The good, the bad and the not so bad. . .

The good news is we have 56 little ones enrolled in our pantry program.  More good news, we have plenty of gently used clothing and will not be accepting anymore summer clothing until next spring, we simply do not have the storage.   For now, winter clothes are what will be needed, especially for little boys. 

We were recently showered with all kinds of goodies thanks to the thoughtfullness of Kelly Lineweaver's friends and family.  Kelly asked that her friends and family shower A Small Hand-Plains District in lieu of a baby shower for her little girl, Mya.  We sincerely thank her and her husband, family and friends for supporting our program, for sharing this happy time in their lives with us!  Our thanks and congratulations go to the Lineweaver Family.  So cool, with the arrival of Mya, they are now a FAMILY! 

The bad news is we are no longer able to purchase diapers by the pallet.  Goods360 hasn't had diapers available for bulk purchase for the past several months and has no idea if they'll have them available in the future.  This means we will have to purchase diapers retail.  Fortunately, we have some stealth shoppers, but our cost for diapers will now more than double.  Not the end of the world, it just means our funds won't carry us nearly as far.   But, just like last year, we're moving forward with faith, we know we have the community's support and we'll manage.

Speaking of community support, please mark your calendar for Saturday, September 22nd.  We will be holding our second annual Longaberger Basket Bingo @ the Auction House in Broadway.  Debbie Miller has been working hard to organize this event.   I don't know if you remember, but last year's bingo provided us with the money we needed to open our pantry doors.  This year's event will help us to keep those doors open.

Given the fact that we're not going to be able to purchase diapers by the pallet anymore and that baby food costs have increased in excess of 10% we're going to have to rely even more on the generosity of others.

During the past year, we have been blessed with a helping hand from many of you, whether from your church, your Girl Scout Troop, FCCLA at J. Frank Hillyard Middle School and from so many individuals that sent us a check every now and again.  We could not have served these children without your help.  Thank you! Thank You! Thank You!

The not so bad news is this is what YOU've helped us do over the past ten months:
217 infants/toddlers served
147 cans of formula was distributed
1606 jars of baby food was distributed
44 boxes of baby cereal was distributed
8,568 diapers were distributed
217 packages of wipes were distributed

On November 15th we will celebrate the start of our second year.  Not that there will be any momentous ceremony or a cake, but, we will rejoice in the fact that we were able to serve these children.  Children right here in our own back yard.  Children we've watch grow from month to month.  Of course, some of the children we no longer see, and we're really happy about that - their families no longer need us, YAY!  That's exactly what we wanted.  Just to help them out when they needed us most.

Thanks for giving us A Small Hand. . .

Bev

Annual BINGO Fund Raiser! Please Join US!

A Small Hand - Plains District

Open October 18th, 2012 5-7 PM

Rader Lutheran Church

Those in need of assistance should bring their WIC and/or SNAP documents along with photo identification. You must also bring your infant.

Our pantry assists families with infants thru toddlers age 2 with age appropriate formula, baby food, diapers and wipes.

We also have gently used clothing available sizes newborn thru 2 T.

For additional information, contact Bev London 540-578-0779 (evenings please) or Meg Clem 540-896-1408.

54 babies!

We now have 54 little ones on our roles.  Some of the children we'd started with are outgrowing our program, as they've reached their 2nd birthday.  We are happy to have been able to help their families for a little while.  Each month we see a few new faces. 

Speaking of faces, Tom Brower (photographer extraordinaire) has been visiting us each month to take some really cute pictures of the little ones.  We thank Tom for helping us give the families just a little something extra.  (The photos are provided to the families by an anonymous gift, no ASH funds are used -just a few 5X7s and a few wallets.)  These babies are growing up so fast! 

We have been very fortunate this summer to have been granted $1,500 worth of formula and wipes from our local   
BB&T  offices.  What a wonderful surprise, they even did the shopping!  They held a "baby shower" for us, too.  Wow!  We received baby food, diapers, baby clothes and an array of non-food baby goodies.  They also had a group of volunteers that helped us on Pantry night in May and then more came to pack diapers with us.  10,000+ diapers!  If you've ever heard the old saying "Many hands makes the work light", their help did just that.

The kids from J. Frank Hillyard Middle School's FCCLA worked through the school year and came through with $1,000 for us at the end of the school year.  What a great bunch of kids!  Their $1,000 will be put to good use, as it's soon time to stock up on diapers!

This past weekend we received some very special gifts from a very special Mom-to-be, Kelly Lineweaver.  Kelly's due to have her very own little one in the next couple of weeks.  Kelly's friends and family surprised us with baby shower for ASH - a car load of infant goodies, along with some cash donations, too.  We are so touched to have been thought of in this very kind way.  We wish Kelly and her husband all the best.  As she has blessed us, we hope that God continues to bless them and their soon-to-be family. 

Debbie Miller, our fundraising chair, is busy working on the details for our annual Longaberger Basket Bingo.  More details will follow.  We were very fortunate last year to have held a successful Bingo--which was how we amassed our "seed" money.  Many of you have helped us to maintain our funding by sending us those occassional checks and we are sincerely grateful.

Just a fun fact:  we now have two sets of twins and a set of triplets!  Woo Hoo, what fun!  There never seems to be a lack of welcoming arms on pantry night, either.  We enjoy watching the little ones grow from month to month. 

We are pleased that some of our families no longer need our help, proof that we are exactly what we intended to be, A Small Hand.  As we continue our little outreach ministry we want to thank you for your continued support.  Whether you're one of the angels that leaves us goodies at J&B's Country Store each month, the ladies at Senior Citizens crocheting and knitting, the folks from Shenandoah Valley Quilters Guild, or just someone popping a check in the mail or dropping off a jar of change or diapers at the church.  We couldn't do this without your help.  God Bless you all!   

August Pantry

A Small Hand - Plains District

Open August 16, 2012 5-7 PM

Rader Lutheran Church

Those in need of assistance should bring their WIC and/or SNAP documents along with photo identification. You must also bring your infant.

Our pantry assists families with infants thru toddlers age 2 with age appropriate formula, baby food, diapers and wipes.

We also have gently used clothing available sizes newborn thru 2 T.

For additional information, contact Bev London 540-578-0779 (evenings please) or Meg Clem 540-896-1408.

July Pantry

A Small Hand - Plains District

Open July 19, 2012  5-7 PM

Rader Lutheran Church

Those in need of assistance should bring their WIC and/or SNAP documents along with photo identification.  You must also bring your infant.

Our pantry assists families with infants thru toddlers age 2 with age appropriate formula, baby food, diapers and wipes.

We also have gently used clothing available sizes newborn thru 2 T.

For additional information, contact Bev London 540-578-0779 (evenings please) or Meg Clem 540-896-1408.

My, how times flies . . .

Can you believe seven months have passed since our Pantry opened its doors? (I apologize for not keeping you more up to date these past few months, it just seems time flies by before I know it.  And we have been so busy!)

We have watched the babies we serve grow and it has been wonderful.   We have learned a lot and have lots of other odds and ends to tell you: 

• Our families do not come to us every month.   Some months are better for them than others.  This allows us to stretch our finances just that much farther.  Of the 15 children we served the first night our pantry was open only five came to see us this month.  However, we now have 40 children on our roles.  Six of them came to see us for the first time just this month. 
• Those that come only take what they truly need.  So if anyone was concerned about the Pantry being taken advantage of. . . I think it's safe to say that's not happening.  If they only need diapers and wipes one month, that's all they take.  Diapers and wipes.  Since formula is our single largest expenditure, we breathe a little sigh of relief.  :o )
• We have been able to supply our families with a limited amount of gently used baby clothes, which they, in turn, bring back to us when their baby has outgrown them!  We are in need of clothes for little boys, though.  For some reason we have had very few pieces of clothing for little boys to distribute.  We have a good supply of Newborn - 9 months of clothing for little girls, sizes 12 months and up are a bit sparse for both boys and girls, but especially for boys!  Think of A Small Hand when you're out at the Yard Sales Saturday mornings.   
• We are a community of very caring people.  You have dropped off goodies for us at J & B's Country Store in Broadway, you have held showers for us at your church or organization, you have sent us random checks in the mail with notes of encouragement.  Each one of these gestures does not go unappreciated! 
• A Small Hand (@ Edinburg Christian Church) has allowed us to partner with them to make bulk purchases of diapers, which has saved us huge amounts of money!
• Unfortunately, baby food has jumped more than 13% in a month.  What we bought for 44 cents in November, we're now buying for 50 cents.  It doesn't sound like a lot of money until you start doing the math. 
• Our volunteers!  Where would we be without our volunteers?  We have a dependable force of "regular" volunteers.  This month we had three lovely women join us from BB &T, they were a delight to have with us and dug right in.  (Given this is the time of year some of our regulars need to sneak in a little time away for one reason or another. . .they were a welcome sight.)  Just this past Pantry we had two Moms express a desire to volunteer to help out on a Pantry night or when we're packing diapers.  We are very blessed.   
• Through BB&T's "Lighthouse Project" we were recently gifted a $1000 of infant formula and this week they're hosting a "shower" for us.  We are so pleased they selected us to be one of their projects!   They have volunteers that will be joining us to package diapers next month, too.  When you go into BB&T, feel free to thank them for their support of our community. 
• We are planning another Fund Raising BINGO this fall, so be on the look out for that upcoming announcement.  Not sure where or when, but we know Debbie Miller is hard at work conjuring up a night of fun and fellowship for a good cause for all of us! 

We realize in the grand scheme of things our little community mission is very small.  But when we see those babies every month, we realize our efforts (and yours) are appreciated and helpful.  We thank you for your continued generosity and for coming along with us on our journey, we knew we couldn't do it alone.  (But then again, we never really are alone, are we?)

Bev

PS  I'll promise to try to do better at keeping in touch in the coming weeks and months. 

Matthew 25:40 "The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' "