Tell Me Something Good and Project Updates

It's been a while since we updated the blog because we've been busy working on hats and blankets for our #kidswithcancerproject. This project will be complete on June 30th, and once we get everything inventoried, we'll make the trip to Oklahoma City to the Jimmy Everest Center at OU Medical to give the items we've made to our contact there so that they can be distributed to the patients. We set a goal of 50 hats and 50 blankets for this endeavor, and we're happy to report that we reached that number!

We'd like to thank everyone who has helped us make hats and tie blankets - we couldn't do it without you! We're going to continue working until the deadline so that we can donate as many hats and blankets as we can. Once we've made the delivery, we'll announce our final totals.

Our plan is to take the month of July to raise funds and organize supplies so that by August 1 we can begin working on hats, scarves, and blankets to be donated to the homeless this fall/winter. Our plan is to go to Oklahoma City and work with Pastors Vernon and Marilyn Carter at the Metro House of Hope in their homeless outreach program. Our goal for this project will be 100 hats, scarves, and blankets. If you're interested in donating money or supplies to this cause, please feel free to contact us via email, or you can give monetarily directly on our gofundme page. The links to both are listed on the right sidebar.

And now, Tell Me Something Good! A few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to do an interview with Mike Brooks of KOKH Fox 25 in Oklahoma City. The story aired last night on the newscast in his "Tell Me Something Good" segment. We're so thankful for this chance to not only tell our story to a larger audience, but to raise awareness and hopefully inspire others to do what they can where they are with what they have. If you'd like to watch the segment, here's the link:

 

http://www.okcfox.com/story/29128348/the-bundle-up-club-of-Oklahoma

 

 

 



Blanket Parties, Project Dates, and Other Updates

On Sunday, February 15th, The Bundle Up Club co-sponsored a blanket party with the girl's/women's ministry of Trinity Baptist Church. The Bundle Up Club, along with members of Trinity, sponsored the purchase of fleece to make blankets for the teens currently residing at the Cypress Hill Youth Home. The Bundle Up Club cut the fleece and got it ready, and then got together with some girls and ladies from Trinity to make the blankets. Twenty-eight attended the party, and we were able to make all 41 of the blankets in just 2 1/2 hours! Some other ladies from Trinity have volunteered to personalize the blankets by embroidering the names of the teens on them, and once that is complete, a representative from Trinity will deliver the blankets to the students at the Home. We are so thankful for the opportunity to partner with such a wonderful group of people, and we look forward to the possibility of more co-sponsorships in the future!

 

As you know, our next two projects for this year will be for kids with cancer who are treated at the Jimmy Everest Center of OU Medical in OKC, and for those who struggle with homelessness in the OKC area through the OKC Metro House of Hope and Pastors Vernon and Marilyn Carter. The childhood cancer project will begin March 1st and will end on June 30th. Our goal is to complete at least 50 hats and blankets. We will take the month of July off for fundraising and organization, and then we will start the homeless project August 1st. The ending date for this project will be November 14th, and our goal is to make at least 75 hats, blankets, and scarves to be distributed before the beginning of winter.

 

We have scheduled a scarf loom/blanket-making party for Saturday, March 21st from 2:00-5:00 p.m. Most everyone has learned how to make hats with the knitting loom, so at this party we will teach those interested how to use a knitting loom to make scarves. We have also purchased enough fleece for 27 blankets, and we will be making these blankets as well. Make plans now to come join us for food, fellowship, and fun! *If possible, please bring your own scarf loom and yarn. Scarf looms come in various sizes and look like this

This package is available at Joann's Fabrics and can be purchased online or in store for $24.99. It contains a hook, yarn needle, and 4 sizes of looms. Walmart also carries scarf looms occasionally. If you can't find one or purchase one, no worries, we have a few available to loan.

Also, if you'd like to start working on hats for the Jimmy Everest Center kids, please be sure to get yarn that is soft and not itchy as this would be uncomfortable for bald heads. We found some at our local Walmart that would work well and is relatively inexpensive at $2.97 per skein.           
                                  
The age range for the kids treated at the center is 2-18, so we will need various hat sizes. We will be making standard size blankets (4 yards - two 2-yard pieces) for this project.

Right now, our biggest limitation is a financial one. We were able to raise enough money from our bake sale (about $600) to purchase the fleece for 27 blankets and the yarn for about 25 hats. This is obviously only enough for us to make it half way to our goal. We are accepting donations of fleece, yarn, and money, so if you'd like to give, please contact us for our address. You can make checks payable to The Bundle Up Club, or you can donate online through our gofundme page. The link is on the right side-bar of this page. Sponsorships are also available. To sponsor a child with cancer, the cost is $25 to purchase and make a blanket and hat. To sponsor a person who struggles with homelessness, a donation of $35 would cover the cost of materials for a blanket, hat, and scarf.

We really appreciate all of your help and support, and are excited about what God is doing and the opportunities we have to serve this year!


We're Official!

We are now officially registered as a nonprofit organization in the state of Oklahoma! This was a big step for us and we are super excited! We are currently in the process of working to obtain 501(c)(3) status from the IRS so that donations will be tax deductible. It's a long, daunting task, but we are excited about the possibilities for our future.

 

Thank you all so much for your help and support - we couldn't do it without you!

 

 

Volunteer Opportunity!

Want to help out in our community? Want to learn more about the Bundle Up Club? Want to fellowship with other ladies and learn how to make fleece blankets? Come join us! All materials will be provided and instruction will be given. All we need is you! 

 

New Projects and Other Exciting Developments!

If you haven't heard already, we are gearing up to start on our first two projects of 2015. The first project will benefit the 32 residents of Cypress Group Home, a local shelter for troubled youth. We're joining forces with the girl's ministry of Trinity Baptist Church and will be making blankets. Our plan is to have a Saturday work day in which the girl's group and volunteers of the Bundle Up Club get together to make all the blankets in one day. Stay tuned for details!

Our second project will benefit the patients of the Jimmy Everest Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders in Children at OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City. We will be making hats and blankets for the children and teens treated there. Our donations will be given through the Oklahoma Children's Cancer Association. We are currently trying to raise funds for these projects, so if you would like to make a donation of fleece, yarn, or money, we would greatly appreciate it! You can contact us at our new email address thebundleupclub@gmail.com for more information on how to give.

Also, for all our local peeps, we are having a bake sale to raise funds. Send us an email or visit our Facebook page to place your order. Morgan will begin baking all the goodies next week! We need to raise as much money as possible so that we can begin purchasing materials for our projects.

And now for the exciting developments.....we are currently in the process of obtaining non-profit status! Woo-Hoo!! This will not only establish the Bundle Up Club as a real organization, but will allow your charitable contributions to be tax deductible as well. We are just getting started with this and have a lot of work to do, but we are excited and thankful we have this opportunity. We'll keep you updated on our status!

Project Baby Bundle Success

Project Baby Bundle is now complete and we are so excited to tell you our numbers! But first, we want to say thank you to everyone who helped us by making hats and blankets, making donations of money or materials, or praying for us. We couldn't do this without you and we are so thankful God has brought us together as a team. When we work together, we truly can accomplish more!

 

Project Baby Bundle was a 10-week endeavor to make at least 50 hats and 50 blankets for The House of Hope. They provide crisis and counseling services to women with unplanned pregnancies, and also provide support and assistance to families with young children.

 

We had friends from California, Oregon,  Washington, Georgia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Oklahoma City,  and right here at home join us to help this cause. And guess what? We exceeded our goal! In total, our team made

 

4 pair of booties,

 

 

 147 blankets,

 

 

 and 269 hats!! 

 

Isn't that amazing?! We have so much to donate that we will be able to donate to two places instead of just one. We are getting things worked out now, but hopefully part of this stash will also be given to a local foster closet that provides items for those who are taking foster children into their homes.

 

We are blown away by God's goodness and are so grateful to be able to help others in need. We will be taking a short break to plan our next project and raise funds, so be on the look out for information.

 

Morgan and Maddie with the stash!

 

 

We were also recruited by the Kiwanis Club in Albany, GA to make six scarves and hats for several of their Meals on Wheels recipients who are in need. The items will be delivered to them as a gift just in time for Christmas. Special thanks to Rozanna Grove for helping us get those done quickly!

 

 

 

Fun Fact: Since May, the Bundle Up Club has made and donated  267 blankets, 126 scarves, and 389 hats!

Good Things Happen When We Work Together

Last Saturday, November 15th, The Bundle Up Club teamed up with The Wave youth group of Abba's House Worship Center, and with Pastor Vernon Carter and his wife Marilyn of the Metro House of Hope in Oklahoma City. About 15 of us went to help distribute gift bags (handmade hats, scarves, and blankets) and to ride along with Pastor Carter as he handed out sack lunches, coffee, and juice. When we arrived at 8:00 a.m., volunteers were busy in the kitchen fixing up a nice, hot breakfast for those who had come to be served. About 40 people showed up for breakfast that morning. 

 

The Carter's drive and old, gutted-out bus to make their deliveries. There are a few seats left, but the majority of them have been removed and replaced with work stations. They usually pack the sack lunches ahead of time, and make the sandwiches and coffee while they are actually running the route so they can serve them fresh. Since they knew we were coming, they didn't assemble the lunch bags ahead of time and let us be a part of that process. Each sack contained an orange, several individually packaged snack bags, a sandwich, and a container of juice. 

Since there were so many of us, the girls and boys split up into teams to do the lunch sack/sandwich making assembly line, and to pass out the food to those who needed it.

 

The route they run generally takes about two hours to complete. They stop at various points along the route and people will line up to be served. They will also stop the bus if they see an individual coming who needs food.

 

It was a very cold day Saturday, and we were able to serve a lot of people. We handed out approximately 50 lunches, and gave away about 35 blankets, hats, and scarves. A lot of people needed gloves, so we gave away a lot of those, too. The rest of the gift bags (15) were left with them so they can deliver to those who need them in the coming weeks.

 

All of us who went on this outreach were humbled by the gratefulness shown by those who received blankets and food. We all realized even more just how blessed we are and how much we often take for granted. We were also in awe of Vernon and Marilyn Carter's dedication and faithfulness to the homeless of the OKC Metro area. They have a passion for service. They have run their outreach, which provides 2 cooked meals a week and the mobile sack lunch delivery every Saturday, for the past 20 years. They also collect every type of item imaginable--clothes, shoes, coats, gloves, blankets, hats, toiletries, food--to distribute to those who need it.

 

20 YEARS!!

That's dedication and service, people!

 

Sometimes it's just the two of them assembling the lunch sacks and driving the bus route on Saturdays. They know everyone's name, everyone's story, everyone's background. They pray for and love on and give hope to those who need it most. Pastor Carter has their respect and trust. Everyone we saw that day asked for him. Some wanted prayer, some just wanted to say hi, but all wanted to say thank you.

 

Everything the Metro House of Hope does is made possible strictly by volunteers and donations. We're planning on going to work with them again soon, and will donate blankets again also.

 

It was so much fun getting to team up with both our youth group, and the Carter's ministry. It made us realize that when we work together, we can accomplish so much more. What we do may be small, but when paired with the work others, it becomes big. We are so grateful to have had this opportunity! Here are a few pictures from the day: