Can I share this information?

[cskipper]

I read this post from another site. I contacted the authors and they gave me permission to share, and are sending me a 21 page PDF file with more details too. I wondered if it would be okay to post the following in the Scroll Saw forum?

Hi fellow Scrollers,
I am looking for some help. Our family has a charity called "Project Rudolph" which began 2 years ago as my son's Eagle Scout project. Various grade school children decorated brown paper lunch bags and wrote letters to "Dear servicemember". In each bag was placed two children's letters, a letter from an adult as well as a candy cane some American and German candies and an 0rnament. These bags were then sent to our daughter who lives just outside Ramstein AFB, and Landstuhle Regional Medical Center in Germany. There, they were handed out to service members going through Ramstien during the Christmas holidays. Our son flew over to help assemble and hand out the bags. About 1500 bags were handed out at the AirForce base as well as to the Hospital at Landstuhle, to the Fisher house, and the Keebler Recovery Barracks. They also sent about 250 bags to Iraq and Kuwait. This continued the 2nd year and we were able to deliver about 4500 bags to Germany, Iraq, and Kuwait. My daughter has upped the anty to 7000 bags this year!

We found that the most popular of the ornaments were the ones I cut out of 1/4" plywood and then painted and decorated.They fit easily into their ACU pockets and were quite durable. This is where I need your help. We are hoping to have all "Hand Made" ornaments this year, which means we need volunteers to help cut them out so they can be sent to Germany and added to the decorated bags. We also need all the letters we can get !! 22,000 of them!!!!

If you can help us , please let us know. "Project Rudolph" is part of "Project TLC " and is a non-pfrofit 501 (c) (3) charity which is sanctioned by "America Supports You". You can read more about Project Rudolph at Home. When there, take a minute and read the responses in the "Guest Book" from the people who either helped with the project, or were recipients of the Gift bags.

This is a great project for crafters of all kinds to be involved in, as well as church groups, scout groups, schools,and such. Please help spread some Christmas cheer to our service men and women this Christmas!!

We look forward to hearing from you.
Ray & Cheri Archibald

I think that this sounds like a wonderful opportunity for me, and hopefully others, to support our troops. Please let me know if you think it is permissible to post.

 

[DaveO]

I don't see why not. It's no different than the pens for the troops. I think it sounds like a great program, and a very worthy cause.
I say post it and let's see what the scrollers can come up with to help out :icon_thum


Dave

 

[MikeH]

Cathy,
It's for a great cause and I say post it. My brother is home on 3 weeks R&R from Iraq, but I know they greatly appreciate anything sent from "home".

:icon_thum

 

[cskipper]

Thanks and done.

 

[TracyP]

Cathy, I am late to this post but it sounds like a great program to me!

 

[McRabbet]

I agree!

 

[ScottM]

I'm in and I posted that in the open thread. It is a cause that I believe NCWW can support.

 

[ScottM]

Cathy et al, I don't really have the time to try and organize a NCWW wide effort BUT I will make time to do so. So Cathy please send me a copy of what you have. I will take a look at the details and then go from there.

My email is smi11er@aol.com

 

[cskipper]

Cathy et AL, I don't really have the time to try and organize a NCWW wide effort BUT I will make time to do so. So Cathy please send me a copy of what you have. I will take a look at the details and then go from there.

My email is smi11er@aol.com

Scott, I sent you the file. I agree with not having the time, but will figure out how to manage it to get this project organized and sent. I'd love to see it as a NCWW project, but realize that we need to be sure that our family members get included. There are many items on the lists of things needed besides ornaments that would give interested folks an opportunity to participate. I don't know what else needs to be in place for it to be evaluated as a NCWW project - may be too political/religious..... and conflict with the sites policies. Please note those are my concerns - not yet evaluated by Steve & others.

This started with one soldier and her family. There are lots of similar projects out there, but this one really touches my heart. I talked with her mom (lives in Idaho) yesterday because there were no dates in the PDF file. She was a delight. They flew to Germany last year to help distribute the bags to the troops going through the airport and at the hospital. She said that she was so touched by the response they received. The "gifts" are presented in a lunch paper bag decorated by children. She expected the soldiers to throw away the bags, but many soldiers folded those up as well and kept them, sayings like "that's something my child/niece/nephew would make).

Last year they had a chance and a place to assemble many of the bags in Germany. This year her daughter will either be 9 months pregnant or a new mom, and the hanger they used last year will not be available. She (mom) said that they'd get them assembled one way or another (they live in a really small town). I didn't promise to assemble bags, but if we get all the items I guess I can (with help from everyone willing). Maybe we could work on it during the Klingspor event.

 

[ScottM]

Cathy, if the Board and Steve approves we co-chair on behalf of NCWW. I had not thought about assembling the bags. What I was thinking is using the Gathering in the Mountains as our collection point. It give enough time and that way members could bring their items or give them to others to bring. For those who could not do either of those they could ship or drop off with me.

Just to be clear, I plan to make and send ornaments on my own if we do not do a collective project.

 

[cskipper]

We certainly do not need to do more than make ornaments. I think that gathering would be a good place. Folks can send them to you or me, or even to the addresses in the file. Thanks for all your help.