Breakfast Bags - January

Who is looking for a feel good service project to start 2020 off with a BANG? Yes! All of us… Consider contributing to our Breakfast Bags Project.

What are Breakfast Bags and who do they help? They are simply bags with breakfast to go in them in them. More specifically they are bags filled with nonperishable breakfast and snack items such as; juice boxes, fruit snacks, apple sauce, granola bar, protein bar, rice crispy bar, and other items of that nature. As a chapter we decorate and fill these bags and donate them to the Ronald McDonald House. They distribute them to the local children’s hospitals they service. These bags are used by families of children who have been admitted to the hospital. Some, just over night. Others for many months. These families are away from home. There are morning appointments and surgeries to get to. Having a bag of food you can grab and take with you is one less expense and one less thing to worry about. We decorate the bags to share joy, hope, and fun. Siblings of patients often enjoy selecting a bag that looks special to them. Parents enjoy the messages and kind thoughts. Breakfast Bags may be a simple project compared to others, but it makes a huge impact.

What can you do to help? This is a three (3) month project that has a little bit for everyone. Do what works for you and your schedule. Everyone’s contributions are equally important.

• Attend at our January general meeting. We will be voting on a motion to donate up to $100 for the cost of Breakfast Bag Supplies.
• Take home provided lunch bags at both our January and February meetings. Decorate them. Invite family, friends, children, and grandchildren to help. If you have a few extra lunch bags at home, you can decorate those as well. We are using the standard brown paper bags.
• Purchase items to be contributed to the bags and bring them to the January and February meetings. I will be shopping for items we still need the first weeks of March. Bag items to not need to be identical, so anything you donate will be appreciated.
• Join me at our February general meeting where there will be supplies provided to decorate bags while we meet. Take home a few extra bags.
• Plan on arriving to our March general meeting 30 minutes early (6:30 pm). We will be assembling the bags and boxing them up for delivery. 

Some of us have time. If that is you, consider helping to assemble the bags. Some of us enjoy being creative. If that is you, consider helping to decorate the bags. Some of us prefer to shop. If that is you, consider a personal donation of items needed to fill the bags. Everyone’s help is needed and appreciated. Now let’s start decorating so we have bags to fill up in March.

Thanks, Anna N
Breakfast Bag Chair

Hygiene Item Collection for the High Schools

Our chapter’s January Youth of Today Project will be collecting and providing much needed hygiene items to Armstrong and Cooper High Schools. See the list of items below that the school staff have requested. They are very appreciative for our assistance. The schools supply items for students, formerly called Kody's Closet. The schools asked that we NOT donate razors or mouthwash, and they do NOT need toothbrushes or toothpaste. Please consider bringing some items to our January general meeting. Thank You !

ARMSTRONG
Chapsticks
Lotions
Women's deodorant (they have lots for men)
Soaps (sensitive skin)
Shea Moisture
Products for African American students: Brands by Carol's Daughter & Cantu
New T-shirts
New underwear

COOPER
Ponytail holders
Combs (any kind)
Small packages of facial tissues
Travel size lotions Large
basic women's underwear
Mini-pad sanitary pads

Sweet Dreams for Kids

The Buckets of Sunshine Project for Winter State Convention this year is Sweet Dreams for Kids. They are a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to bringing smiles to faces of hospitalized children by collecting and donating new PAJAMAS to those kids. Chapters from all over the state will be bringing new pajamas for kids in hospital who love anything that reminds them of home. If you enjoy shopping for kids, think about picking up some PJs for a child who will really appreciate them. Pajamas will be collected at convention, January 24-26, so we will need to have them before the 24th and our January meeting isn’t until the 27th . Contact  Delores H to arrange a time to drop off your pjs before the 24th.

A Note from President Rita

This is the time of year when we start looking ahead and preparing for the next year. Many things will change in our 2020-2021 year. We will welcome in a new Board, new LPMs, new members, plan new events and embrace the changes that are to come. There has been discussion in the past of manpower issues with Duk Duk Daze and now that will no longer be a problem. There will be a new, smaller festival that the City and Lions have asked us to be a part of by continuing our family oriented activities. It is great to know that what we have contributed to the festival in the past was noticed and appreciated. We have an incredible chapter with members who step up and offer their time and support to our activities and to other members when they need it. I am so proud of our group of ladies! Come to the meeting and see how the Trimester Voting turned out. Bylaw Review Once a year we take a look at our Bylaws and Policies to see if there are changes that need to be made. Everyone is welcome to come and see what this is all about and add their input. We will be meeting at Frankie’s on Thursday, February 6th at 6pm. Due to the LPM positions that changed to coordinator positions, we will need to make those changes for sure.

Thanks, Rita