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)
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