Saturday, September 10, 2011

Support the Troops: Holiday Stockings

It is never too early to start thinking about supporting our troops at Christmas.
Operation Holiday Stockings is a nonprofit founded by family members of the United States Armed Forces. Last year they sent 1,560  Christmas stockings to our brave troops overseas. This year they are hoping to send even more. Their website was created to inform other patriotic Americans about their cause and provide a means for you to help. You can either visit the Stockings page and make your own stockings to send overseas, or you can donate money towards the shipping costs, or donate items to fill the stockings with.  Here are some suggestions:
  • Hard Candy
  • Beef Jerky
  • Decks of Cards
  • Puzzle Books
  • Small Toiletries
  • Shaving Cream
  • Toothpaste
  • Tooth Brushes
  • Tic-Tacs®
  • Drink Powders
  • Gatorade®
  • Kool-Aid® (sugar added)
  • Crystal Clear®
  • Mixed Nuts
  • Candy Canes
  • Anything that will last for a while because they will probably be getting more than one care package.
You can also send them a store purchased stocking. So, even if you can't knit a stocking for the troops, you can still contribute to their Christmas celebration. 
Go to their website or email Sue at:
ramsddj@aol.com 

You can send items to

Operation Holiday Stockings
P.O. Box 3186
Sequim, WA 98382

IMPORTANT UPDATE:  as of 10/29/2011  they only have 850 stockings to send to the troops.  They are committed to sending 1600.  This would be an excellent service project for a church group, scout troop, etc.
It is also a great way to involve your own children and let them experience the satisfaction that comes from serving others.
:
 

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Give Without Spending a Cent:

Give Without Spending a Cent:

You can donate without spending a cent, by clicking on sites where advertisers make a donation in return. Click on the links below, then click daily to help the cause:

between Jan and June of 2011:
421,095 children have been helped
2,349 free mammograms have been given
30.6 million cups of food have been given to the hungry
40.8 million bowls of food have been given to rescued animals*
291.1  million square feet of rain forest has been protected
 between Jan and June of 2010:
365,038 children have been helped
1,035 free mammograms have been given
29.5 million cups of food have been given to the hungry
39.9 million bowls of food have been given to rescued animals*
246 million square feet of rain forest has been protected



Keep up the good work!!!  It doesn't cost you a cent!  Click every day!
*Do people really care more about feeding animals than humans?  Apparently so.

    Tuesday, September 6, 2011

    Donate your Bridesmaid Dress to Charity

     
    What to do with the dresses after the wedding?
    Most bridesmaids never wear their dress again.  The dress gets 
    stuck in the back of the closet and stays there for years.  Why
    not donate it to someone who would love to have it?  There
    are organizations that collect bridesmaid’s dresses to give to
    young women who can’t afford a prom dress.  Please go to
    their site for information regarding what, when, and how to send.

    For Chicago area, go to glassslipperproject.org 

    National go to  fairygodmothersinc.com

    Sunday, September 4, 2011

    Donate your old eyeglasses


    Donate your old eyeglasses and sunglasses to help people with eyesight difficulties worldwide. (Sunglasses can be non-prescription. They are needed in countries near the equator to help protect people's eyes from sun damage.) Collection facilities include Goodwill Industries stores, LensCrafters stores, and Lions Club drop boxes (click on link to find location near you). Items also can be sent in padded envelopes or boxes to:

    New Eyes for the Needy
    549 Millburn Avenue
    P.O. Box 332
    Short Hills, NJ 07078

    E-mail ten friends who wear glasses to see if they have old pairs that could be recycled for people with eyesight problems. Collect them for donation.

    Check with lost and found departments in hotels, stores, police stations, and mortuaries for unclaimed glasses that could be donated.

    Thursday, September 1, 2011

    Donate your old running shoes to charity


    Instead of just throwing away your old shoes when you’re done with them, make the world a greener and happier place! Here's a couple of options:


    1. For shoes with holes – or worse! – you can recycle them with Nike’s Reuse-a-shoe program. They grind the shoes up and make rubber pellets that are used to surface playgrounds, tennis courts, running tracks or to make synthetic turf for soccer and football fields. Send up to 10 pairs at a time. This is definitely a worthwhile second life for your old shoes! Mail them to:

    Nike Recycling Center
    c/o Reuse-A-Shoe
    26755 SW 95th Ave.
    Wilsonville, OR 97070

    2. For shoes with 100 miles left on them: Send your shoes to runners that are in need of shoes in Africa. Since they will be used again with this program, they should be in relatively good condition, so nothing too shredded!


    PLEASE MAIL SHOES TO;

    Shoe4Africa
    PO Box 6943
    Eldoret
    Kenya



    Q. Do I need to wash them, and what condition should they be in?

    A. Shoes can be sent by us, or by you. Sending shoes is the priority, not how clean they are. We like to send shoes that at least have 100-miles worth of wear left in them. This is because we are using the shoes to start the recipient off on a health-drive! Asking them to get fit, get empowered... for the long run. Shoes where the heel or the rubber is worn through to the midsole are not sent. (Please as we end up paying import tax on a lot of shoes in a very decrepid un-usable state)

    Q. What is the best way to package the shoes? Is there an official Info US Postal page?

    A. Please send in a plain brown cardboard box securely wrapped with plenty of tape. Use USPS Express Mail Intnl shipping method.

    Q. What is the best method for shipping?

    A. Please send boxes USPS Express Mail International, which usually takes about 6-8 weeks for delivery. (If sending from the USA)

    Q. Do I use Insurance, what do I declare, and what boxes should I tick.

    A. Please send as an uninsured gift, and not to be returned. The declared amount for 15-pairs of used shoes is marked as $15 ( a subjective amount as the sales value is very low and taxes are charged to the locals upon delivery).

    Q. Can I send clothing too?

    A. Kenya is currently not accepting donations of secondhand clothes.

    Q. What do I declare on the customs slip?

    A. Exactly what is in the box - used running shoes.

    Q. What happens to the shoes once they arrive? Do the shoes 'always arrive'?

    A. The shoes go to trusted coaches who have a proven track record to distribute the shoes amongst athletes. We have a fabulous record so far with the boxes arriving (non returned), but the idea is if a box did not arrive at least it would have been stolen enroute by people who need the shoes!

    Q. Can I send any type of shoes? Are some sizes better than others?

    A. Most needed are running shoes, secondary spiked shoes, and thirdly leisure shoes. The most popular sizes needed are US6 to US10 (men's). The most needed size? Women's US 8!

    If you have questions not answered by those above please feel free to email us. And we welcome your comments! Please contact us with any ideas how to better improve this program, and spread the word. Email: info@shoe4africa.org.