Starfish Foster Home

"Children are a wonderful gift. They have an extraordinary capacity to see into the heart of things and to expose sham and humbug for what they are."
              ~ Bishop Desmond Tutu

Our upcoming meeting will be Monday, March 5 at Lynn's home.  We will be finishing the Comfort Pillows. We have plenty of fabric, so we just need to finish what we have, so they can be delivered to the hospital. We will have a Potluck Lunch.  Come and bring a friend and enjoy a few hours of service, lots of laughter and love.

For our March 5 meeting we will also be collecting items for the Starfish Foster Home in China. In September 2005, Amanda de Lange founded Starfish Children's Services to save children who have special health needs that are the most at-risk in its partner orphanages. This promptly resulted in the establishment of Starfish Foster Home (SCS) to rescue children in need of medical care by working in collaboration with local orphanages. After nursing them back to health through solid nutrition and a loving environment, Starfish Children's Services organizes and pays for the children’s surgeries before providing post-operative care. After the surgeries, the goal shifts to getting these children in the adoption pipeline so that they can join a stable, loving family.

Current Needs for the Starfish Foster Home:

1. Preemie Diapers. Make sure they are preemie (not newborn). RaeLee found these at the Springville WalMart for $9.47, but didn't see them at the Payson WalMart.
2. Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen drops for infants - Available most anywhere - under $5.
3. Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen for ages 2-11.  Available most everywhere - under $5.
4. Desitin - original, maximum strength, in purple packaging - available most places - about $4.
5. Booginhead - PaciGrip Pacifier Holder - Babies R Us - $5.49
6. Plastic backed bibs - Walmart - 6/$6.00.  Babies R Us - 5/$8.00
7. Playtex nipples - Playtex drop[ins, natrualatch latex  - K Mart $3.99
8. Nuby Squeeze Feeders - Rae Lee couldn't find these, but did find the Munchkin brand at WalMart for $5.44 and Babies R Us, $6.99

If you have questions about any of these items, please contact Rae Lee.  You can also learn more about the Starfish Foster Home and what they are doing by clicking on the link in the name or at the sidebar.

We CAN Three Year Anniversary

"Act as if what you do makes a difference.

It does."

~ William James

Our dear friend, Carolyn, retired from teaching and decided she wanted to make a difference in the world.  She shared her idea with a few of us and we were eager to help.  Three years ago, in February 2009, we held our first meeting.  We decided to call our group, We CAN (We Care And Nourish). 
We meet once formally each month and work on a service project, and many of us also work on the project throughout the month as well. We also "collect" items each month for a local or international humanitarian organization.  We have done many different things in the last three years.  Sometimes our service is focused on someone in our own community, sometimes we are doing things for someone on another continent.

We feel great joy in our service and have developed deep and lasting friendships with the lovely ladies that we serve with. In the scope of world wide needs, we have only put a drop in the bucket, but every drop of extra love sent out to the world eventually will be felt by someone, somewhere.  Our hope and prayer is that whoever receives our gifts of love will know that they are loved and will feel the love of the Savior in their life.

Thank you, Carolyn, for your inspiration in starting this wonderful group, your insight, your energy and enthusiasm in keeping us going. 

"We can do no great things, only small things with great love. "~Mother Teresa


 A short overview of most of the things we have accomplished:

1. A van load of beans and rice delivered to Rosarita
2. Baby Quilt - Humanitarian Center
3. School Kits - Afghanistan (4 times)

4. T-shirt Dresses, Flip-flops and tee-shirts ~ Village of Hope Foundation
5. Crocheted Afghan, Warm Up America Project ~ Food and Care Coalition
6. Festival of Trees 3 years running ~ A Decorated Tree, and Gift Items for the Gift Shoppe
7. Crafts, Quilts and Holiday Decor ~ Mothers Without Borders, 3 years
8. Baby Blankets ~ Mountain Baby Blankets in Appalachia
9. Supplies ~ Women and Children's Crisis Center
10. Geckos, Bees and Crocheted items for the AF Humanitarian Center
11. Dolls and Crocheted Preemie Hats and Booties ~ Humanitarian Center
12. Freezer Meals ~ for local families
13. Missionary Christmas Stockings ~ 2 years

14. Baby Quilt  - Primary Children's Medical Center

15. Children's Socks ~ Humanitarian Center
16. Twin Quilt ~Humanitarian Center
17. Grocery and Manufacture Coupons for Servicemen and Families
18. Fabric Flowers and Headbands ~ Mothers Without Borders Boutique
19. Valentines for patients in local hospital and their Gift Shop
20. Collected Flannel fabric Squares for Quilts for High Risk Mothers and Babies
21. 552 Mini-cheesecakes, 400 cupcakes and 300 sugar cookies for a friend's daughter's reception
22. Comfort Pillows for patients getting treatment at local hospitals
23. 
    Bake Sale ~ for a friend's hearing aids
24. Collection of Baby Clothes and Accessories ~ Teddy Bear Den March of Dimes
25. New and Lightly Used Shoes ~ Soles for Souls 
26. Christmas Stockings for Soldiers ~ 2 years
27. Clothing, Games, Toys, Winter Gear ~ Humanitarian Center
28. Quilt  and Recipes for a friend
    
    
    
    "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.
It's not."
~Dr. Seuss

Up, Up and Away

"Kindness is an inner desire that makes us want to do good things even if we do not get anything in return. It is the joy of our life to do them. When we do good things from this inner desire, there is kindness in everything we think, say, want and do." ~Emanuel Swedenborg

 These are photos of the aerial humanitarian lifts they are doing overseas.  Our collection of hats, gloves, and socks will be soon flying high. 

Heart to Heart

"It is not enough to give alms to those in need. That is important, yes. But it is also important that we give of ourselves with our alms. May the real meaning of Christmas distill into our hearts, that we may realize that our lives, given us by God our Father, are really not our own, but are to be used in the service of others." ~ Gordon B. Hinckley, "The Gift of Self", Tambuli, Dec 1986, 2
 

Vila, Carolyn and Patti

 Monday, February 6th, the We CAN ladies met at Carolyn's home to put together 120 Valentines that were taken to local retirement centers in Payson. 

Paula and Ortencia

 We made one for each person that lives at the Retirement Center and hope that they could feel our love for them when they receive the Valentines on their breakfast tray on Valentine's Day.

Paulette, Rae Lee and Heidi

 A little bit of cardstock, stamps, ribbon, markers, scissors and glue were soon turned into unique and fun creations that say, "We Care About You!"  

Carol, Ardis and Barbara

 While the creative juices are flowing, there is much love, laughter and visiting during the few hours we are together.

Our Valentine's ~ piling up

 A few of the lovely Valentines that were made today.

Hats, gloves, socks ~ soon to be on their way to Korea

These hats, gloves and socks will soon be on their way over the seas to Korea through Rose Ann Gunther's Humanitarian Organization.  Learn more about her Weekly Service Projects  that began 22 years ago and has not stopped since, in this great article at Meridian Magazine.  This project is a fun one, as the clothing is "air lifted" with hot air balloons to people in need.