"No Traffic Jams Along the Extra Mile" April 2018

“There are no traffic jams along the extra mile.” 

~Roger Staubach

April 2018 was at Ardis' home. Attending for a few hours of service were Maureen, K.D., Brittany, Carolyn, Carol, Barbara, Vila, Ardis, Paula, Sharon.  We made and decorated felt hearts for Hearts Knit Together which are placed in kits for women in Utah's 16 domestic abuse shelters.

 We collected items for Refugee First Aid kits for Lifting Hands International (serving refugees in Jordan and Lebanon).  We assembled the kits.  Each kit contained one pair of nail clippers; one box of band-aids; one ace bandage wrap; one roll of gauze; and one box of alcohol wipes

"Then We Can Help" September 2018

There is a lot that happens around the world we cannot control.  

We cannot stop earthquakes, 

we cannot prevent droughts, 

and we cannot prevent all conflict, 

but when we know where the hungry, 

the homeless and the sick exist, 

then we can help.” 

~Jan Schakowsky

Our September We Can meeting was held on Monday, September 10, 10:00 a.m. at Carol"s house. Carol, Paula, Jessica, Lesa, Maureen, Ardis, and Carolyn met together to work on ornaments for the Festival of Trees tree.

Paula, who is designing our tree for the Festival of Trees had ornaments for us to work on   We are doing a "bee" themed tree.    We also worked on finishing neighbor gifts for the gift shop at Festival of Trees  Some of the ladies embroidered and did some backstitching on some dishtowels that will go with the tree.

We collected food for the Little Free Pantry in Payson.  The pantry accepts only non-perishables (things that are canned or boxed).  Ardis suggested donating food with pop-top cans (so the client doesn't need a can opener to use it) ;things that are ready to eat like  crackers and cheese; fruit snacks; and foods that are complete by themselves, like canned chili con carne ( foods that don't need other ingredients) etc.  The pantry also accepts personal care items, paper goods, and baby things (no medicine, razors, cleaning supplies, clothing or used goods). 

The Little Free Food Pantry in Payson

"Being Willing is Not Enough, We Must Do!" November 2018

 "I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do." -Leonardo da Vinci 

Our November We Can meeting was held Monday, November 5, 10:00 a.m. at Lynn's new home.
Barbara, Lynn, Ardis, Carolyn, Maureen, Carol, Paula, Brittany and Sandy were there for a few hours of service.

We worked on ornaments for our Festival of Trees tree and items to donate to the gift shop at Festival of Trees.

Barbara and Lynn working on Bee ornaments

Ardis and Carolyn cutting and gluing

Paula putting on final touches

Maureen and Brittany painting Bs

Sandy, Carol and Maureen painting ornaments, and honey twizzlers

Some of the fun ornaments that will go on the tree

Carolyn, Maureen and Ardis getting the luncheon together

We also collected jars of peanut butter and new gloves.

 This "Peanut Butter and Gloves" drive is sponsored by Mountainland RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program).  The peanut butter and gloves will be distributed to those in need in our community.  Some of the recipients of this drive will be Tabitha's Way, Community Action Services and Food Bank, Food and Care Coalition of Provo (homeless shelter) , Christian Center of Park City, home-bound seniors with Meals-on-Wheels, Utah Community & Refugee Partnership,  etc.  Last year we collected socks for a RSVP sock drive (Socks for Souls) and found that they were a really good organization to work with..I'm excited that they are sponsoring another good service opportunity this year!  

Our next meeting will be the set-up Day for Festival of Trees, which is the Monday after Thanksgiving (Monday, November 26). We will let you know the time and where we will be meeting soon.  

"Planting Seeds of Love and Service" October 2018

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant." ~Robert Louis Stevenson

Our October meeting was held Monday, October 1st at 10:00 a.m., hosted at Ardis' home.  We worked on ornaments for the Festival of Trees tree.

We also collected beginner books,storybook style -- pre-K to 3rd grade. These books have been requested for  students in Salt Lake in English Development classes.  These are high school students who either have not had any experience with English or who need support developing English language proficiency. 

 We had a delicious potluck lunch too!  Our next meeting will be held November 5th at Lynn's new home.

A fun note from Carolyn and Ardis, who delivered the books that were collected:

"Hi Ladies,

Today Ardis and I made the trip to Highland High School in Salt Lake City to deliver the books We Can had collected for the English Language Development program at the school.  This program benefits high school students ( refugees)  who have had no previous experience with the English language.  We met the teacher who is in charge of the program and some of the students.  We were very impressed and so glad that Paula told us about this opportunity for service.  We delivered a box and a bag of books (51 total).  They were very appreciative and excited to receive the book donations."

"Reaching down and lifting Up" August 2018

“There is no exercise better for the heart 

than reaching down and lifting another.” 

Frank Lloyd Wright

Our August We Can meeting was held at K.D.'s home on August 6th at 10:00 a.m.  We collected items for school kits for Lifting Hands International (serving refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Somalia, Bangladesh).  Each kit contains:

3 pencils

1 pencil sharpener

1 eraser

1 box crayons or colored pencils

1 notebook

1 pair child scissors

41 Kits were put together

For our project, we worked on items to be sold at the gift shop at the Festival of Trees (benefiting Primary Children's Hospital).

We had a pot luck luncheon that everyone enjoyed.

A note from Carolyn reporting on the delivery of items collected and made during the last We CAN meetings:

"Hi Ladies,

Yesterday we delivered 41 school kits to Lifting Hands International (for refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Bangledesh)

And 30 journals, shampoo and conditioner, and deodorant to Hearts Knit Together (for women in battered women's shelters in Utah)

and several blankets for children's kits for Hearts Knit Together.

Good job, ladies!"

"I Alone Cannot Change the World" July 2018

"I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples." -Mother Teresa

We CAN met Monday, July 9th at Kathy T's home in Elk Ridge at 10:00 a.m.  KD, Ardis, Kathy and Carolyn. We worked on making journals that are given to women when they come to the Women's shelter. These are placed in a basket full of needed supplies donated through the💗💗💗💗  Hearts Knit Together 💗💗💗💗💗Program. 

We collected matching regular size shampoo and conditioner and deodorant for women for the 

Hearts Knit Together program

We had a delicious potluck lunch around noon. 

Our next meeting will be August 6th at KD's home.

June We CAN - Look at what you have

"If you look at what you have in life, you'll always have more. If you look at what you don't have in life, you'll never have enough." -Oprah Winfrey

Our June We CAN meeting was held at Ardis' home in Elk Ridge. 

The ladies attending today were Lesa and Faith, Barbara, Carol, Sharon, Kathy, Ardis, Cathie, and Sandy

We made more blankets for
"Hearts Knit Together," an organization which furnishes kits for refugees and for the 16 women's shelters in Utah (for victims of domestic violence).

We finished eleven blankets today.

Ardis, Sandy, Kathy, Sharon and Carol

I Alone Cannot Change the World ~ May We CAN

"I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples." -Mother Teresa

Our "May" We Can was held on Monday, April 30, 10:00 a.m. at Sharon Dahlstrom's home.

We made fleece blankets for kids.  These blankets were delivered to "Hearts Knit Together," an organization which furnishes kits for refugees and for the 16 women's shelters in Utah (for victims of domestic violence).

Everyone has a Purpose - March We CAN

"Everyone has a purpose in life and a unique talent to give to others."

Kallam Anji Reddy

Our March We Can meeting was Monday, March 5th at Barbara's home.  Attending were Brittany, Jessie, Barbara, Carolyn, Cathie

We collected diapers for the Utah Diaper Bank. This organization partners with crisis nurseries, homeless shelters, food banks, refugee centers, and other organizations who serve families in crisis.  The Utah Diaper Bank donates more than 20,000 diapers/month.

We worked on two different projects:
Those who like to knit or crochet, made scarves for "Remember Nhu," an organization that runs homes of refuge for children at risk for sex trade.  They currently have 80 homes in 15 countries and serve 1,800 children.  The scarves are six to eight inches wide and 48 to 60 inches long and can be colorful and bright and made with many different colors.

We also worked on the fun felt shape toys.  These go in school kits sent out by the American Fork Humanitarian Center.  They are fun to make.

We enjoyed a potluck lunch

We received a thank you letter from the Festival of Trees thanking us for our donations.  Here's a quote from the letter:
"Parents whose children suffer with a chronic or life-threatening illness walk one of life's most difficult paths.  Fortunately, because of you, they don't have to do it alone.  In the grateful words of one parent, by supporting the Festival of Trees," you choose to hold the hand of each child who comes to Primary Children's Hospital broken, sick, or for safety.  Your help reassures moms like me, staring at the ceiling at night, that we live in neighborhoods of people who care."

We received a lovely Thank you note from "Remember Nhu," with a photo of some of the children wearing  their scarves.

"Love is the Only Gold" February 2018

Love is the only Gold          ~ Alfred Lord Tennyson

Barbara, Carol, Carolyn and Maureen working on Valentines.

Ardis, Maureen, Carolyn, Barbara and Kathy

On Monday, February 8th we met at Kathy's home to work on Valentines for the lovely residents in our local Assisted Living Centers in Elk Ridge, Payson and Santaquin.. 

Barbara, Carol, Maureen, Carolyn, Ardis, Jesse, Brittany, Kathy and Sandy all worked together to make over 150 unique Valentines

 We made home-made Valentines for seven local Assisted Living Centers.  These Valentines are given to each of the residents on Valentines Day.

Carolyn splitting up the Valentines into bags for each Assisted Living Center

 A few of the many Valentines we made today

Carolyn, Barbara, Kathy, Jesse and Carol 

Carolyn, Sandy, Ardis

We collected food for a new "Little Free Pantry" that is by the city office building in Payson.  (It's similar to a Little Free Library).  It was started by an Elk Ridge resident, Erin M.  Erin read an article about a woman in Arkansas who started the movement.  Erin knew that was something she wanted to do.  "I think sometimes you think helping other people is complicated and kind of hard," she said.  "I'm not going to go out and start my own nonprofit or whatever, but building a little cupboard and putting some food in it is something that people can do." 

 People struggling with food insecurity can use the Little Free Pantry.  

We also collected cans of Ready to Serve soup for the  Food and Care Coalition in Provo who serve homeless and other families who are needing food.

   

January 2018 If you are making mistakes, then you are making new things

I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. 

Because if you are making mistakes, 

then you are making new things, trying new things, 

learning, living, pushing yourself, 

changing yourself, changing your world. 

You're doing things you've never done before, 

and more importantly, you're doing something. ~ Neil Gaiman

 Renae H, a dear friend who moved to a different state made each of us one of these lovely "We Can Because We Care" journals.  Each journal is unique with lovely quotes, pictures and plenty of white space to track things we do to show the WE CAN!  
THANK YOU, Renae!

Ardis, KD, Maureen, Jesse Kathy, Brittany and RaeLee

 January 2018 is the beginning of our 10th year of We Can!  It's going to be a great year with lots of good service opportunities!

Our first meeting was held Monday, January 8th at Sandy's home.  KD, Vila, Ardis, RaeLee, Maureen, Brittany, Jesse, Carolyn, Kathy, and Sandy all worked together putting together Hygiene kits for the Refugee Center as well as making Baby Burp Clothes.

RaeLee, Jesse, Maureen Vila, KD

Carolyn cutting out more baby burp clothes

Brittany putting together some Hygiene Kits while RaeLee, KD and Ardis sew the baby burp clothes

RaeLee, KD, Ardis and Carolyn

Vila keeps us organized and in supplies

Jesse turning the fabric so it can be ironed and stitched again

Kathy, Maureen, Brittany, Carolyn work together to assemble Hygiene Kits

Kathy, Maureen, Brittany, Carolyn and Jesse working on Hygiene Kits

The assembled kit

 Hygine kits have five bars of wrapped soap, a comb, a toothbrush, and toothpaste.  We assembled 49 kits that will go to "Lifting Hands International" an organization supporting refugees in Jordan, Lebanon and Bangladesh.  

We were able to make lots of burp clothes - 53!

 The baby burp clothes are used locally by WIC which provides various services to Women, Infants and Children in Utah County.  We made 53 burp clothes today, which were delivered to the WIC office in Payson.

Ardis and  Carolyn delivered baby burp clothes and the hygiene kits a few days after our meeting.  They reported  going to a warehouse of Helping Hands International in Pleasant Grove.  We Can donated 49 hygiene kits.  Carolyn said, "We were so impressed with the warehouse.  Boxes were lined up ready to go to refugees in Jordan. They were waiting for a truck to pick them up that day.    Our hygiene kits were probably going to Bangeldesh  on the next shipment."

"We delivered 53 burp cloths to the WIC office in Payson.  They had just put out the last of the burp cloths they had. We also delivered many crotcheted baby hats that were made and donated by Natalie B.    The ladies there oooed and awwed at how cute our burp cloths were, and they loved the darling hats. (Thank you, Natalie)..  They said some of their clients have nothing at all for their babies.  Workers at both the warehouse and at the WIC office thanked us for the donations and asked that we pass our thanks along to the other ladies."