Hearts & Hands

Warming the Heart!

2011-11-30T19:53:00.001-08:00

This month we've been collecting winter clothing items for the needy. My office has felt like Santa's workshop! I've had piles and piles of coats, hats and gloves! While it was messy and crowded in here, it warmed my heart. The generosity of the good people of this neighborhood is truly inspiring!

Tonight was my deadline for donations so I can drop the items off tomorrow. With the help of Tanner and Russ, I sorted and counted everything.

Here is what we collected:

36 pair of gloves/mittens

11 scarves

68 coats/jackets

120 hats

1 pair of boots

1 pair of ski pants

3 pair of socks

That makes a grand total of 236 items! Wow! In addition, 2 huge boxes of women's clothing was also donated!

My heart is so full of gratitude and love. The spirit of giving, the spirit of Christmas is truly alive and well here in our little neighborhood! Thank you all so much!

Merry Christmas!

Winter Clothes for Homeless

2011-11-11T06:34:00.000-08:00

Winter Wear Drive for Homeless

Now that the cold weather is upon us, it is a great time to think of our homeless brothers and sisters and reach out to them. Let's try to make their burden a little lighter (& warmer). If you have any hats, gloves or even some old coats laying around that you or your kids have outgrown and are no longer using, PLEASE consider giving them away this month to the homeless.

Whatever you can give will make a difference!

What We Need

Items can be new or gently used (still in good condition) and for all ages

~ Coats

~ Hats

~ Gloves or Mittens

~ Scarves

~ Ear Muffs

~ Socks

Also, mark your calendar for Friday, Nov. 18th at 11:00 am. We will be getting together at my home to make loom hats for the homeless.

If you've ever wanted to learn how to make these adorable hats, now is the perfect time! We will have all the needed supplies ~ just bring yourself. If you have your own project (hats, scarves, etc...) that you are working on, feel free to bring it, too. It will be a fun hour of service and friendship. Hope to see you there!

To Donate

You can:

~ drop your donations off to my house any day in November

~ bring your donations to the Service Day

Thank you for helping to warm those in need!

Thank You!

2011-10-29T16:21:00.001-07:00

What an amazing turnout this month for our Hearts and Hands service project! We had about 14 people here helping put the snacks sacks together and a lot of wonderful people who donated items for the sacks. It is the biggest turn out I've ever had. :)

With all of the generous donations, we were able to put together 180 Snack Sacks for hungry children in our valley!!! That was more than triple my original goal!

Wow! You are so amazing and caring! Thank you so much!

October's Project - Treat Bags for Homeless Children

2011-10-11T19:02:00.000-07:00

Did you know that there are over 12,000 homeless children in Utah. Unfortunately, that number increases each year. Please join us as we reach out with love and food this month!

On Tuesday, October 25

at 11:00 am at my home

Putting Together Treat Bags for Homeless Children

What We Need

~ Granola Bars

~ Fruit Snacks

~ Juice Boxes

~ Candy (small, individually wrapped)

To Donate

You can:

~ drop your donations off to my house any day before the 25th

~ bring your donations to the Service Day

~ Call me and I will happily pick up your donations

Let's try to make as many treat bags as we can & feed as many children as we can! Your donations matter (no matter how small or big)!

Thank you for feeding a hungry child & making a difference!

Thanks for the Letters!

2011-10-03T05:57:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for all of your help with writing letters to soldiers last month! I was able to mail 82 letters and children's drawings!

Just imagine - that means 82 spirits will be lifted, faces will smile and hearts will know they are loved!

It was wonderful to have several groups involved in our letter writing project:
~ a group of young men for church
~ Women and children from the neighborhood
~ High School students in the Service Club

Thank you again ~ Remember, you made a difference in someone's life!

No Higher Religion

2011-10-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

"There is no higher religion than human service. To work for the common good is the highest creed." - Woodrow Wilson

Commemorating 9/11 ~ Honoring Heroes

2011-09-06T11:25:00.000-07:00

Yea! Its' that wonderful time of year when we kick-off a new season of service! I love it when September rolls around and we get to roll up our sleeves and find ways to help our brothers and sisters in need.

As you know, this September 11th marks the ten year anniversary of the horrible terrorist attacks on our country. I love that 9/11 is now called Patriot Day. It is a day to remember and honor. As we commemorate this 10th anniversary, we want to honor the heroes who are on the front lines defending our freedoms and our way of life that we enjoy every day.

On Friday, September 23 at 11:00 am at my home, we will be writing letters to active-duty soldiers.

This is something that truly means a lot to them - more than the packages and goodies, they treasure a hand written note or a child's drawing expressing love, concern and gratitude. It is a gentle and loving reminder that they are remembered ... that they are not alone.

I hope we have a great turn out and get a lot of letters written to our amazing and courageous brothers and sisters serving in the military!

Please join us! It will be a fun and meaningful way to honor 9/11 and The American Spirit.

If you are unable ot join us on the 23rd, please feel free to write as many letters as you want at home! This would make a wonderful family activity. If you have letters* and just want to drop them off to me that's fine. Please get them to me by that day.

*All letters need to be in UNSEALED envelopes! Thanks!

Community Service Day

2011-01-10T10:15:00.001-08:00

Looking for something cool to do on Monday, MLK Day? Get involved in the local community service day.
Click the following link for all the details!

Community Outreach Day 2011

Christmas Stockings

2010-11-30T12:23:00.000-08:00

Christmas Stockings for Abused Women and Children

Please join us in sharing the true gift of Christmas - Love - with those precious children and women who have dealt with the brutality and heart-break of abuse. Let's make their Christmas a little brighter by letting them know that someone loves them!

We'll be collecting items to assemle 30 Christmas Stockings (10 children, 10 Teens, 10 Women)

There will be a donation box in the Relief Society room every Sunday until December 19th.

Items Needed for the 30 Stockings: (all items need to be NEW - thank you!)

Children's:

10 Boxes of Crayons

10 Coloring Books

10 Fruit Snacks

10 Granola Bars

10 Small Stuffed Animals

10 Candy Canes

Teen's:

10 Regular-sized Hershey Bars (plain)

10 Pair of gloves

10 Chapstick

10 Small Journals/Pens

10 Candy Canes

10 Beanies (already collected these!)

Women's:

10 Full-sized Hershey Bars (plain)

10 Lip Gloss

10 Nail Polish

10 Hair brush/comb

10 Small Journals/Pens

10 Beanies (already collected these!)

*If you'd like to donate stockings that'd be GREAT!!! (they can be homemade or purchased)

We'll put the stockings together on Monday, December 20th at 11:00 at my home.

Family Volunteer Day 2010!

2010-11-17T11:32:00.000-08:00

In lieu of of doing our own service project this month, we are supporting United Way of Utah County's Annual Family Volunteer Day! This is an fun and meaningful way to kick-off the holiday season with your family!

Family Volunteer Day

Saturday, November 20

at 10:00 a.m.

There are 3 Locations your family can go to volunteer:

1. Genola - MIGRANT HEAD START - help beautify their school!

2. Eagle Mountain - FRIENDS IN NEED (animal sanctuary)

3. Provo/Orem - VARIETY OF ORGANIZATIONS (Habitat for Humanity, Orchard Park Care Center, Kids on the Move, etc...)

To sign your family up for this amazing experience, please go to: http://www.unitedwayuc.org/

You will see the blue box that says "Family Volunteer Day".

Have fun making wonderful memories with your families!!!

Fleece Blanket Instructions

2010-09-22T09:16:00.000-07:00

No-Sew Slit-Fringe Fleece Blanket
(no knots)

YOU WILL NEED:

Polar Fleece (1 yard, 1 ½ yard or 2 yard pieces), Ruler and Sewing Scissors

SIMPLE 5-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Step #1 -

Before you begin, trim off selvage edges and square edges as needed.

Step #2 -

Cut a 4 inch square from each corner of the fleece.

Step #3 -

Cut clean and even 4-inch long by 1-inch wide fringe around the blanket.

Step #4 -

Using the tips of your scissors, make a tiny slit (about ½ inch long) at the base of each piece of fringe.

Step #5 -

Feed the end of the fringe through the back side of the slit you just cut and pull through to create a neat and secure fringed edge. (Please don’t do knots - the slit-fringe makes for a much softer blanket. Thanks!)

When your blanket(s) is finished you may either drop it off to my house or call me and I will pick it up.

If you have any questions, let me know.

Thank you so much for your help!

*Blankets Due By Sunday, October 31^st.

The Road Home

2010-09-14T17:15:00.000-07:00

For the next 7 weeks we will be making and collecting blankets* for the Road Home, the largest shelter in Utah that assists individuals and families experiencing homelessness all along the Wasatch front.

One of the biggest needs they have is blankets! With the cold weather just around the corner, this is a great time to gather blankets for our brothers and sisters who've fallen on extremely hard times.

Please join us for our first

BLANKET PARTY

Friday, October 8 at 11:00 am

Ways you can help:
1 - Come to the Blanket Party (bring your own materials, scissors, etc)
2 - Make blanket(s) at home
3 - Donate blankets (new or gently used)
4 - Donate Materials

All blankets can be dropped off at my home until Oct. 31. Please call if you'd like me to pick up your donations! Thank you!!!

*Blankets can be any size

Another Year of Service!

2010-09-14T16:22:00.000-07:00

September 2010 ~ May 2011

Its time to kick-off another year of service!

This year we will be focusing on BLANKETS!!!

We will be helping a wide variety of wonderful causes through our blankets.

(homeless, hospitalized children, abused women & children, elderly, etc...)

Once a month, we'll have a "blanket party" to make as many blankets as we can.

Blanket Parties will be on the 2nd Friday of each month at 11:00 a.m. at Laura's home.

You can also make the blankets at home. This would be a fantastic project to do together with your families!

If you can't make a blanket (either at home or at a blanket party), you can help by donating materials.

Blankets can be no-sew fleece, quilted, tied, crocheted, or knitted

Hope to see you at the Blanket Parties!

Projects for the Summer

2010-05-30T10:17:00.000-07:00

During the summer months (June-August), we won't be having any official Hearts and Hands activities.

The summer is a great time to find wonderful service projects to do as a family! There are so many fun and rewarding opportunities in our area.

Please check out the list of Community Needs on the right for ideas for you and your family. If you ever have any questions, please let me know. I am always happy to help!

I hope you have a happy and memorable summer with your family as you find ways to serve!

Have a great summer!

Fantastic Flip Flops!

2010-05-29T11:03:00.000-07:00

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Because of your big, generous hearts we were able to collect over 60 pair of flip flops this month!

It is so heart warming to think of the 50 individual children that will receive them. You can almost see their beautiful faces and hear their sweet voices...

You made a difference! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Soul to Sole

2010-05-07T10:15:00.000-07:00

For May's service project, we are collecting flip flops. These sandals will go to orphans around the world. Sometimes these flip flops will be the only shoes they get for a long, long time.

I will be collecting the flip flops all month long.

Thank you!

Spreading Sunshine to Nursing Home

2010-05-05T10:08:00.000-07:00

I'd like to send out a big thanks to everyone who helped with the service project in April! We made 32 really cute and cheery door hangings and a dozen bright and happy centerpieces. They all went to a nursing home in Orem.

When my son and I dropped them off, they were so excited and appreciative! You truly did spread a little sunshine and your unselfishness did brighten someone's day!

Thanks again!

Date Change!!!

2010-04-19T12:42:00.000-07:00

Please note the day that we are going to be putting the door hangers together will be on TUESDAY, APRIL 27 FROM 11AM TO NOON!

Thanks!

Scatter Sunshine

2010-04-17T11:22:00.000-07:00

This month we will be making cheery, Spring-time door hangings and centerpieces for a local nursing home.

What better group of people to make something special for than the sweet elderly people in our area?!

We'll be making 32 door hangings on Tuesday, April 27 from 11 am to Noon at Laura's home.

We have the kits we just need lots of helping hands! Please join us.

Also, we need 12 Spring Centerpieces. They can be as simple or creative as you like. This would be such a fun family project!

Please let Laura know if you would like to make 1 or a few centerpieces. I'll need them by Tuesday, April 27.

Thank you so much for your willingness to brighten the day of elderly patients!

Pillowcases

2010-04-17T06:01:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for all of your support and generosity last month in helping us make pillowcases for hospitalized children!

Our goal was to make and donate 50 pillowcases.

Yesterday, Marianne and I dropped off 101 pillowcases!!!

The lady at the hospital was thrilled! She was pleasantly surprised with how many beautiful, fun and cheerful pillowcases we were donating.

Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy lives to make a pillowcase that will brighten someone's day!

You are wonderful!

Here we've about reached our goal of 50 pillowcases

The Final count: 101!!!

Never Wasted

2010-02-21T07:46:00.000-08:00

"No act of kindness,

no matter how small,

is ever wasted."

- Aesop

Cheery Pillowcases

2010-02-09T08:04:00.000-08:00

February / March Project -

Cheery Pillowcases for Hospitalized Children

GOAL = 50 PILLOWCASES!!!

During the rest of February and the entire month of March, we will be making fun and colorful pillowcases for the sick children at the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo.

Pillowcases need to be:

New, standard-size pillowcase

Bright, fun or holiday patterns appropriate for children

Please wash the material before making the pillowcases so that the dye from the material does not rub off onto little faces

Make a Pillowcase:

We are asking you to make as many pillowcases as you'd like at your own home. We won't be getting together to make them. (corrections from Ward Calendar: not meeting on the 26th)

Patterns can be found here: http://crafts.kaboose.com/pillowcases1.html

Donations:

You can bring your fiished pillowcases to the donation box in the RS room on Sundays or drop them off at Laura's home anytime in February/March.

THANK YOU!!!

Any Questions, please contact me

January's Project - Newborns In Need

2010-01-09T10:09:00.000-08:00

During the month of January, I will be collecting blankets for "Newborns in Need". This is an organization that helps babies born to families living in poverty. Often, these families have little or nothing for their newborn.

Blankets can be:

New or Gently Used
Fleece, Flannel, Knitted, Quilted or Crocheted
Flannel Receiving blankets are welcome, too!
Any size appropriate for Newborns is welcome!

Donations:

You can bring your blankets to the donation box in the RS room on Sundays or drop them off at Laura's home anytime this month.

Make a Blanket

We will be meeting on Friday, January 29th at 11:00 to make blankets. I'll have some fleece and you may also bring your own materials to make whatever type of blanket you'd like.

THANK YOU!!!

2009-12-11T15:27:00.001-08:00

My creed is that:

Happiness is the only good.

The place to be happy is here.

The time to be happy is now.

The way to be happy is

to make others so.

- Robert G. Ingersoll

The Stockings Are Hung

2009-12-11T15:04:00.000-08:00

Today we put together all of the stockings for the The Women and Children in Crisis, an abuse shelter in Provo. We were able to make 30 stockings in all! And they were jammed packed full of goodies! I'm not sure we could've fit much more in them even if we wanted to.

A big thanks to everyone who donated items and helped put the stockings together! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

I think we find the true meaning of Christmas as we reach out to others - especially those whose hearts are heavy, whose eyes are downcast, and whose hands hang low. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to do something for someone else. That is the best Christmas gift I could ask for. I love that I can have dear friends by my side in service.

Thank you all for a wonderful year and I look forward to a new year full of love, friendship and lots of chances to give the gift of service!

Merry Christmas!

Santa's Workshop

2009-12-09T07:47:00.000-08:00

That's what it feels like in my office this week with all of the donations for the Christmas stockings we're putting together for the shelter!

I love it! I feel like Santa's elf! It is so wonderful to "see" the generosity of the amazing ladies in our neighborhood.

We will be putting the stockings together on Friday but I couldn't wait to post these adorable pictures!

Thank you to everyone who donated! You will make a real difference in someone's life this Christmas!

2009-12-08T10:06:00.000-08:00

"There is no higher religion than human service. To work for the common good is the highest creed."

~Woodrow Wilson

Christmas Stockings

2009-11-18T10:31:00.000-08:00

For our December service project we will be making up Christmas Stockings for Women and Children in Crisis Center, a local abuse shelter.

Please join me in sharing the true gift of Christmas - Love - with those precious children and women who have dealt with the brutality and heart-break of abuse. Let's make their Christmas a little brighter by letting them know that someone loves them!

I will be collecting items to make 30 Christmas Stockings (10 children, 10 Teens, 10 Women)

I will have a donation box in the Relief Society room every Sunday until December 6th.

Items I'll need for the Stockings: (all items need to be new - thanks)

30 Stockings

Children's:

10 Candy Canes

10 Small Stuffed Animals

10 Play-doh

10 Boxes of Crayons

10 Packs of stickers

Teen's:

10 Full-sized Hershey Bars (plain)

10 Candy Canes

10 Hair Brush/Comb

10 Pair of mittens/gloves/beanie hats

10 Chapstick

Women's:

10 Full-sized Hershey Bars (plain)

10 Candy Canes

10 Lip Gloss

10 Nail Polish

10 Hair brush/comb

We will be putting the stockings together on Friday, December 11th at 11:00 at my home.

Missionary Packages

2009-11-18T10:27:00.000-08:00

A big thank you to everyone who contributed to the Missionary Care Packages!!! We were able to jam-pack the boxes with all sorts of goodies! I know it will make Elder Swallow and Elder Dinehart happy to get all the treats and to know that we are thinking of them.

Also, thank you to all of the wonderful primary children who wrote a little note to the missionaries. Those cards and pictures will brighten their day!

Thanks again to anyone who helped in any way.

I couldn't do this without you!

Mark Your Calendars

2009-10-16T10:53:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

The Holiday Season is fast approaching!

And that means we have a lot of opportunities to help our brothers and sisters who are struggling right now.

I wanted to give you a "heads up" on ways you can make a difference in their lives this holiday season by joining our Hearts and Hands service projects over the next few months.

OCTOBER

October 18, Nov. 1 and Nov. 8th - We will be collecting items for Missionary Care Packages

NOVEMBER

Nov. 13 at 11:00 we will be assembling the care packages

DECEMBER

We will be collecting items for Christmas Stockings for the children, teens and women at the local abuse shelter. (Dec. 11 at 11:00 we will be putting the stockings together)

Compassion

2009-10-16T07:39:00.000-07:00

"Compassion is a network

of invisible threads

that weave a blanket

of love around

many lives."

- unknown

Family Volunteer Day

2009-10-08T08:16:00.001-07:00

Care Packages

2009-10-04T15:58:00.000-07:00

Our next project will be making Care Packages for the 2 young men from our Ward who are currently serving missions for our Church in Mississippi and Guatemala.

We want to send them a little bit of home and a lot of love and appreciation for their sacrifice!

Please join us in gathering the needed items for the care packages:

Jerky
Raisinettes
Gum
Dried Fruit (Bananas & Apples)
Chocolate Pudding Mix
Hard Candy
Kool-Aid
Skittles
Inexpensive CTR Rings
Stamps
Black Socks
Ties
Letters!!!
Money for Sending the Packages

We will be collecting items and letters through October and assembling the care packages on November 13th at my home.

Thank You!

Cards for At-Risk Youth

2009-10-04T15:54:00.001-07:00

Thank you so much to those of you who helped make blank notecards and bookmarks for the youth at the Juvenile Justice Services!

The cards and bookmarks were great! We had some very creative people helping us. The great thing is that each one of those cards will go to a teen who needs a reminder that there are people who care about them!

Thanks again for taking time out of your busy schedule to make a difference in another person's life!

Hope to see you next time!

2009-06-09T17:26:00.000-07:00

BE A GUARDIAN ANGEL THIS SUMMER!

Hunger never takes a holiday or goes on vacation.…

Instead of having Hearts & Hands activities in June and July, we are asking everyone who is interested in helping, to please donate to the Utah Food Bank during these 2 months. Donations may be dropped off at 815 S Freedom Blvd in Provo, M-F 9 a.m - 4:30 p.m..

What a difference we can make if we each just took up 1-2 bags of food/supplies! Please join us for this very worthwhile project.
For more info you can go to: http://www.communityactionprovo.org

Most Needed Items:
• Toilet paper
• Bar soap
• Shampoo
• Laundry soap
• Disposable diapers
• Feminine hygiene products
• Peanut butter
• Canned Tuna
• Canned beans and chili
• Canned stews and soups
• 100% fruit juice
• Powdered milk
• Canned fruits and vegetables
• Macaroni and Cheese Dinners
• Cereals

We will resume with another wonderful service project in August - We hope to see you then!

Doubled Our Goal

2009-05-29T07:40:00.000-07:00

I was hoping to collect 200 pairs of socks and underwear for the Nebo Foundation to give to needy children right here in our own school district. These children are classified as homeless and their families receive a lot of wonderful assistance from the Nebo Foundation. However, the kids won't normally get NEW socks and underwear.

Well, I am happy to report that we collected double of what our goal was!!! Yesterday, I counted out all the socks and underwear that we so generously donated and here are the final #'s:

Socks: 227 Pair

Underwear: 153 Pair

Isn't that amazing? Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who donated! I will be dropping these off today and I hope you all realize that you truly made a difference!

Helping In Our Own Neighborhood

2009-04-24T14:53:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, our local newspaper had an article entitled "Hitting Home - Homelessness in Nebo School District". My heart broke when I found out that there are 1,632 students who do not have good living conditions. 1,432 children fall into the category of homeless - "they may be living in a car, campground, or shelter. Or they may not have running water or heat in their home."

Our school district has a wonderful group called the Nebo Education Foundation that identifies and helps these families. (Providing weekly food boxes for the families, free school breakfasts and lunches, clothing and household items from the local D.I thrift shop and heat programs.)

In the article it mentioned how the children get their clothes from the thrift shop but that means they usually won't get new socks or underwear. When I read that I knew right away what our next service project would be! I contacted Monica Hullinger, one of the district's social workers that helps these families and told her that we wanted to help. She was thrilled! I told her that we'll get those great kids some brand-spankin' new socks and underwear!

So, if you would like to help, we'd love your donation of brand new socks and underwear that will fit children in grades k-12. I will have a collection box at Church for the first 3 sundays of May. Also, you can drop your donation off to my home or call me and I'll be happy to pick it up.

Sew Fun!

2009-04-09T14:41:00.000-07:00

Today we met to make the sewing projects for Kids on the Move. It was really fun! We had a few new faces join us today. I love it when we have a few different generations gathered around my kitchen table busily working and forming bonds of sisterhood and friendship at the same time!

We were able to make a ton of towel bibs , mash bags and scarves. We had a lot of fabric to work with that people generously donated. Each month my heart is touched by these dear ladies and their willingness to help and to generously give - no matter what the cause. They truly love being anxiously engaged in a good cause with their hearts and hands!

Kids on the Move

2009-03-31T13:23:00.001-07:00

In April we will be sewing some simple items for Kids on the Move, a local, non-profit organization that provides support and services for families with special needs children and also low-income families.

CALLING ALL SEAMSTRESSES

(and those who want to learn basic sewing!)

We will be making some items they are in desperate need of at this time:

Bibs, Mesh Toy Bags and Scarves to use in Kindermusik

This is a wonderful opportunity to put your sewing skills to good use or to learn to sew for the first time!

Please join us on April 9th at 10:00 a.m. at my home.

If you are unable to make it on the 9th but still want to help, you can always donate fabric! We need mesh and chiffon (any colors) and new hand towels.

Hope to see you on the 9th!

Blankets of Love

2009-03-19T12:51:00.000-07:00

This month we made blankets for Project Linus. Its a great organization and I think the ladies were happy to help in any way they could! We were able to donate about 20 blankets! Our little group made about 12 in just over an hour! Also, a few people made blankets at home and donated them.

A few days after our group met, Russ and the boys made a blanket, too. It was great because they did it all by themselves! It does my heart so much good to see my sons doing things for others and that they truly enjoy doing it!

Mom and I had a wonderful visit with the lady who is the local representative in Orem when we dropped off our blankets. She told us of a young man who just finished his Eagle Scout Project of overseeing the making of over 100 blankets for Project Linus. She told us that when that young man was a little boy, he was very sick and was at the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. His vital signs were taking a dive and the doctors were getting pretty nervous and they decided that they would have to life flight him up to the Children's Primary Hospital in Salt Lake City if they got any worse at all. Then the "blanket lady" came around and went into his room. She let him pick out his own blanket and he remembers how happy and excited he was to get the blanket. The Eagle Scout told this dear lady that shortly after he got his blanket, all of his vital signs went up to where they were supposed to be. He feels like that blanket possibly saved his life! So, he grew up and wanted to give back o Project Linus. She told us she could tell us all sorts of heart-warming stories! I would love to hear them all some day. :)

I told her that we will make more blankets throughout the year for Project Linus. They need about 5,000 blankets around Christmas for when "Santa" flies them down to the Indian reservations and gives all the beautiful children a nice, warm blanket of their own. We will definitely help with that!

The blankets were adorable - fun, bright, cheery! It is so wonderful to know that these blankets that we made with our hearts and hands will be given to children that will wrap up in them and feel safe and loved.

Project Linus

2009-03-02T11:34:00.000-08:00

In March, we will be contributing to "Project Linus". This is a national organization with local chapters throughout the US. We will be making blankets for children who have been traumatized or who are ill. The blankets we make will go to local children.

I love the thought of making a nice, new, cozy blanket for a sweet child to cuddle up in and feel safe and loved. In fact, Project Linus' mission statement is Building Security Through Blankets. I love that!

They take all types of blankets: fleece, knit, crocheted, and quilted. They just need to be new, washable and kid-friendly.

If you'd like to join us, we'll be making them on Thursday, March 12 at 10:00 a.m. at my home. Bring your own material or work on a fleece blanket that's already here.

Make a Blanket ~ Comfort a Child!

Love is the Cure

2009-02-15T08:55:00.001-08:00

"Love cures people -

both the ones who give it

and the ones who receive it."

- Dr. Karl Menninger

A Special Valentine

2009-02-12T12:01:00.000-08:00

Today was our second meeting as a service group. We gathered items all month long for valentine bags for abused women and children at a shelter in Provo. The coordinator I spoke with asked if we could please do 15 bags for women and 15 for children. Well, because of the amazing generosity of these ladies, we were able to make even more than that and have a few extra things like coloring books, crayons and hershey bars that they can give out as needed at the shelter.

Today the ladies came over and we assembled everything into the bags. I think they turned out wonderfully! They were full of cheery items, chocolate and other sweets with a note attached wishing them a happy day.

When we were done putting the bags together, Marianne and I dropped them off at The United Way office in Provo where someone from the shelter can pick them up this afternoon.

Hopefully, these little goody bags will touch the hearts of the women and children so they will know there are hearts and hands that truly are about them.

Valentine Bags

2009-02-02T08:07:00.001-08:00

For this month's service project we are collecting items that we'll put in Valentine goody bags for the Women and Children In Crisis, a shelter for the abused.

I made a list of all of the items we would need to make the 30 bags for the residents there. Last Sunday, I passed the sign-up sheets around at Church so people could volunteer to bring the needed items. When I got the lists back, I was shocked - everything was signed up to be donated! I even got some extras in a few categories! I am learning that I shouldn't be shocked - I live in a very loving, caring and generous neighborhood with a lot of amazing people who do want to help others. It does my heart good.

We will be putting together 15 Valentine bags for the children and 15 for the women. We collected things like coloring books, stuffed animals and hostess cupcakes for the kids and lip gloss, nail polish and hershey bars for the women. I think the bags will be nice - hopefully a small token to let these precious children of God know that we love them.

We'll be putting the bags together on Thursday, February 12 at 10:00 a.m.. Please join us if you'd like!

Next Project

2009-01-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

Our next project will be on

Thursday, Feb. 12

10:00 a.m.

We will be making Valentine's Day treat bags

for the Women & Children In Crisis Center

Please join us!

First Service Project

2009-01-15T16:10:00.000-08:00

Today was our first service project! We had a great turn out and were able to make about 25 File Folder Games that will be sent to orphanages around the world as part of the LDS church's humanitarian effort.

I wasn't sure what kind of response I'd get for this service group but it was so heart-warming to see all these dear ladies take time out of their day to do this for someone. Someone they've never met. A very young someone who's already been asked to bear a lot. Someone who will hopefully know they are loved by friends that have yet to meet them. I can't help but think that someday, in heaven, we will meet the people that have blessed our lives. And what a glorious moment that will be when we get to meet these sweet children who have blessed our lives with the chance to do something for them. I pray, as I'm sure all the ladies that helped today do, that the small orphan children will feel of our love for them when they play these simple, cheerful games.

As I looked around the table at these wonderful wo

men (young, older, single, married and widowed) I was deeply touched. It really is the small things that matter most in life. Small things from our hearts and hands.

Kick-Off Get-Together!

2009-01-02T13:59:00.000-08:00

Our first get-together will be on Thursday, January 15th at 10 am at my home. We will be making File Folder Games for orphanages around the world that will be sent out with Humanitarian services. It should be a lot of fun and very rewarding!