700 kids .. going to need some help with this one for sure .

Some times I sit at the computer with a storey to tell, but don't know were to start.  

So lets start like this .  

Close your eyes and remember as a kid the smell of opening a brand new box of crayons.  I can even remember the soft texture touching the tip of each one.   I have had the privilage of witnssing this houndreds of times with kids over the last 20 years.   When the kids go back to school in september we often do some back to school shopping for them .. some years as many as 100 kids are blessed in this way. 

The cost of the supplies usualy is in the $10 range per child .  This makes it a substantial financial need for us that is often suported from our scholarship fund. 

OK now hold that thought if you will !

So I want to share a little bit of the story of the little playground in the vilage .  This playground was sponsored by a small farming church camunity in Upstate NY.  they came on a team about 7 years ago and built a playround for the kids.  This spring it was time to do some repairs and also add a couple more items to the playground, then have a party for the kids, giving out popcorn and icecream.    As soon as we started work, their was a little difficulty and we almost lost the playground all together.. Crissis was averted and the work continued , but after comitting to treats for 40 kids , there was a renewed excitement about the playground and nearly 400 showed up for the party.   That all had such a wonderful time, so some of the mothers came to us and ask if when we come back in the fall we could have another party like this.   

Of course we agreed .  In my mind I was thinking a little more controlled party and be able to give out the Samaritains purse boxes.  For this we would have to have actual names and ages of the kids registered , then we give that information in and recieve the boxes.  In just one afternoon word of the party spread, and when I woke up in the morning, we already had 700 kids registered.  Right away we contacted Samaritains purse and found out that we were too late and they did not have boxes for us this year .. I even called around to our other contacts and many of them did not recieve boxes this year either .  ( side note *** Please pack your boxes .  they are a real blessing where ever they end up ***)  

a picnic in the park to celebrate the revitilization of the playground 

A new mural at the playground 

 So are you still holding that thought ?

Julie and I will be arriving back to the farm on Aug 27 and we have our first team arriving on Aug 29  This would give us a couple days where we could get 700 napsacks packed with school supplies for the kids by Sept 1.  

I priced out the nap sacks in KG and they are almost $3 each for the cloth drawstring napsacks , but I have been able to purchase them in Canada for just .79 cents each when I buy 700.  So they will be here in a couple weeks.  

I shared about this idea with some friends , and right away with out hesitation they said that they wanted in on that and that they would comit to raising $1000 during a VBS they are having in a couple weeks. Isn't that great ... Kids helping Kids .  

We would like to raise $10 per child total for this event.  

Shown here we have $5 worth of supplies that each pack would have . Then the bags would be topped up with grade spacific items that the kids are required to bring .   

So here is your chance to be part of such an incredible day .  Maybe considering sponsoring a couple kids or even involve your friends and sponser a hundred !..