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Wednesday, May 16, 2012

I need your help

Let me tell you what I want, then I'll explain why.

I am looking for donations of 24 drawstring totes for boys and 40 zipper pouches for girls.

Random?

Not really.

Since I was a teenager, I've been helping with a program called Royal Family Kids Camp. This is a camp for youngsters in the foster care system here in America. These children are neglected. Abused. Abandoned. Lost. RFKC strives to mend those wounds by providing a week of fun, comfort and love. I had the opportunity to attend RFKC as an adult leader and the experiences changed my life. We played games and sang songs and ate three meals a day and had a birthday party for all the kiddos with presents; presents they took home, and for some of them, these presents became their only possessions. We hugged. We cried. We laughed. We talked. My only job for the entire week was to love on these kids. It was by far the easiest and the most mentally and physically exhausting thing I have ever done in my life.

These kids age out of the program at 12 years.

This summer, we are joining forces with a new camp geared toward teenagers; a new camp that will give these kids and others a chance to experience the love and acceptance we strive for with RFKC. Teen Reach Adventure Camp (aka TRAC) is a three day single gender camp for kids ages 12-15 providing a fun-filled, outdoors experience with safe loving adults to help provide an experience that brings hope and encouragement to these hurting teens.

Every child who attends RFKC with us gets a quilt handmade by some generous donors in and around the Valley (where I live). We would like to do something similar for the TRAC kids and have come up with a few small items that we really feel will make a difference. The kids attending these camps come with next to nothing. We give them clothes and toiletries, and since the TRAC kids are teenagers, we've decided to make them bags to hold their toiletries.

This is where you come in.

We have 24 boys attending camp this summer and we would like a drawstring bag for each of them. These bags should be fairly simple, made with manly/teen appropriate fabrics. Since this is a camp, outdoorsy fabrics are fine. Please no halloween (or any holiday for that matter), skulls, chop-choo trains, teddy bears, etc. We want these to be age appropriate and uplifting. The lovely Kat over at Mummas Time to Create has posted a recent tutorial for making drawstring bags that are the PERFECT size. You can find it here. When you make your bags, please leave the handles off.

We have 40 girls attending camp this summer. For them, we would like a simple zipper pouch measuring about 7"x 9" finished. Again, these should be simple: just one fabric for the outside and one for the inside. We want these to be special and unique, but also uniform so the girls can all feel their gifts are equally lovely. Remember, fabrics should be age appropriate (teenagers). Here are a couple tutorials for basic zipper pouches:

See Kate Sew
Skip to My Lou

Think camp. Plaid. Green and yellow are the colors of TRAC, if you want to go that route. Modern. Fun. Things teenagers would like.


If you are willing to donate one or more of these items, please let me know in the comments section on this post. I need all the items by Monday, June 18th in order to get them to the campers on time.

Also, please help me spread the word and get all these campers their bags. Blog about it. Facebook it. Share wherever you are willing and link back here so donors can let me know in the comments that they are going to help.

Thank you all so very much for your consideration!

UPDATE:

Here is what has been claimed thus far:



24 Drawstring Bags for Boys


1. Audrey
2. Audrey
3. Steph J
4. Steph J
5. Kathy H
6. Kathy H
7. Kathy H
8. Kathy H
9. Kathy H
10. Jess
11. Jess
12. Ella
13. Ella
14. Ella
15. Susan
16. Mary-Kate
17. Mary-Kate
18. Di
19. Mary-Kate
20. Mary-Kate
21. Ella
22. Kristy
23. Kristy
24. Theresa T.




40 Zipper Pouches for Girls


1. Susan
2. Nancy
3. Nancy
4. Helen
5. Helen
6. Shanna
7. Shanna
8. Jenelle
9. Jenelle
10. Jess
11. Jess
12. Alli
13. Alli
14. Jennifer
15. Jennifer
16. Susan
17. Roslyn
18. Mer
19. Mer
20. Jodi
21. Jodi
22. Hadley
23. Di
24. Marian
25. Marian
26. Judith
27. Judith
28. Angie W
29. Angie W
30. Ellie Q
31. Mary-Kate
32. Mary-Kate
33. Mary-Kate
34. Mary-Kate
35. Mary-Kate
36. Mary-Kate
37. Kristy
38. Kristy
39. Ellie Q
40. Ellie Q

I will strike your name off the list once I have received your bags.

When you are ready to send, please email me for the shipping address.

Danny

37 comments:

  1. Happy to make a zippy pouch, Danny - as long as I get my machine working again. I'll email you if I have problems, otherwise expect one from me.

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  2. I can't sew but I will try to help you spread the word about the project on facebook and twitter. Do you need donations for something else...besides the bags?

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  3. I'll make two zipper pouches . . . I just realized I lost my zipper foot! I'll need to order a new one. :(

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  4. I will be making some of each. You are an angel, thank you for sharing this so more of us could find out about these programs. Are you still involved with the Royal camp too? I would like to make something for them as well.
    Maria

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much! I have no way to get in touch with you because you are a no-reply blogger so hopefully you'll check back here! I AM still involved with RFKC. I am doing registration this year. Something we always need are kid friendly, handmade cards. We all write cards to the kiddos and deliver one per day so they have something special to open. For more info, please email me!

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    2. Thanks Danny, I will send you an email. I keep trying to reset my Blogger options but I never seem to get it to stick...Blogger can be sooo FRUSTRATING!!

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  5. I shared your link on Facebook. Please let me know if there is anything else we can do to help these kids.
    Maria

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  6. I'd love to help! I can make two drawstring bags. :)

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  7. I'll help! I can make two drawstring bags.

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  8. Hi Danny, I'll make 2 zippered pouches - when do you need them by?

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  9. i'll make 2 - let me know if you need them to be girls or boys, i can do either :)

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  10. I can make you 5 drawstring bags. Do you not want the handles at all or include them separately?

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  11. I'll make 2 zipper bags, too. Sounds like a wonderful cause!

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  12. I can make a couple zipper pouches and just pop them in the mail with your charms. Easy-peasy! :) Thanks for sharing this opportunity to help out.

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  13. I can make two; could you let me know whether you need drawstring or zippy ones? If they're zippy ones, you want flat ones (as opposed to boxed bottom ones), yes?

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  14. I'll make two of each. Will mention it in my next post x

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  15. Danny, I'll be happy to do 3. Just let me know if you need zippy, drawstring or a combo.

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  16. I'm happy to make a zippy! If I can track down some 'boy' fabric I'll try to make one of those too! Does it matter about colour...my yellow fabrics are very limited!

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  17. Hi Danny, I can make a zip pouch for sure!! I have some cute yellows and greens. I will share your post over on my Facebook page :)

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  18. Hey girl! Shared your project today! Looks like a great response so far! Let me know which you need most of and I'll make a couple to send your way! Thanks for making us aware and giving us the opportunity to be a part! HUGS!

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  19. I'd be happy to make a few zippy pouches!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Mer! You are a no-reply blogger so I couldn't tell you via email, but just wanted to let you know that I am very appreciative!

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  20. Hi Danny, Yes, I'd love to help! I read your post on Kristy's blog, Hopeful Threads. How wonderful! Such a great thing you guys are doing. It breaks my heart that there are kids in the world that suffer everyday for different reasons. How awesome that they have RFKC and TRAC in their lives. I can make either the drawstring or the zippered bags. Do you need one over the other? I'd love to make two. Please let me know if you have a preference or which one you need.

    I do not have a blog but I tweeted (@usairdoll) and posted your post on my FB page using the Share button at the bottom of your post. I'm also a new follower! ;D

    usairdoll(at)gmail(dot)com

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  21. I can make at least two bags for the boys- probably more if needed.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Mary-Kate! I will put you down! BTW, you are a no-reply blogger, so I couldn't send you an email directly. When you are ready to send your bags, shoot me an email so we can talk there!

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  22. Just pulling bits for my Sew Mama Sew, and will whip up an extra girly zippy for you whilst I'm at it xxx

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  23. Since I recently learned myself some zippers I'd love to make 2 zipper bags for you. I am so glad you let us know about this so we can help out. Thanks Danny!!

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  24. Hi Danny, just found you via Hadley. Put me down for 2 zippy pouches. Would love to help. Jxo

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  25. Hi Danny,
    This is such a wonderful cause. I would love to help by making 2 zipper pouches. Do you want boxy or flat?

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much! I would like flat pouches and the tutorials I have listed above can show you how to make them. You are a no-reply blogger, so when you are ready to send, please email me as I will be unable to reach you via email.

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  26. Sign me up for a zipper pouch!

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  27. I can make whatever is left. just let me know what is needed.

    Dona
    http://sewingmilesofsmiles.blogspot.com

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  28. Last time I checked here, you still had a lot of zipper pouches needed. I started sewing without checking back. I have 5 total (originally had signed up for 1). Even though you look fairly set, I'll just send all 5 and you can do as you like with them.

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  29. i got the remaining draw string bag....

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much! I put you down, but you are a no-reply blogger so I couldn't send you a "thank you" email!

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    2. i would if that if I knew how....lol....but its beyond me and I have not taken the time to learn.

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