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.' "

Pantry Open Thursday, June 21st, 2012

A Small Hand - Plains District will be open, Thursday evening, June 21st

Hours 5 - 7 PM

If you did not bring your child, your WIC or SNAP documentation and photo ID in May you must bring them to the next pantry you attend in order to continue to receive assistance.

The pantry serves infants in need in the Plains District of Rockingham County -  

 Broadway area school district

Lacey Spring, John C. Myers, Fulks Run, Plains and Linville-Edom Elementary Schools. We regret, we are unable to help families outside of our service area. 

Diapers and wipes are available for toddlers to age 2!

We are located at Rader Lutheran Church, 17072 Raders Church Road, Timberville

Please call Bev London for directions and/or additional information 578-3658

A Small Hand-Plains District

A Small Hand - Plains District will be open, Thursday evening, February 16th

Hours 5 - 7 PM

Please bring your WIC or SNAP documentation and photo id. 

The pantry serves infants in need in the Plains District of Rockingham County -  

 Broadway area school district

Lacey Spring, John C. Myers, Fulks Run, Plains and Linville-Edom Elementary Schools

Also, we now have diapers and wipes available for toddlers to age 2!

We are located at Rader Lutheran Church, 17072 Raders Church Road, Timberville

Please call Bev London for directions and/or additional information 578-3658

Reflections on "Opening Night"

If ever the uneasiness of an "Opening Night" was felt - we felt it.  Would anyone come to our Pantry?  Had we succeeded in getting the word out?  Would we have what they needed?

The evening of the 17th was a whirlwind.  Clearly a quick two hours.  We served 15 babies and their families that night.  We are thankful that we were able to help these folks out and look forward to doing so again on the 15th of December.   Many of them shared with us how they found themselves in need of our help.  A baby that came a little too early - Mom couldn't go back to work as quickly as the family had anticipated; Dad recently lost his job, Mom's hours at her job were cut; Grandma trying to juggle a few extra mouths to feed. . .clearly circumstances beyond their control.

Regardless of how they found their way to us, we are glad that they did.  We hope that they left us feeling a little less alone and a little more certain they would be able to take care of their little one with a little less stress on their limited family resources.

Several of our babies are on more costly formulas, designed especially to help smaller, pre-mature babies "catch up" to their full-term counterparts.  We are working to find an economical source for these formulas.  Please contact us if you aware of such a source.

We left the church Thursday evening a bit more humbled than when we arrived.  We are so blessed.  We appreciate everything you have done to help us get up and running.  We will appreciate any help you can offer us that will help us maintain this much-needed program for the infants in need in the Plains District of Rockingham County.

At the close of the evening we decided we would do our best to offer these families gently used clothing for their infants.  Several of the Moms had asked if we could use the clothes their little one had already out grown.  It only took a little reflection and one volunteer to head up the clothing exchange to make it a "go".  .  .we really are blessed with some great volunteers!

If you know of a family in need residing in the Plains District of Rockingham County (Broadway Area School District) please ask them to contact us prior to the 15th of December to ensure that we have the correct formula in stock for their baby.  This is not a requirement to receive our services, it just makes it a little easier for us to be prepared.   Bev London can be reached at 578-3658 or via email: ashpd.bev@gmail.com.