quilt for each baby
• a book and toy for each child
• anything special we might have for mom and dad

 

Donations needed for housewarming kits:

We are collecting the above items and anything else you come across that you think would fit this purpose.  (The Dollar Store, 99 cent Store, and Pic ‘n Save are good sources for many of these items.)  We’ll also be signing a card of encouragement to include with our gifts, so be sure to add your name when you come to workday! 

Here’s a recent delivery of two housewarming kits:

   

 

Other continuing projects:

4. Origami peace cranes

5. assembling hygiene kits for parolees

6. Greeting cards for pediatrics at LLUMC

7. Making and tying quilts, including lap quilts

8. Crocheting hats for the homeless, children served by the Inland Burn Institute, YOUTH HOPE, and others.

 

A Few more Donations Needed:

• origami paper
• hygiene items, especially shampoo, shaving cream, & toothpaste

"1% effort here in America is 100% effective in Afghanistan" Dr. Abdullah Sherzai, then Afghanistan's Deputy Minister of Health

Question: What do the following items have in common?

• birthing kits, each containing a pictorial information sheet, surgical drape, towel, wash cloth, soap, nail clippers and brush, gloves, bulb syringe, razor blade, ties, pad, receiving blankets, baby gown and cap, socks, diapers and pins, handwritten note
• leper bandages, knee and foot braces, arm slings 
• wheelchairs, walkers, commodes, crutches, canes, and other valuable medical equipment (including for children)
• eye glasses
• new hospital bed sheets, handmade pillowcases, towels, pads
• doctor and nurse clothing, hospital gowns
• medical supplies and equipment
• stockinette baby hats
• bandages of all shapes and sizes
• hygiene kits, each containing shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, toothbrushes, combs, soap, towel, wash cloth, scissors, thread, sewing needles, buttons, safety pins, handwritten note
• school kits and back packs, each containing notebooks, rulers, colored pencils, pencils, pencil sharpener, eraser, scissors, tee-shirt, handmade car or hand puppet, handwritten note
• books, including children’s picture and storybooks, novels for children through adults, encyclopedias, textbooks of all levels including university level
• elementary classrooms kits
• classroom supplies for the teachers
• recorders (musical instruments)
• children’s boards games and activities
• hand made dolls and toys
• hand puppets
• wall hangings
• board games, educational activity supplies
• sewing materials and supplies
• wool yarn and knitting needles
• warm winter coats and clothing – much of it new
• hand crocheted and knitted wool hats
• knitted wool scarves
• handmade quilts
• knitted wool socks and blankets
• and more…

 

Answer:

They combine to weigh 22,170 pounds (that’s just over 11 tons of LOVE!)

They shared space on a C-17 cargo jet from March ARB on October 2nd and arrived in Kabul, Afghanistan on October 4th.

They will be distributed to elementary and secondary schools, universities, orphan care centers, hospitals, medical clinics, street children, and as many of the needy people of Afghanistan as the gifts will go.  

Look here to see some of our final preparations that took place at a few “Pallet Parties” held at the Redlands Municipal Airport. 

Look here to see the loading of our 24 pallets of goods on trucks donated by Stater Bros. Markets and the trip from Redlands to March Air Reserve Base in Riverside:

Then was the prep stage at the base:

Then loading the C-17 Globemaster III and TAKE OFF:

Question: What other groups provided goods for us to include in our shipment?

Answer:

1. afghans for Afghans: hand-knitted wool hats, blankets, and wool socks
2. Women to Women International: hand knitted scarves and hats
3. Joann Fabric: wool yarn and knitting needles
4. Courtney Kunze from Colorado: a mountain of winter clothing (mostly new) and delivered in a rented U Haul
5. Students from Rotaract Club at Soka University: books, educational supplies, clothing, and toys
6. The Happy Factory in Cedar City Utah: handmade wooden cars
7. Redlands Bicycle Classic: T-shirts included in each of our school kits and back packs
8. San Bernardino County library system: books and several sets of encyclopedias
9. Dr. Laura’s My Stuff Bag program: hand puppets
10. Villa Rotary Club in Villa Park: back packs filled with educational supplies
11. New elementary textbooks covering most levels from a school that changed their curriculum
12. Loma Linda University Medical Center: medical equipment
13. Optometrist in Yucaipa:  eyeglasses, some with prescription lenses, some just new frames
14. Five senior students from Cal State Fullerton: books, sets of encyclopedias, educational supplies, clothing, games, and puzzles
15. Yucaipa's Seventh Day Adventist Church: medical equipment
16. The American Sewing Society: handmade pillowcases
17. HD Supply in San Diego: towels, washcloths, and blankets
18. The Orange County Gamma Nu Chapter of the Alpha Delta Kappa Association, a group of professional educators: educational supplies and games.
19. Medical textbooks from  a medical professor at a university in L.A.

 Question: In addition to members of

1. The Redlands Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including Young Men and Young Women’s groups, Cub Scouts, Achievement Day Girls, entire primaries, and Relief Societies

2. The Redlands United Church of Christ

3. The Church of Christ, Scientist

4. Girl Scout Troops 17 and 979  (plus others troops participating in "Thinking Day")

what other groups/churches outside Redlands participated?

Answer:

1. Citrus Hills Ward (Corona)
2. Modesto 7th Ward (Modesto)
3. Riverbank Ward (Modesto)
4. Tustin 4^th Ward (Tustin)

5. Claremont 2^nd Ward (Claremont)

6. Young Women from a ward in Yucaipa
7. Drop-ins from different parts of California, and as far away as New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah (to name a few).
8. I’m absolutely positive some have been left out!  Sorry, we thank you too!

 

Question: Others to thank?

Answer:

1. Jim Ott of Redlands Aviation, who donated space at the Redlands airport to store our goods during the work phase.
2. Home Depot – four of them, who donated the plastic sheeting we needed for our birthing kits.  Then later then donated tape guns and box cutters. 
3. The Bishop’s Central Storehouse in Colton for providing space and materials needed to prepare our pallets.
4. Hanger 24 who, in a pinch, donated the last 3 wooden pallets that we needed.
5. Loma Linda University Medical Center and Redlands Community Hospital for giving us hundreds of clean, sturdy boxes to pack our goods in.
6. Sun Medical in Redlands who gave us replacement rubber feet and hand rests for our crutches and medical equipment.
7. Linda Thomas, a graphic artist, who spent many weekends putting together our pictorial information sheet for the birthing kits. Her work has been forwarded to humanitarian organizations in at least one other country – probably more. 
8. Jeff Newton, a printer, who provided hundreds of copies of our ABC books on cardstock for us to color and then all of the copies of our pictorial information sheets for our birthing kits.
9. A young mom from Pakistan, who translated our birthing kit instruction sheet and dozens of labels for our cartons into Farsi.  Another woman from Afghanistan, who helped with a bit more translation at the end.  
10. A local OB/GYN who donated towels and surgical drapes to include in our birthing kits.
11. A store and several individuals who donated sergers and sewing machines.
12. A young Girl Scout from Yucaipa gathered donations enough to make 21 fleece blankets. She arranged for families in her area to make the blankets.
13. Office Depot, who donated many rolls of packing tape to tape our boxes securely. 
14. My family: Nathan, who took all the translations and prepared them so they could be put in the correct place on the correct label.  Matthew, who packed our earlier shipment of computers (in hats) and figured out how assemble all the medical equipment on pallets.  Andrew, who helped format the manifest list and was the overall tech guy, who along with Rebecca, spent hours teaching their mom how to make things work – sometimes over and over again. Isaac for helping to set up and take down many times.  Hannah, for sharing her mom and being my side-kick through it all.
Sarah and Rebecca for their love, encouragement, and sharing of ideas from afar. And spouses of my children who willingly shared their sweethearts over and over again. Finally, Ron, who donated space for our finished pallets and for being the all around springboard-problem-solver-encourager-greatest-possible-support ever! 
15. MOST OF ALL, to the many, many of you who came to workdays, some nearly every time, others when you could. Many of you sewed, shopped, crocheted, colored, cut, and pasted, and much more in your spare time at home (whatever spare time is?!) Every contribution in time and means came together to make it all happen! Each one was a valuable part of the whole. Dr. Sherzai was right! 1% effort on our part is adding up to 100% effective in Afghanistan. THANKS!!!

Question: What portion of this Afghanistan II project was delivered previously?

Answer: 

1. Prenatal vitamins donated by a pharmaceutical company
2. A multitude of prescription medications donated by a Redlands Internist
3. From i-star Financial in Brea: twelve computers, flat screen monitors, keyboards, mice, head phones, licenses, and all that was needed to set them up in the vocational school in Jalalabad.  These were packed securely in boxes with…
4. …685 knitted and crocheted hats.
5. A few quilts and a set of home-made animal hand puppets.

Still to come: pictures and the story of the flight from March ARB to Kabul, Afghanistan, by way of Bangor, Maine, and Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, and the unloading of the cargo jet.

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment to improve the world. Anne Frank

THREE HEADLINES:

 

#1 Our gifts for the women and children of Afghanistan have arrived in Kabul! 

Details and pictures of the prep and transport coming soon!    We expect to begin getting pictures of the distribution that we will share as well. 

#2 Julee is busily putting things together for her medical mission to Haiti which she leaves for on October 26th (see former post).

Thanks to all for your support!  In addition to the medications she is packing, she is also taking soft cloth dolls.  And the Happy Factory has just agreed to donate 100 handmade wooden cars. Stay tuned for one more request that may be coming down the pike in the next few days.  It could be the frosting on the cake for some special children! 

#3 Workday is just around the corner -Thursday, October 13, 11am-8pm.

We’d love to have your participation at workday, at home, or through making a donation.  (See former post for list of projects as well as a list of the items we’re looking for.) 

Please keep in mind that we’ll be having our annual coat drive in cooperation with the Redlands Service Club Council as part of November’s and December’s workdays.  Last year we processed 3355 items, including over 2100 coats and jackets.  We’ll need your help again with sorting, bagging, and cleaning.  The dates for those workdays will be:

             Nov 10

             Dec 1 (PLEASE NOTE THE NEW DATE; IT IS NOT DEC 8!)   

Have a wonderful autumn! 

 

Assisting Julee Brice to help the people of Haiti – Donations ‘pack day’ is October 16th!

The time for Julee’s one-week medical mission is approaching.  She leaves on October 21 and will treat 50 people each day she is in Haiti.  Two of the days will be spent in remote villages to see people who are unable to get to the hospital.  Her group consists of one doctor, three Physician’s Assistants (she is one), and a few nurses and emergency room technicians.  A few lay people, including her husband, Bishop Brice, will also accompany.  All are going at their own expense through an organization called Mission of Hope.    

Julee is grateful for those who have already helped by donating medications and other items she needs to help in treating her patients.  A dentist has donated  500 tablets of amoxicillin, another Doctor has donated $500 in antibiotic and pain relievers.  There are people donating money at the "Yoga Room in Redlands".   Individuals from Women of Faith have donated sterile gloves and much more. 

October 16th is the day Julee plans to pack all medications and medical supplies.  The items she is still in most need of are:  Cipro, Flagyl, Doxycycline, Iron, Folic Acid, baby formula, protein packs, multi vitamins, snack pack baggies.  If you just want to donate cash, Julee will go shopping.  (Costco is allowing her to purchase any antibiotics at their cost.)

We have 15 more days to help!  You can contact Julee at juleebrice@aol.com. 

There is little use in asking who is my neighbor; I am neighbor to my neighbor in need.

It’s time again!  Workday is tomorrow, September 8, 11am-8pm.  Please grab a friend and come for an hour.  If you’d like to pick up something to do at home, we have kits to make baby gowns, blankets to crochet around, and will probably have several other kinds of things ready to go in a short time.  We’ll also have directions for making the three different sizes of crocheted baby blankets, with directions for knitting the blankets available soon.   

Ready, Set, almost ready to Go… for the women and children of Afghanistan!

Except for more warm clothing which we’ll pack tomorrow, our pallets are almost ready for their transport to March ARB in Riverside, and then on to Kabul scheduled to arrive on October 4th!  Thanks to many of you who came to our five “Pallet Parties” at the airport.  We finished our work much quicker than we thought!  We have some fun pictures we’ll share - (when there is time to get them up).   Meanwhile, watch the Press Enterprise for an article coming out soon.  And if you see it – please let me know?!  

We will be happy to welcome Linda Welz from the Public Affairs Office at March Air Force Base for a visit to workday tomorrow.  If you’d like to meet her, come right at 11:00 a.m.  Linda will be traveling on the C17 with our shipment to Kabul!    

Need over-the-counter and prescription medications for Julee Brice to take to Haiti next month.

Julee is a Physician’s Assistant and is going on a medical mission to Haiti from October 21-30.  She will be working at the Mission of Hope for the week and expects to see about 50 patients a day.  This is an entirely voluntary trip on Julee’s part.  She is also responsible to provide all of the medications that she will use while there, both prescription and over-the-counter.  I.E. antibiotics, pain relievers, nutritional supplements, etc.  Let’s help! 

If you have contacts with or suggestions of sources for medications, please call Julee.  (Contact us for her contact information.)  Samples are acceptable.  We have a full list which we can email to you if you like.  Julee will also accept cash donations to purchase the needed medications.

In addition, Julee is hoping to take some gifts to share with the children in the area through LDS church leaders located very close to her work location.  We have some items she may be able to take.  Julee will be getting more information soon and we’ll pass the word along.   

Thanks for the donations!

Have we thanked you lately for your donations and contributions?  One question new-comers – or even heads of programs we are serving – nearly always ask is where we get our funding for the projects we do.  We are 100% dependant on donations of goods, and cash to purchase items that we need, and 100% of all donations go straight to our projects.   Many, many times, just when we’ve had a need for something in particular, or have need to purchase something, the donations have come.  God is behind our work, and we feel his love and support through your hands and hearts.  Again, thank you.   

This month we especially need:

For the Bereavement Program:

• more of the baby yarn: white, blue, and pink
• white crochet thread
• white – or soft pastel colors – photo boxes
• bear or lamb stuffed animals (beanie babies okay)    

For Housewarming Kits for ITH Families (all can be found at Big Lots, 99 cent store, etc.):

• laundry baskets and plastic buckets
• cleaning products like spray cleaners, Comet, dishwashing detergent, etc.
• toilet brush, dust pan, cleaning rags

For Origami cranes:

• origami paper (especially 6 x 6 inch)

For Hygiene kits for our area parolees:

• any hygiene item, especially toothpaste, shaving cream, shampoo

 

Check the last post for a details of our current projects, which also include:

Greeting cards for pediatrics at LLUMC

Making and tying quilts, including lap quilts

Wheelchair/walker caddies

Crocheting hats for the homeless, children served by the Inland Burn Institute, and others.

Robertson Memorial Boys Home :

    Thanks Redlands 2 Ward who provided a birthday celebration for Amond this week!  If you have a group that would like to help will any future holiday, give us jingle!

 

That’s it for now!  Hope to see or hear from you soon!

Love,

Your humanitarians sisters

 

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”  Mohandas Gandhi

 

I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy. Rabindranath Tagore

This post is coming in under the wire, but we just have to tell you of the new projects we need your help with!  Specifically, we’ll be working tomorrow, (August 11, 11am – 8pm) on:

1.  LLUCH NICU Bereavement Program

• Crocheting around 8” x 8” and 34” x 34” flannel blankets. If you’d like to learn how to use a wing needle on the sewing machine to make the holes, and then learn how to crochet a ‘hugs and kisses’ stitch around the edge, come between 11 am and 2pm.  Nola Hallen (R2) will be there to teach you how.  (She may also be back in the evening.)  You will need a size 1.25 to 1.50 crochet hook and white cotton crochet thread.  
• Sewing small fabric envelopes.
• Cutting out and sewing tiny gowns made of flannel and micro-fleece. 
• Making beautiful cards (all materials will be provided).
• Crocheting or knitting 8” x 8”, 12” x 12”, and 34” x 34” blankets.  Some must be white, others can be pastel blue and pink. We have samples you can look at.  Bring your crochet hook and we’ll find a blanket size to fit.  If knitting, bring size 8 needles.  We’ll have someone available to teach knitting. 
• Crocheting tiny hats of varying sizes.  We have patterns available.  Kathy Philbin (R1) will be there in the afternoon to help. 
• Preparing ‘memory boxes’ by applying vinyl lettering to white photo boxes.

These are only a few of the items we’ll be making for this program.  We have fairly strict specifications for the different items, so before you get started, be sure we share with you what is needed.  Then go for it.  This will be an ongoing project and much of it can be done from home.  We especially need crocheters and knitters!  Please let us know if you would like to help from home. 

Donations needed for NICU Bereavement Project:

• White cotton crochet thread
• Crochet hooks and knitting needles (do you have a collection gathering dust?)
• New white photo boxes
• Baby yarn in white, pastel pink, pastel blue
• Flannel in soft baby prints and pastel solids (no solid yellow)
• Small stuffed animals: bears and lambs (beanie babies okay)

We have a power point describing the “Empty Arms, Aching Hearts” program at LLUCH.  If you would like to see it, let me know and I’ll email it directly to you. 

 

2. Housewarming Kits for families at Inland Temporary Homes

These gifts are for families who are moving from ITH shelters into transitional housing.  We delivered our first two kits recently and they were warmly received.  We’ll be putting together two more for families scheduled to move into ‘their own’ home during the month of August.   The kits include the following:

• laundry basket
• bucket filled with cleaning products such as spray cleaners, Ajax, dishwashing detergent, cleaning rags, toilet bowl cleaner, toilet brush, dust pan, laundry detergent etc.
• hygiene items such as family size shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shaving cream, lotion, shaving kit, etc.
• household items such as towels, wash cloths, a tablecloth
• a quilt for each baby
• a book and toy for each child
• anything special we might have for mom and dad

 

There is also an opportunity to provide activities for these children during the time that their parents are in Life Skills classes. These classes take place on Monday evenings. If you think your family would like to have a Family Home Evening activity (perhaps combining with another family), and have a fun hour or two with these kids, let me know.  We have a few activities that are ready to go (remember the Barton Elementary School project?), if you need some ideas of things you could do.  

Donations needed for housewarming kits:

We are collecting the above items and anything else you come across that you think would fit this purpose.  (The Dollar Store, 99 cent Store, and Pic ‘n Save are good sources for many of these items.)  We’ll also be signing a card of encouragement to include with our gifts, so be sure to add your name when you come to workday!

**ITH has a few projects they really need to have done that may be the perfect Eagle Project.  If you have a Life Scout looking for a project, let us know. 

Learn more about Inland Temporary Homes by checking http://www.ithomes.org/. 

 

3.  Packing warm clothing for the women and children of Afghanistan

Tomorrow, we'll be packing this mostly new clothing from Colorado which will be added to our shipment which is scheduled for an October 2nd flight from March ARB to Kabul.  In the next few weeks, we’ll finish preparing our pallets according to the requirements of the Denton Program (USAID).  If you would like to help, let me know and I’ll let you know what our plans are.  This unique and highly unusual opportunity to get our goods to Afghanistan in 48 hours and in time for distribution before winter is a miracle for which we are very grateful!  

Other continuing projects:

4. Origami peace cranes

5. assembling hygiene kits for parolees

6. Greeting cards for pediatrics at LLUMC

7. Making and tying quilts, including lap quilts

8. Wheelchair/walker caddies

9. Crocheting hats for the homeless, children served by the Inland Burn Institute, and others.

 

Donations Needed:

• origami paper
• hygiene items, especially shampoo, shaving cream, & toothpaste

 

9.  Robertson Memorial Boys Home

**Thanks to all who continue to ensure that our boys at the Robertson Memorial Boys’ Home look forward to their birthday and other holidays!  Halloween is our next big holiday.  If you have a group that would like to help provide a Happy Halloween for our boys, let us know!

That’s it for now.  Will try to add some photos next time.

 

Two sweet boys – and others – need our faith and prayers…

Our little Ronan Godfrey was discharged from the hospital at City of Hope last Monday – much earlier than expected after about 45 days!  He was to return to the hospital at least three days a week but at least the whole family would be sleeping under their own roof.  However, Ronan has come down with a fever and is back in the hospital.  Once again, our faith and prayers are requested in his behalf.  

We also have another sweet boy, also 3 yrs old, who has had a bone marrow transplant, and needs our prayers.  His name is Jacob Long and he used to live in Redlands 1st Ward with his mom and dad, Kylene and Joshua, and brother Ethan.  Kylene and the boys came to workdays, so many of you may remember them.  Jacob had his transplant at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles on April 15th, and has had a lot of ups and downs since then.  Jacob was discharged 10 days ago (July 20) after 91 days, but tests since then show that one form of his donor cells is very low and he needs more stem cells from his original donor (if the donor is willing).  Otherwise, he will need to start the entire process over with a new donor.  Please pray for all involved here.  You are invited to follow Jacob’s progress at http://thelongfamilysblog.blogspot.com.

Below are two pictures of Jacob at the hospital and one with his brother, Ethan, in March before the transplant.   The middle one is of Jacob and 5 year old Ethan, sending hugs to each other through the doorway to Jacob’s room since they weren’t allowed to touch.

  

Please remember Ronan and Jacob and their families in your prayers and invite your children to join you.  Despite everything they are going through with their own little boys, both Ronan and Jacob’s mothers have asked that we also request your prayers for a child each has met in the hospital.  The last post describes Rachel Godfrey’s request for us to encourage more people of racial and ethnic minorities to join the registry, as those from minorities groups who need bone marrow transplants have a far less chance of receiving a good match due to there simply not having many choices available.  A five-year old boy in a room next to Ronan was dealing with this very situation (see last post).

Jacob’s mother, Kylene Long, asked that we share this story about now 8-week old Katelyn, who is being treated at CHLA.  She is in need of a lung transplant in order to survive.  Kylene feels that the more the word is spread, the more likely someone who is in the position to donate, will think of Katelyn.  The link to the story is:  http://www.chla.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=ipINKTOAJsG&b=6089699&ct=10861737&notoc=1.

Let me add one more:  A couple of weeks ago, four of us went to LLUCH to meet with the nurse who is director of the NICU Bereavement Program which we will be making things for.  While scrubbing up to enter the NICU area, we met a new young father who was there to be with his tiny new baby daughter.  During our short visit, he enthusiastically said, “Our daughter is doing just awesome!  She just got put on the heart transplant list yesterday!”  He explained that she was already doing so much better than any doctor had predicted, predictions which began just a few months into his wife’s pregnancy right up to the day before we met him.  It turns out that this dad and his family are members of the church and are attending Redlands 1st ward while here at LLUCH.  Please add this fifth little child your list.

 

Stayed tuned for news of what we have coming up for next week’s (August 11th) workday! 

Meanwhile, if you want to stop by Pic’n Save or the 99 cent store, we’re looking for buckets, laundry baskets, cleaning products, cleaning rags, dustpan, and anything else a family might find helpful in setting up house in a new apartment.  Thanks! 

“Those we serve, we love.”       Robert L. Backman