Hello everyone! I hope you are enjoying a safe and relaxing Labor Day weekend. All the fall activities start again in just a few days, so rest while you can!
"Extreme Makeover: Community Edition" Work Party on Saturday, September 6th, 9-1:
Next week is the first weekend of the Fair but we're going to try to take advantage of a good weather forecast to handle some outside chores:
- Complete tear-down of the old outbuildings: We are requesting three or four individuals to help move debris from the site into the dumpster after the tractor takes down the last of the buildings.
- Complete the interior demolition: There are some kitchen cabinets that need to be removed and put in storage, several small stretches of wall that need to come down and some shelves in the laundry area that need to be removed.
- Remove vinyl and particle board on the kitchen floor: We have a special saw that can cut close to the base cabinets but need someone to handle the labor (without removing any of their appendages) and someone else to remove the debris.
- Remove remainder of base board and trim around doors throughout; take up carpet tack strip that remains.
- Start exterior painting: This will be brush work, getting into the 1" grooves of T-111 siding. No masking is necessary since we plan to replace the windows. ANYONE HAVE A WINDOW CONNECTION YOU'RE WILLING TO CALL on our behalf to procure windows?
- Some yard work: We have a couple old lilacs that need to have the tops whacked off before we move them to another location and a couple quince bushes that also need the tops pruned. The bushes are about 9-10 feet tall.
- Remove old fence posts: The existing rail fence around one side of the property is to be replaced with chain link to improve our security. We need to remove the existing rails and posts.
There's something for almost everyone! Please shoot me an email if you wish to participate and the area you'd like to work on so we can plan.
THIS WILL NOT BE A SAFE SITE FOR CHILDREN under 16 due to all the activity. Teens 16 and 17 MUST have a parent with them on site at all times. Hard hats and safety vests will be available. Lunch will be served at 1:00; snacks available at 11.
A little bonus:
For every four hours you assist with the Extreme Makeover project, your name will be entered in a raffle to win one of a bunch of great prizes. This will also include the Beautify Bonney Lake event on September 20th (3 work hours instead of 4 for that event).
FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT!
A HUGE THANK YOU to so many who made our Family Movie Night fundraiser a success on Friday. It was such fun to watch E.T. - The Extraterrestrial on the big outdoor screen, under cloudy but RAINLESS skies with all the "trimmings" -- popcorn, cotton candy, strawberry shortcake, face painting, balloon animals, games, a jumper castle, raffles and more!
I shall be putting together a complete list of credits this week to share names of individuals and businesses who made the evening so special, but would like to thank Kurt and Serena Vilhelmsen/KAS Entertainment (www.outdoorsummermovies.com) for coming up with the idea and making it a reality; to the City of Sumner for use of their beautiful Rainier View Park; Andrea Henschell, Lisa Peters, Dana Williams, Susan McCammon and Julie Terry (www.clownbuggie.com), and Jessica Larios for the innumerable hours of energy, ideas, shoe leather, emails and phone calls last week to bring all the details together. It wouldn't have happened without you all - you are awesome.
And to our community who joined us -- it wouldn't have happened without you, either. Thank you for your generosity and support! More to come on this!
Miracles:
We have a sign on our wall at Lions 4 Kids House that says "Miracles Happen". Over the last two years we've had so much stuff we needed sort of "fall in our lap" that we've come to believe quite strongly that miracles do indeed come. This week was extraordinary, even for us!
- Last Saturday at our first work party, our plumber mentioned he'd soon be ready for lumber to frame the bathroom (after our permits are issued, of course!). I explained that we didn't have any funds at the moment but when we had some, or had some lumber donated, we'd make sure he got it. He turned and walked back into the building when a car drove up and a pair of anonymous donors handed me a gift card for $200 to Lowe's.
- A couple of volunteers and I were discussing that with all the kids we've served this month we are very short of kids' shoes. The next day I had a call from a lady who participates in a fundraising group who had heard about Lions 4 Kids. She asked for more information which was emailed to her. The following day she called me again and said they were working on our general "wish list" but that her neighbor owns a shoe store and donates a considerable number of shoes to a non-profit organization. She has agreed that Lions 4 Kids will receive the donation this year!
- We had a young man at our check-out desk with his mom when the mother mentioned that her son really needed to start using deodorant. I mentioned that we didn't have any product for boys at the moment but when we bought some, I'd call her. (Yes, we could give him "Secret" for girls, but then he'd be made fun of in the locker room, which is what Lions 4 Kids is working hard to avoid). The clients hadn't even left the counter when a donor walked in the building with a bag full of: men's deodorant.
- All last week we watched the weather forecast for Friday's event. All week the forecast grew worse. Consultations with various participants the morning of the event yielded consensus: "let's go for it." Storm clouds gathered and disbursed all day. Blue sky would appear -- then disappear. In the early evening the clouds to the southeast were nearly black. But not a drop of rain fell on our parade. And we made enough money to buy socks and underwear to last us for the next six weeks worth of clients.
August at Lions 4 Kids House:
The images are indelible! Little kids, and big ones too, SO excited-- some literally bouncing with joy -- to have great clothes, shoes, backpacks and supplies to go to school with; moms, dads and grandparents raising grandchildren so appreciative of the help, relieved their kids will be on a more level playing field with their peers; and volunteers amazed at the stunning needs yet so thankful to be able to share their time and help make a difference.
Just about 300 children served and OVER 500 HOURS of volunteer time in the month of August. WOW!
Who do we serve?
- One of our clients with two young children has a life-threatening illness that requires an organ transplant. Due to her health situation she's unable to work. The family's medical bills are understandably huge. Her husband is in business with his dad and the family is getting by. Til Dad -- in mid-life -- ran off with a woman less than half his age. An entire young family's livelihood and future is now uncertain, as is the business and it's all beyond their control.
- Gramma's raising three kids, 8, 11 and 13 after the kids' mom relapsed in her drug addiction. The mom is back in rehab, dad's not in the picture, but in the meantime the whole family is in disarray. Gramma lives in a rooming house with her elderly mother and the three kids are sleeping on the floor as there is no room for beds. The kids now have decent clothes and shoes, and the family has been referred to the Sumner Family Center and the Child & Family Guidance Center "Relatives Raising Children Program" for further assistance.
Lions 4 Kids is privileged to be part of a resource network that provides a safety net for children and families of which the families described above are only two of thousands. Together we ARE making a difference, one child at a time.
Lions 4 Kids Wish List:
- We accept new and gently used clothing and shoes for kids of all ages and adults too as some of our kids are tall or large in stature.
- Books for kids of all ages
- Personal care items including shampoo, toothpaste, soap or body wash, deodorant, shaving gear, sanitary products, granulated laundry detergent, quart-size Ziplock bags
- Socks and underwear for kids of all ages. We respectfully request boxers for boys over size 12; bikinis or hipsters for girls over size 12 and no-show socks for kids of both genders
- When we are moved into our new facility we want to provide haircuts twice a month. Our goal is one Wednesday 4-7 p.m. and one Saturday 10-2 per month with two or three chairs. We have compiled a list of businesses in Bonney Lake and Sumner (can also use people from Buckley and Orting!) but need a volunteer willing to contact hair cutters, coordinate the calendar and make sure the cutters are reminded when they are scheduled. If 50% of our local salons would be willing to donate just one session per year, we'd have our goal met and Our Kids would be kept clean and tidy!
Extreme Makeover projects:
- We need people who can sew willing to stitch window toppers for our new building. There are nine windows altogether with three of them being wide windows. They'll be simple toppers but will have a scalloped hem on the bottom. Also need to sew four curtains for our dressing rooms and two small throw pillows.
- We are in need of windows, lumber, sheetrock, insulation, nails and screws and electrical supplies for the next phase of our project. Please see our website (www.lions4kids.com) for a complete list of materials needed. Our goal is to have construction completed by mid-October. In no way do we expect any one person or business to donate everything, but one 2x4x10, one sheet or particle board or one box of nails DOES make a difference!
Ok, this one's a funky request: Our "Miracles Happen" sign is made of tin letters. I'd like to have the word "Here" added to it but I'm creativity-challenged in this regard. Is there someone out there who might be able to help?
Financial Donations: it's coming up on United Way renewal time. If you donate to organizations through United Way you are able to designate specific, local non-profits as beneficiaries of your funds. We are privileged to be a United Way- designated organization under the Bonney Lake Lions Foundation, and the thousands of kids in our service area will benefit greatly from your donations to Lions 4 Kids House. We will appreciate your consideration.
The Bonney Lake Lions Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization #38-3753543 and your donation is tax deductible.
Next Volunteer Training: Our next training is scheduled for Wednesday, September 17th at 7 p.m. at our present building in front of the Bonney Lake Library. It takes 75-90 minutes, and after the training there is no obligation to become a volunteer. No pre-registration is necessary. The next class after that (and the last before the holidays) will be October 15th. After the initial training evening new volunteers will be working with a veteran volunteer for a time to make you comfortable with our procedures.
The only volunteers who are actually "scheduled" are those who work with Our Kids during open hours. Other than that, you are able to work as much or as little time as you wish. Some of our volunteers only have an hour a month to give; others work 10 or more hours per week. There are a number of activities that can be done from home as well. We desire individuals who won't see this as "just one more thing" on their plate, but rather as an opportunity to serve with a joyful heart.
Kids are OUR future and are SO worth the investment we are making. Thank you for your support of Lions 4 Kids House in so many ways. Miracles DO Happen Here, every single day!
With a grateful heart, Carol
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