Anyone want to help?

    • Gold Top Dog

    Anyone want to help?

    I got a call this week from a gal in my Church who is trying to gather goods for a young woman with 3 children.  The gal is going to be released from the hospital (extended care facility) fairly soon and would like to be able to reclaim her kids from foster care.
     
    Long story short.....hubby is now in jail for beating the woman senseless and taking the 5 and 3 year old boys and the infant girl on the run....but not before he set fire to the trailer that they called home.
     
    The kids are split up into 2 different foster homes and they have SOME clothing that the State provided for them. Nothing for winter tho, since they've been in foster care since April.  And a local modular home dealer is donating a unit to put on the land where the trailer sat.  Church people and others in the community will provide the labor.  I've pretty well got her kitchen covered since I have a fully stocked kitchen in my RV and she can have dishes, small appliances, silverware, etc from that.
     
    I'm all over Freecycle in this area and have some pieces of furniture promised as well.  Basically tho, this gal will be starting to set up housekeeping from scratch....with 3 little ones.
     
    So, if anyone would like to donate gift cards to help get her back on her feet, drop me a PM and I'll give you an addy to mail it to.  I'm going to be making a trip one day this week to start picking up furniture to store in my giant garage and some Church members will also be bringing stuff here.  I think gift cards would be best so that the mom can buy whatever sort of stuff that she needs.
     
    Thanks for considering helping her out.
    • Gold Top Dog
    I've got little boys so I can definitely help with clothing.  I just sent you a PM...
    • Gold Top Dog
    thank you.  And thanks to those who choose to remain "silent donors" but who are pm'ing me!!
    • Gold Top Dog
    A little update:
     
    I went yard saling this weekend.  Sunday I shamed a lady selling a crib...the kind that turns into a youth bed....into giving it to me.  Yesterday I scored two twin captains beds for $25 total.  She wanted $50 each for them and I convinced her that she would be helping put a family back together, so she finally went down to $25 for both.  DS is off tommorow so I can use his truck to go start picking up the furniture that's been donated.
     
    I'm thinking that gift cards for Walmart would probably be the best since even tho most of us don't like Walmart, you can really stretch a buck there if you shop smart.  Kmart USED to sell decent bedding and whatnot for cheap, but then they got Martha Stewart in there and the prices are ridiculous...and the quality not great.  And honestly, I've found that bedding and towels from JC Penney don't last as long as the ones from Wally World.
     
    Baby girl is wearing 12M-18M clothing.  The boys are in 4T  and boys size 5, so if anyone is cleaning out closets.......
     
    Since I'm donating the kitchen stuff, I'll go out and get her the kitchen towels, pot holders, etc, and I didn't mention that I got a local grocery chain to donate kitchen staples AND some gift certificates for fresh stuff.  I've emailed several of the formula companies as well as Pampers and Luvs hoping I can shame them into a few cases of infant neccessities......
     
    Now I've just gotta go back up north and GET my RV so I can get everything cleaned up (heaven knows what shape it's in after DS lived in it most of the summer) and packed up for her.......
    • Gold Top Dog
    That's so awesome - you da' woman![sm=wink2.gif]
    • Gold Top Dog
    Well, you know me....I want to make a DIFFERENCE in peoples lives.....can't seem to get a job doing that so might as well put the old sales skills to work and make a difference to at least ONE family.....
    • Gold Top Dog
    Glenda, could you possibly set up a trust fund for them?
    Then those of us not in the US can also donate???
    • Gold Top Dog
    That's a really good idea.  I'll call the Church today and see if that's a possibility. 
     
    Are stores like Walmart, KMart, Sears, Penneys and Target NOT in Canada?  Somehow I figured that probably wasnt a corner of the earth that Walmart hasn't invaded![&:]
    • Gold Top Dog
    Yes we have Walmart here but I'm not sure if they take gift cards in the States from us due to the exchange rates.
    • Gold Top Dog
    Gosh, I always forget those pesky little details.  We get a lot of Candian money here because we are CLOSE to Canada, so I'm not sure how that works......
    • Gold Top Dog
    How about Mom. Any idea what size of clothes?
    • Gold Top Dog
    Size 8 I believe.
    • Gold Top Dog
    Glenda I will pm you later to send a gift card from Walmart's.
    But how about if we can start organizing a secret Santa thingy for them too. We could do the same thing gift card wise or send stuff individually, kids love getting mail especially presents.
    • Gold Top Dog
    What a sweet idea!  That would be really a NICE thing to do.  I wasn't thinking much beyond the now needs.
    • Gold Top Dog
    Just a little update......
     
    We stopped by this weekend to check out what's happening and the crawlspace is completely finished, ready for the house to be set on it.  I'm not sure if these come in pieces are in big parts.....but I guess that the men will be doing that through this week.  I need to call and find out if there is sheetrock involved and if they'll need help with mudding and taping...if so, I've got lots of practice with THAT and can go do some work.
     
    They decided that she would need a garage, so the double garage is all framed and someone donated a paved driveway and that's in place.  The old rubble from the trailer has been cleared away and the land really cleaned up nicely so it's going to LOOK like a yard and not an overgrowth of weeds and junk.
     
    I've gotten some Walmart gift cards and I believe that more are on the way.  I guess that the plan is to put the basics IN the house so she can move right in when she's released and then someone from the Church will take her shopping for the other things she'll want or need.  I needed to go to Walmart this weekend anyhow and happened to catch the "bed in a bag" sale and got some cute stuff for the boys rooms.  We have gotten some decent furniture donations....the sofa I didn't even bother to take, it was shabby, but everything else has been really NICE.  I'm going to strip down the donated dressers today and refinish them for the boys, and have a line on a dresser for the nursery AND a changing table as well.
     
    Once I mail Luvs some verification they will donate diapers for a year.  And I believe that one of the formula companies is going to kick in as well.  The pastor talked to the manufacturing company where this gal worked before she was so badly injured and they do have a job for her whenever she is ready to come back, and will put her in the office until she is ready to handle her OLD job, at the same rate of pay.  She really doesn't have any office skills, but this is a small town and they want to help.  And, the Church has a daycare where the children will be welcome and taken care of at no cost.
     
    I'm going in later in the week to one of the big furniture stores in town that almost gives their stuff away....and see if I can convince them to do just that....give me some stuff for the family.  I'll take in my list of what she needs and see what they'll do for her.  Fingers are crossed that as we get towards the end of the year they'll WANT a nice tax write off!
     
    We're getting there......