Some friends from church called to tell me they were going up to the Bishops Storehouse and would be willing to drive the kits up and drop them off! (Thank you L. and V.!) They came over last night and we loaded the HEAVY boxes into their van. My husband had a foot injury and my friend had a back injury, so it was up to me, my friend's daughter, and my oldest son to load them up. (My oldest daughter helped by manning the camera.) Now the kits will be distributed to those who need them from there. Once a month a truck from Salt Lake City, UT brings supplies to the Bishops Storehouse, and then they take whatever donations have come in and drive them back to Salt Lake City to be distributed from there to wherever they're needed around the world. This project has brought so much JOY and fulfillment to my life, and I am excited to continue this tradition.
If this idea inspires any of you, and you'd like to use it in any way - DO IT! And please make sure to ask me to contribute to your cause. :) Here is a photo slideshow of us loading up the kits. (if you do not see the slideshow in the space below, see sidebar at the top of the page for instructions on how to view it)
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
Deepest Thanks
As I stated below, we were able to assemble 213 hygiene kits! Thank you to all those who donated money, supplies, and time. This was accomplished because people wanted to help, and put their trust in me to organize this effort. Because the total amount of money donated was so large, (and because my husband put in much time and effort to find places to make the purchases online and figure out the ideal balance in supplies!) we were able to purchase items in bulk for a great price. This made each dollar go further than it otherwise would have. Thank you for your faith and trust - every penny made a difference!
It is my goal to do this every year for my birthday, and I hope that others will be as excited as I am about it in the future!
It is my goal to do this every year for my birthday, and I hope that others will be as excited as I am about it in the future!
United
One thing I forgot to mention when talking about our kit assembly, is that when we were finished assembling the kits and counting them, we prayed together. I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I had friends there who shared my faith, and I also had friends there of different faiths. As we prayed, expressing gratitude for the opportunity we had to serve and asking that the kits fulfill their purpose to support those who receive them, I felt such a sweet spirit of peace. There were people of many different faiths who contributed to this project, and I have loved knowing that our beliefs, whatever they may be specifically, have united us in serving our fellow human beings - an amazing FORCE FOR GOOD.
213 Miracles!
There are supposed to be 3 picture slideshows in this post. If you don't see them, please click on your screen's "refresh" button, and that should fix the problem.
The hygiene kits were assembled on March 20th, 23rd, and 24th! Our family assembled many kits together for Family Home Evening on Sunday, March 20th. I was surprised that my 3 oldest (ages 11, 8, and 6) could do this on their own without a problem. It's a lot to fit into a one-gallon bag. My husband came up with a great way to pack everything into the bag by making pockets with the towels so that hopefully the bag would not get punctured with the corners of the toothpaste tubes or anything else. We had enough supplies that we were able to sneak an extra toothbrush and comb into each kit! (if you do not see the slideshow in the space below, see sidebar at the top of the page for instructions on how to view it)
On Wednesday, March 23rd, several friends came over to help me assemble the rest. Amongst themselves, they organized a birthday celebration for me as well - complete with banners, a delicious cake, and other wonderful food! Thank you friends! (if you do not see the slideshow in the space below, see sidebar at the top of the page for instructions on how to view it)
After we used up all the towels, we had 14 kits where we only needed toothpaste and towels. I couldn't just leave them, so I went to the store the next day (March 24th) to get what was needed to complete them. My kids helped to assemble the remaining kits, and our grand total ended up being 213 KITS!!! This is actually more than I had calculated, so instead of trying to figure it out, I'm going with a "loaves and fishes" effect. ;) This far surpassed my goal of 34 kits - I'm so thrilled! (if you do not see the slideshow in the space below, see sidebar at the top of the page for instructions on how to view it)
All I had left were a few combs and some toothbrushes. I was able to donate some of my leftover toothbrushes to another hygiene kit project being done by someone else I know, and they completed 36 kits! I will save the rest of the supplies for next year's project. Now we are trying to find someone who is going to the Bishops' Storehouse in Worcester, MA soon, so that they can get into the hands of those who need them ASAP. If no one else can bring them up, my husband will be going up that way in the beginning of May.
These hygiene kits will end up being precious treasures to 213 people/families somewhere in this world. THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to this project. You have made a difference to someone in need.
The hygiene kits were assembled on March 20th, 23rd, and 24th! Our family assembled many kits together for Family Home Evening on Sunday, March 20th. I was surprised that my 3 oldest (ages 11, 8, and 6) could do this on their own without a problem. It's a lot to fit into a one-gallon bag. My husband came up with a great way to pack everything into the bag by making pockets with the towels so that hopefully the bag would not get punctured with the corners of the toothpaste tubes or anything else. We had enough supplies that we were able to sneak an extra toothbrush and comb into each kit! (if you do not see the slideshow in the space below, see sidebar at the top of the page for instructions on how to view it)
On Wednesday, March 23rd, several friends came over to help me assemble the rest. Amongst themselves, they organized a birthday celebration for me as well - complete with banners, a delicious cake, and other wonderful food! Thank you friends! (if you do not see the slideshow in the space below, see sidebar at the top of the page for instructions on how to view it)
After we used up all the towels, we had 14 kits where we only needed toothpaste and towels. I couldn't just leave them, so I went to the store the next day (March 24th) to get what was needed to complete them. My kids helped to assemble the remaining kits, and our grand total ended up being 213 KITS!!! This is actually more than I had calculated, so instead of trying to figure it out, I'm going with a "loaves and fishes" effect. ;) This far surpassed my goal of 34 kits - I'm so thrilled! (if you do not see the slideshow in the space below, see sidebar at the top of the page for instructions on how to view it)
All I had left were a few combs and some toothbrushes. I was able to donate some of my leftover toothbrushes to another hygiene kit project being done by someone else I know, and they completed 36 kits! I will save the rest of the supplies for next year's project. Now we are trying to find someone who is going to the Bishops' Storehouse in Worcester, MA soon, so that they can get into the hands of those who need them ASAP. If no one else can bring them up, my husband will be going up that way in the beginning of May.
These hygiene kits will end up being precious treasures to 213 people/families somewhere in this world. THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to this project. You have made a difference to someone in need.
Organizing Supplies
My 8 year old son wanted to help organize the supplies so that they would be easily accessed for assembly. He started by taking all of the toothpaste tubes out of their boxes. (His 4 year old brother wished to follow his example, and helped him with this task.) Then he helped me bring up a table from the basement to set everything on. He emptied all the bars of soap out of their bulk packaging and placed the bars neatly in a large box. While he did this, I organized the rest of the things and put them in a spot at the table and printed signs so that it would be clear what needed to be included in each kit. Thank you, son! (if you do not see the slideshow in the space below, see sidebar at the top of the page for instructions on how to view it)
Friday, March 11, 2011
Washing 348 Towels
When I spoke to the woman from the towel company and explained what they were for, she advised me that the towels would all need to be washed. The towels are vacuum packed so that they can be compact for shipping, and they are not fully absorbent until they are washed and dried. Since our kits will be going to people who are unlikely to be able to wash and dry the towels properly, this became an additional step to take to prepare the kits.
So I sent out an email and the towels were divided among 5 of my friends. They each washed, dried, and FOLDED these towels BEAUTIFULLY and with care, and returned them to me. As I thanked one of my friends for how nice the towels looked when she returned them to me she said, "As I was folding the towels I thought - this really is a true act of service because I HATE FOLDING LAUNDRY!" She said it with a twinkle in her eye, and a beautiful laugh and smile that made me want to cry with gratitude. Thank you to J.&W., B.&T., E.&C., K., and A. for how quickly and willingly you accepted the task of preparing these towels to bless those who will receive them!
So I sent out an email and the towels were divided among 5 of my friends. They each washed, dried, and FOLDED these towels BEAUTIFULLY and with care, and returned them to me. As I thanked one of my friends for how nice the towels looked when she returned them to me she said, "As I was folding the towels I thought - this really is a true act of service because I HATE FOLDING LAUNDRY!" She said it with a twinkle in her eye, and a beautiful laugh and smile that made me want to cry with gratitude. Thank you to J.&W., B.&T., E.&C., K., and A. for how quickly and willingly you accepted the task of preparing these towels to bless those who will receive them!
The Miracle of the Towels
Last time I posted I was waiting for my shipment of towels. They were back ordered and I was told by the company that they would probably be shipped to me the first week in March. I still hadn't received a shipping email by then, so I called them again. The woman I spoke to said that she had been working there for 6 years and she had never seen a problem like this where they just weren't getting the towels from their suppliers. The reason was because these suppliers were having trouble buying the cotton so that they could make the towels. Since the summer the price of cotton has doubled. There was "flooding in Pakistan and bad weather in China and India" that depleted cotton crops. You can read an article from the NY Times about it HERE .
She said they still didn't have the towels I ordered and I explained how I needed them for this project. Then she asked if they had to be white, and I told her that it didn't matter what color they were. She said she'd call me back. A few minutes later she called back saying they could send all the towels I needed in a vanilla color, and for the same price we paid for the white towels. (The only reason we ordered white was because they cost less than the others.) They shipped them on Friday and they were at my house on Tuesday! We paid $7.88 for a dozen towels (when we purchased them in the first week of February), and they are now $18 for a dozen. Because of the generosity of those who donated, we were able to order the towels in bulk for an incredible price, and I now have 29 dozen towels in my possession that will help to complete these kits!
I see this as a miracle that God brought to pass so that these kits can get to those who need them - especially with the devastating earthquake that just happened in Japan.
She said they still didn't have the towels I ordered and I explained how I needed them for this project. Then she asked if they had to be white, and I told her that it didn't matter what color they were. She said she'd call me back. A few minutes later she called back saying they could send all the towels I needed in a vanilla color, and for the same price we paid for the white towels. (The only reason we ordered white was because they cost less than the others.) They shipped them on Friday and they were at my house on Tuesday! We paid $7.88 for a dozen towels (when we purchased them in the first week of February), and they are now $18 for a dozen. Because of the generosity of those who donated, we were able to order the towels in bulk for an incredible price, and I now have 29 dozen towels in my possession that will help to complete these kits!
I see this as a miracle that God brought to pass so that these kits can get to those who need them - especially with the devastating earthquake that just happened in Japan.
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