148 packages of Crayons - $146.52
338 packages of paper - $165.62
479 metric rulers - $617.91
Hearing the squeal of a 5 year old boy for his new Spiderman back pack - priceless
I haven't posted much of anything with substance this week, apologies to all those in crisis, or need things from me like 'yesterday' I send you all hugs!!
We were short 200 backpacks on Monday and I made an appeal to the community.
They came through, but it's been exhausting.
Most of you are preparing 2 or 3 children for back to school - we just did 502
Thank you so much to Suzanne who's been holding down the fort while I"m out scrounging up donations. Thank you to Holly for babysitting the office and handing out backpacks while we held Tuesday's seminar. And to Cindy (a new volunteer I met in the crowd at Summerfolk) and Marie (our cleaner) who have been stuffing and de-packaging and generally helping us out. Another huge hug to my daughter Chrissy who not only unloaded the cargo van Friday night while I "cheered" but also unloaded my car today - mom keeps running out of steam.
I have no words left, the tears won't fall, just too tired and if they start, I know they won't stop.
I have loaded and unloaded my car more times then I care to count. I have no fingernails left and I am now know, by name, to everyone at Staples, Wal*Mart, Giant Tiger and Tim Hortons (green tea gives me wings).
Just when you wanted to rip someone's head off, a parent's eyes would fill with tears in gratitude and it would be all worth the effort.
Once more I was enough. Worthy of a miracle. For the children.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Saturday, August 25, 2007
of Angels and Miracles
The United Way is trying to fill the need of back to school by collecting supplies, our list is well over 400. We’ve been fortunate this year in that Wal-Mart came on as a sponsor. But we didn’t get the donations we needed so I had budgeted about $1500 of United Way dollars to spend. I generated a ‘must have’ list and told Wal-Mart of my budget and they were going to pull it all together for me as the parents are coming next week to pick up the backpacks.
I had faxed Wal-Mart our list Thursday afternoon but the only person who knew what to do with it left at 2:30 pm. So no one worked on the order over night.
I showed up at 8 am Friday expecting to pick up the order and it wasn’t there. This was suppose to be a day off for the office. Wal-Mart said to come back at 2, which was fine. The crew that showed up to help unload the car then went about their business.
I stayed in the office and got some stuff done and put a few fires out.
I went back to Wal-Mart at 2 to get all the stuff. But their computer wouldn't allow the transactions to proceed as they’d broken it down into 3 transactions. It needed to be broken down further.
So I had things I had to do between 3 and 6 so I said I'd be back at 6. Looking at the stack of stuff I knew it would take a few trips in my car and I wasn’t feeling up to that kind of an effort, so I called Thrifty Rent a Car and they let me ‘borrow' a cargo van.
So at 5:30 I pick up the van and I return to Wal-Mart for the 3rd time at 6 and we start ringing through stuff again, and then the credit card maxes out. I'm starting to realize Wal-Mart didn't stick to the budget. I’d verified Friday morning I had $1500 space on the card.
So I drive back to the office to get the debit card for our accounts. It has a $1 000 limit on it.
I get back up to Wal-Mart (if you’re counting this is the 4th time) and the debit card keeps saying 'over limit' so I decide the best plan is to go back to the office get a cheque and sign a cheque over to me and then pay out of my account. Not exactly best practice but not much in alternatives. There was half of the order rung through and paid for and the other half not and they weren’t letting it out of their sight unpaid for, and I don’t blame them.
I double check with Suzanne on my way back to the office, calling her at home, and she agrees that the debit card should have had a $1000 limit on it. I get to the office and since we’re redoing the signing authorities on the bank I knew exactly where the information was. I grab the forms and all of a sudden the debit card has a 0 (zero) limit. Which is totally stupid because when we buy stamps etc, we use the debit card.
I was ready to have a discussion on switching banks, now I’m flat out prepared to start the process.
Naturally I didn't have my debit card with me, (can't spend $ if I don't have the card and I’m trying to keep to a budget), so I get Chrissy to cab to the office as I'm still at Wal-Mart (at this point, because I called her to let her know why I couldn’t take her to Kendo and she offered to come and help – she knows by my voice how tired and frustrated I am and steps up – I love my kid (son is working)) and it would be faster the cab that is. Plus driving my free cargo van lots makes me feel guilty.
So I head back to the office for the 3rd time and wait for Chrissy, hit the bank and head up to Wal-Mart again (5th time) and it all gets paid for and Chrissy and 3 Wal-Mart staff load the van up. Thank goodness for the van!!!
Well it’s only unloaded into the front of the building, I’ll be dragging Chrissy and her brother back to get it up the stairs and into the office sometime today (Saturday)
Chrissy essentially unloads the van, I’m sort of helping but at this point it’s 7 pm and the 2 pm lunch was a long time ago.
We return the van and are in my car at 8 pm.
12 hours to conduct this transaction.
We’re over budget by a few hundred dollars at least, and I will deal with that and Wal-Mart on Monday.
Love them or hate them they put a lot of time and energy into making this work. They kept apologizing and I explained the 8 am and 2 pm screw-ups were theirs; the 6pm onward nonsense was strictly a United Way screw up.
But what truly keeps me awake is that I’m going to be about 150 – 200 backpacks short. I’ll have the filling, which is something anyway, but no backpacks. I have to look at the budget and see what I can do.
We’re hoping for matching dollars from Wal-Mart but that’s a head office decision and those wheels turn slowly.
I believe in miracles and angels so I truly hope something will happen, but it keeps me awake at night, doing math: $10 backpacks, need 200 that’s $2 000 that’s well over budget.
Out there, somewhere is a angel, who can offer me a miracle, if I just work hard enough, I’ll find it.
I had faxed Wal-Mart our list Thursday afternoon but the only person who knew what to do with it left at 2:30 pm. So no one worked on the order over night.
I showed up at 8 am Friday expecting to pick up the order and it wasn’t there. This was suppose to be a day off for the office. Wal-Mart said to come back at 2, which was fine. The crew that showed up to help unload the car then went about their business.
I stayed in the office and got some stuff done and put a few fires out.
I went back to Wal-Mart at 2 to get all the stuff. But their computer wouldn't allow the transactions to proceed as they’d broken it down into 3 transactions. It needed to be broken down further.
So I had things I had to do between 3 and 6 so I said I'd be back at 6. Looking at the stack of stuff I knew it would take a few trips in my car and I wasn’t feeling up to that kind of an effort, so I called Thrifty Rent a Car and they let me ‘borrow' a cargo van.
So at 5:30 I pick up the van and I return to Wal-Mart for the 3rd time at 6 and we start ringing through stuff again, and then the credit card maxes out. I'm starting to realize Wal-Mart didn't stick to the budget. I’d verified Friday morning I had $1500 space on the card.
So I drive back to the office to get the debit card for our accounts. It has a $1 000 limit on it.
I get back up to Wal-Mart (if you’re counting this is the 4th time) and the debit card keeps saying 'over limit' so I decide the best plan is to go back to the office get a cheque and sign a cheque over to me and then pay out of my account. Not exactly best practice but not much in alternatives. There was half of the order rung through and paid for and the other half not and they weren’t letting it out of their sight unpaid for, and I don’t blame them.
I double check with Suzanne on my way back to the office, calling her at home, and she agrees that the debit card should have had a $1000 limit on it. I get to the office and since we’re redoing the signing authorities on the bank I knew exactly where the information was. I grab the forms and all of a sudden the debit card has a 0 (zero) limit. Which is totally stupid because when we buy stamps etc, we use the debit card.
I was ready to have a discussion on switching banks, now I’m flat out prepared to start the process.
Naturally I didn't have my debit card with me, (can't spend $ if I don't have the card and I’m trying to keep to a budget), so I get Chrissy to cab to the office as I'm still at Wal-Mart (at this point, because I called her to let her know why I couldn’t take her to Kendo and she offered to come and help – she knows by my voice how tired and frustrated I am and steps up – I love my kid (son is working)) and it would be faster the cab that is. Plus driving my free cargo van lots makes me feel guilty.
So I head back to the office for the 3rd time and wait for Chrissy, hit the bank and head up to Wal-Mart again (5th time) and it all gets paid for and Chrissy and 3 Wal-Mart staff load the van up. Thank goodness for the van!!!
Well it’s only unloaded into the front of the building, I’ll be dragging Chrissy and her brother back to get it up the stairs and into the office sometime today (Saturday)
Chrissy essentially unloads the van, I’m sort of helping but at this point it’s 7 pm and the 2 pm lunch was a long time ago.
We return the van and are in my car at 8 pm.
12 hours to conduct this transaction.
We’re over budget by a few hundred dollars at least, and I will deal with that and Wal-Mart on Monday.
Love them or hate them they put a lot of time and energy into making this work. They kept apologizing and I explained the 8 am and 2 pm screw-ups were theirs; the 6pm onward nonsense was strictly a United Way screw up.
But what truly keeps me awake is that I’m going to be about 150 – 200 backpacks short. I’ll have the filling, which is something anyway, but no backpacks. I have to look at the budget and see what I can do.
We’re hoping for matching dollars from Wal-Mart but that’s a head office decision and those wheels turn slowly.
I believe in miracles and angels so I truly hope something will happen, but it keeps me awake at night, doing math: $10 backpacks, need 200 that’s $2 000 that’s well over budget.
Out there, somewhere is a angel, who can offer me a miracle, if I just work hard enough, I’ll find it.
Friday, August 24, 2007
I'll sleep labour day weekend
The backpack request list sits at over 400 right now, I"ve managed to get 75 or so out of the building to our agencies already, but next week will be as insane as insane gets. We did ok with the bus at Wal*Mart and I think we'll do that again. I am going up to Wal*Mart at 2 pm today to pick up our supplies that we budgeted for through our board fund. We are spending about $1500 of the $2800 that is our board fund. I am hoping to get up there to find that Wal*Mart head office matched our dollars as well as the community dollars that were spent.
I am very concerned at the size of our list this year, it keeps me awake at night. But I'm hoping after 2 pm today, I will have all that we need and it's just a question of filling them up.
It's so hard to answer the phone and know you are the last best hope for these famlies and yet you have to tell them it's a waiting list situation and you just don't know if you'll be able to help them.
Special hug and thank you to Suzanne, Jackie and Holly for staffing the bus over the weekend. I will say that "people watching" at Wal*Mart is rather fascinating, and you learn a lot about humanity sitting outside.
I am very concerned at the size of our list this year, it keeps me awake at night. But I'm hoping after 2 pm today, I will have all that we need and it's just a question of filling them up.
It's so hard to answer the phone and know you are the last best hope for these famlies and yet you have to tell them it's a waiting list situation and you just don't know if you'll be able to help them.
Special hug and thank you to Suzanne, Jackie and Holly for staffing the bus over the weekend. I will say that "people watching" at Wal*Mart is rather fascinating, and you learn a lot about humanity sitting outside.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Back to cool!!
As more and more of the costs of public and secondary schools are passed on directly to the family, more and more working and low income families are having a hard time in September. Many students go to the first day of school empty handed. I'm sure you can imagine the teasing and bullying that happens when a student shows up without the supplies required by the school board.
The United Way appeals to the community for donations of back to school supplies, in August, so that we can ensure that children arrive at school fully supplied.
The United Way will be at Wal*Mart this Thursday Friday and Saturday, 11am - 8 pm as we attempt to fill a school bus full with back to school supplies.
Supplies can also be dropped off at '98 The Beach in Port Elgin, The Bruce Power Visitors Centre, The Coast in Kincardine, and the United Way office in Owen Sound.
This is the third year for our program. In 2005 we gave out 250 fully stocked back packs, in 2006 the number jumped to 355 and currently, our request list is at 450 and is anticipated to reach or surpass 500 this year.
The United Way funds 17 agencies that run 18 programs throughout Bruce and Grey counties. We use these agencies to reach the families. The agencies approach their clients and generate a list of clients in need. We are supplied with the age and gender of those hoping to receive a backpack. Once our appeal to the community is issued, generally through radio advertising paid for by a retail sponsor, then we receive requests directly from families, these request are vetted and filled on a first come first served, pending the availability of supplies.
We seek both donations of actual back to school supplies as well as cash donations. High school students need scientific calculators, French-English dictionaries as well as math sets. These items tend to be costly and our donors will maximize their dollars with 99 cent crayons rather than $10 calculators. So we use cash donations to fill the gaps in the donations. Despite the generosity of our community we purchase a lot of the supplies
needed.
All of the donations stay within Bruce and Grey counties.
The communities support of this program is essential for its success.
The United Way appeals to the community for donations of back to school supplies, in August, so that we can ensure that children arrive at school fully supplied.
The United Way will be at Wal*Mart this Thursday Friday and Saturday, 11am - 8 pm as we attempt to fill a school bus full with back to school supplies.
Supplies can also be dropped off at '98 The Beach in Port Elgin, The Bruce Power Visitors Centre, The Coast in Kincardine, and the United Way office in Owen Sound.
This is the third year for our program. In 2005 we gave out 250 fully stocked back packs, in 2006 the number jumped to 355 and currently, our request list is at 450 and is anticipated to reach or surpass 500 this year.
The United Way funds 17 agencies that run 18 programs throughout Bruce and Grey counties. We use these agencies to reach the families. The agencies approach their clients and generate a list of clients in need. We are supplied with the age and gender of those hoping to receive a backpack. Once our appeal to the community is issued, generally through radio advertising paid for by a retail sponsor, then we receive requests directly from families, these request are vetted and filled on a first come first served, pending the availability of supplies.
We seek both donations of actual back to school supplies as well as cash donations. High school students need scientific calculators, French-English dictionaries as well as math sets. These items tend to be costly and our donors will maximize their dollars with 99 cent crayons rather than $10 calculators. So we use cash donations to fill the gaps in the donations. Despite the generosity of our community we purchase a lot of the supplies
needed.
All of the donations stay within Bruce and Grey counties.
The communities support of this program is essential for its success.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
It was Amazing
Eight teams took to the city for Thursday's Amazing Race, all a part of Owen Sound's 150th Homecoming.
There are pictures and video that was submitted by some of the stops.
Pictures
Videos
The stops varied from packing hampers of food at the food bank, running the obstacle course at the Marine Rail Museum, a quiz in the mall, to assembling computers, blogging online and counting architectural anomalies.
thank you for everyone who participated, the organizing committee and of course the students who participated. BIG thank you to our main sponsor Boston Pizza who fed and water our hungry and super hot - who knew it would fall on the hottest day of summer to date - participants.
Everyone is already talking "next year"
There are pictures and video that was submitted by some of the stops.
Pictures
Videos
The stops varied from packing hampers of food at the food bank, running the obstacle course at the Marine Rail Museum, a quiz in the mall, to assembling computers, blogging online and counting architectural anomalies.
thank you for everyone who participated, the organizing committee and of course the students who participated. BIG thank you to our main sponsor Boston Pizza who fed and water our hungry and super hot - who knew it would fall on the hottest day of summer to date - participants.
Everyone is already talking "next year"
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