Sew Many Ways to Serve

12.6 million children have been orphaned by the AIDS epidemic in Africa. This means that 8 out of every 10 children have lost a parent. As the death toll continues to mount at a rapid pace, there is a tremendous need for supplies for babies and small children who have been orphaned by the AIDS outbreak. While we may not be able to put an end to this growing epidemic, we can do something. We know of an organization that supplies quilts to an orphanage in Tanzania. (One of its members has personally checked out this particular orphanage and our quilts will be hand delivered to the children in need at least once a year.)

Quilting is something you can do at your leisure, in your own home, and in a relatively short period of time. If you don't quilt but would like to help, you can donate old, gently used baby blankets and quilts to the cause. We are also collecting fabric, yarn, and batting for those people who will make the quilts if supplied the materials.

You can send your quilts and/or materials to:
The Johnson family
P. O. Box 1505
Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067

The young and innocent victims of this scourge are growing in number every day. Anything you can do to alleviate their suffering is appreciated. This project will continue as long as this post is up. THANK YOU!

Disaster Relief

Unicef and the American Red Cross are always in need of your donations.  You don't have to wait for a disaster. But whenever you hear of one, give what you can.  (It's MONEY that is needed first. It takes too long to get clothing and food to the victims.)

Family First

When you think about serving others, your first priority should be your family and friends... but finding time to visit in between naps, carpools, and work (and/or housework as the case may be) can prove difficult. Nevertheless, there are ways to keep in touch and show your love:

Send them a kiss by going to www.virtualkiss.com/ekiss

Send a free greeting card by going to Kiwee.com , MyFunCards.com , or 123Greetings.com

Send them links to family photos or blogs (by utilizing blogspot, myspace, flickr.com, or babyjellybeans.com, to name a few) This is especially helpful for busy moms because it allows you to update your entire family with one link in a mass e-mail.

Send flowers, a cookie bouquet, or a special drawing or craft from your child to let them know they are in your thoughts.

And, naturally, don't forget the power of a simple phone call or e-mail "just because."