The finish line is in sight

Just two weeks to go.
After three months of work, here we are with just two weeks left before we can do some more good in the world.
And that's a nice thing, right?
I stressed for three months that we would be able to meet our goals, that 20 quilts and 105 hygiene kits and 20 lifeboxes -- all to benefit Livingston County Social Services -- were attainable goals.
Goals met, folks. Our count for Sat., Sept. 26 will be: 120 Hygiene kits for LCSS Adult Employment Division AND 50 hygiene kits for the Geneseo Groveland Food Pantry. That was an extra just because we had so much donated! We have almost 50 lifeboxes completely STUFFED and ready to decorate. We will have over 30 quilts to tie and bind. I am amazed and grateful at the hard work and generosity of so many who have made this project possible.
And the little miracles keep coming.
Today, a call from St. Lukes that they have MORE items for the project!! This after we stopped collecting!
Last week, we were short some items for hygiene kits and quilt batting. We had enough donated money to cover one or the other, but not both. Then, out of the blue, someone made an anonymous $100 donation -- exactly what we needed to cover our batting costs. A miracle.
Our life boxes are brimming, but were lacking in some of the crucial actual scrapbook materials. Nancy Gorton, of Nunda, offered to use her craft machine to make scrap booking die cut-filled baggies for the boxes. She's done 100 baggies full--two per box. Again, a miracle. Last week, a retired teacher in Geneseo donated about 80 books for the boxes. Miracles all around.
At the end of the day, all these items will be used by someone who needs them. Someone down on their luck will be able to clean themselves up and take some steps toward a better life. A child will be able to create memories. And for some reason, lately, I've been thinking about those quilts.
Of all the things we're doing, I keep thinking those quilts will be the thing that last the longest. Nothing will ever make right the problems that place a child in foster care. Stitched with love, though,maybe a blanket can ease the pain a bit. Maybe?
I don't know, but I hope so. I want it to.
And as always, we just need hands. All hands on deck, so they say. As many as possible to fill and decorate, tie and chat. Come meet someone new, serve in your community. We'll need all the help we can get Sat., Sept. 26 at 10 a.m. to get everything done.

Sorting day success

Today's sorting day was such a success, I have to admit I was a little stunned by it. Our goals were ambitious: multiple women's groups collect items over the summer for a service project to benefit Livingston County Social Services. We were told over and over we had our work cut out for us. We did, and we still do! But today, a group from Livingston County Mommies met to sort through hygiene kit and life box items we've been collecting for three months and holy cow! Goals met and exceeded!

And can I say many hands really DO make light work? I was grateful and even surprised by how many items we had donated. In the middle of the sorting, Bert DiFranco from St. Luke's dropped off another five large bags of items, including a huge bag of brand new beanie babies for the life boxes. Our goal for those boxes was to fill 20 of them. They are given to foster children when they enter foster care and filled with items that will help get them record their milestones in foster care. They also include other small things like socks, toys, etc. I was concerned that we would not have enough to fill our 20 boxes. Some people were concerned that we would not have enough shoe boxes. The verdict after sorting: 45 life boxes, which we filled with the help of some of the little folks. Amazing. I was worried about...???


On the hygiene kit front, Tammy with LCMommies thinks we will be able to do 120 hygiene kits for social services and 50 for the local food pantry...that's above and beyond our goal! I had hoped that there would be enough product left over to resupply the food pantry with hygiene kits and I'm so grateful we will be able to do that again. We need to purchase/have donated several more items, of course (toilet paper anyone, about 170 rolls?) but some cash donations we received will go a long way toward filling that goal!

On the quilt front, Rachel reports we have 15 quilts with backs actually in our possession. There are several more quilts coming in so we see ourselves heading way over our goal of 20. Again, we are thrilled. We do have a desperate need for batting, but other than that, we are set!

What's next? Maybe another week and a half of begging for a few more donations. (Did I mention batting and toilet paper?) And then on to Sept. 26, where we will need YOUR helping hands to pull this project together.

Did I mention we're having lunch that day? There may be goulash involved? And baked potatoes? And chili?

And quilts to tie and bind?

And boxes to decorate?

And hygiene kit bags to fill?

May hands will make light work!