Hello everyone! Thank you for the GREAT response to our request for drywall tapers. That piece of the project is now complete! Sanding, priming, texturing and possibly painting will happen this week!
In this installment:
- Brief thanks giving (more to come shortly - the lists are being compiled)
- Year-over-year kids helped
- Clothing donations requested and one other thing
- Warm coats distribution for the homeless
- Upcoming volunteer training sessions
- Save the date
- Planning for proms
- Status of new building
- Classifieds
- Note
Deepest thanks to:
- Larios Family Enterprises for finishing the drywall taping.
- Brad Doll for agreeing to sand and texture
- Bryan Long and his wife Marilyn who have been a stalwart helpers and support throughout this whole process
- 410 Rentals for use of the propane heater and dehumidifier
- Fred Jacobsen for forwarding our urgent message about needing a drywall taper in his newsletter
- Cadena Printing, Bonney Lake, for our beautiful new signs for the building! They're gorgeous!
And to:
- Our incredible volunteers who worked SO hard during November and December to serve Our 301 Kids
- Our Christmas Angels who wrapped gifts and brought joy and excitement into the hearts of so many children and their parents
- Our wonderful donors who made it possible for us to serve all Our Kids in this very difficult economic environment
- Susan (Glitterbug) McCammon who handed out warm coats, hats, mittens and smiles at the Sumner and Bonney Lake Food banks right before Christmas!
Year over year kids served:
November 06: 35 November 07: 73 November 08: Amended from 155 to 213
December 06: 100 December 07: 157 December 08: 301
The entire school year of 07-08 we served 1658 kids; so far the first four months of this school year we are at 843.
Clothing Donations Requested and one other thing:
- Our supply of jeans and pants for elementary-age girls from sizes 4-16 is very low. If your girls got new ones for Christmas and you're looking for somewhere to donate the gently-used but outgrown ones, please consider us!! (We're always in need of boy's jeans of all sizes too!)
- Also we are also in need of Boy's Large socks and also men's socks for our older boys and teens.
- We are looking for a crib with a mattress and sheets. Due to space constraints, we are unable to take baby furniture and car seats unsolicited but we do have a client in need so we're looking for a resource for baby Lyric. Thank you!
Lions 4 Kids On The Move: The next feeding program to distribute coats, hats and mittens will be in Edgewood at the Mountview Community Center at 10 a.m. on January 10th. (Yes, the Sumner School District extends to kids living in Edgewood!) For more information please contact Susan McCammon at grandmaslvsu2@msn.com.
Volunteer training sessions:
Interested in more information about volunteering with Lions 4 Kids? We have SO many ways you can help, limited only by your own imagination; many can be done from home. We welcome teens and youngsters to serve with their parents. Our youngest volunteer helps put toys on the shelves; Connor is not quite 2.
No pre-registration is required. All trainings start at 7 p.m. and last about 75 minutes. There is no obligation to serve after the training. We are extremely flexible with work hours; some volunteers serve an hour a month; others a couple hours a week at their convenience; others like Iona, Dana, April and Lisa give MANY, MANY hours. For everyone's safety, all volunteers are subject to a Washington State Patrol background check. This is a very special outreach to the children who are Our Future!
Location: Old House (in front of the Bonney Lake Library): Wednesday January 14th
New House (18924 - 89th St. E., Bonney Lake): Wednesday February 11th
New House Wednesday, March 11th
Hair cut coordinator needed: Beginning this month, we are offering tidiness haircuts for Our Kids on the last Wednesday and last Saturday of each month. We are requesting someone who could take our list of interested cutters and line up three cutters for each of the dates and confirm with them in advance that they're still available. January has been scheduled.
Save the dates:
March 8th, Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Lions 4 Kids House Open House and Volunteer/Donor Appreciation Day
Dignitary opening comments and house blessing at 1 p.m. Refreshments!! Entertainment!! Tour our new facility built entirely with donated materials and labor!! (Do you know how RARE this is??) Acknowledge our volunteers and donors who are the ones who make it all happen for so many kids!
March 21, Saturday 8 -12 p.m. Death By Chocolate Location to be announced
Enjoy fabulous food provided by the award-winning Culinary Arts students at Bonney Lake High School; fabulous entertainment; silent and live auctions of amazing chocolate confections and other great stuff! This is the Bonney Lake Lions Club's premier fundraiser for the year and supports our work in the community including Lions 4 Kids House. If you missed last year's amazing entertainment, don't despair...we have some awesome stuff planned for this year! (Don't be misled by the name of the event, either...Death by Chocolate just sounds more enticing than Death by Vanilla -- there IS something for everyone at this very fun evening -- not the least of which is fabulous fellowship!)
December 12, Saturday 8-12 p.m. Jingle Bell Ball, a community celebration to benefit the Bonney Lake Food Bank and Lions 4 Kids House - Swiss Park "Ballroom". Put on your dancing shoes, your fancy duds and have a ball for a great cause! More to come on this first of it's kind event in Bonney Lake! If you're interested in participating in the planning which will begin in the spring, let me know.
Prom Project Planning:
We don't have prom dates yet, nor anything definite scheduled in the way of planning, but if you think you might be interested in being a Fairy Godmother working with our Cinderellas, a godfather working with the Cinderfellas, or participating in some way in the Prom Projects for all four of our high schools (Bonney Lake, Sumner, White River and Orting), please send me an email and we'll get you on the list. We are changing the process this year to simplify it for our volunteers and details will be forthcoming.
Participating in the Prom Project is available to high school seniors (only) in living in poverty, are in good standing and on track to graduate. This is a really cool opportunity to make a difference in the lives of kids in poverty enabling them to attend this ultimate moment in their high school careers. For our volunteers, this is absolutely THE BEST goosebump moment in the world!!
New Building Update:
The City has graciously extended our stay to serve clients in the old building by the library until the end of January. Thank you! We're up against a hard deadline and are looking to the next four weeks to substantially complete the project so we can obtain final approvals and get moved.
- As mentioned earlier, texture and painting will be happening during this week (contractors scheduled).
Saturday 1/10 starting at 9: install batt insulation in accessible attic; install sliding glass door, back window, some door hardware and locks, patch siding; finish plumbing rough-in. Requesting assistance! Contractor will be on site, just need helpers please.
The following week: doors will be installed; furnace and ducts will be cleaned (contractors scheduled).
Saturday 1/17: Starting at 9 we would very much appreciate some heavy-lifters to move our floor-mounted cabinetry from a local garage to the building and set in place. Pickup trucks or panel trucks/vans would be extremely helpful as would dollies to roll the cabinets to their place. (This could also happen evenings during the previous week.) Requesting assistance please!
At some point after the floor-mounted cabinets are in place we will need to install the laminate flooring (Pergo-type).
The following week: lighting installation, baseboards; (contractors available)
Saturday 1/24: Wall-mounted racks installed, counter tops, backsplash, plumbing fixtures and faucets;
hang exterior shutters; final "stuff" and inspections. Requesting assistance please! Will have contractor on site, just need helpers.
Saturday 1/31: Finish whatever else needs to be done: hang window blinds and curtains; hang dressing room curtains; place furniture. Requesting assistance please!
Sunday 2/1 from 1-5: Subject to final inspection approvals: MOVE from old building to new! Pickup trucks and vans very helpful. Requesting assistance please!
Still to be scheduled subject to weather: exterior hard surface installation; roofing material; beauty bark and walkway gravel.
Awaiting word on availability: windows
Still need to find: blown insulation; flooring; baseboard material. (The flooring challenge fund currently has $952!)
It's SO fun to watch this building come together after all this time. Words can't begin to express our appreciation for all the donations and help we've had. Our Kids are going to be SO thrilled with this wonderful place!
In February we will complete the Serenity Garden.
NOTE:
We are going to be unable to use a school portable at our present location but many thanks to those of you who have been looking for one for us.
Finally: THESE KIDS GET IT!!
While Christmas Angels were wrapping gifts during the month of December they asked our young clients to take a short informal survey that included their name, age and what they are thankful for. We received about 50 responses. Kids from age 4 to mid teens, to a child, responded that they are thankful for their family and friends. It isn't the "stuff" that matters; it's the people who love, support and encourage us.
As we embark upon the year ahead, again, many sincere thanks for the support of our wonderful community. YOU are the reason we are able to do what we do. May your blessings be many! With gratitude, Carol
Carol Wells-Reed
Founder and Director
Lions 4 Kids House
20825 SR 410 East, PMB #198
Bonney Lake WA 98391
Message phone: 253-447-3844
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