Giving A Little Can Say A Lot!
Every year the generosity and support we receive from our donors and volunteers never ceases to amaze us. Whether they are filling our closets full of blankets and toys, providing items for our Gala/Auction, or bringing treats to support our staff, their donations are so important to the work we do!
Did you know that all of the children who are seen at Children’s Center go home with a new stuffed toy and a beautiful handmade blanket? These items are provided by our wonderful volunteers and bring so much joy and comfort to the children throughout their visit at the Center. We have some amazing crafters in our community that volunteer their time and talent to creating unique quilts and blankets that fill our closets. When children visit the Center, they get to look through the blanket and stuffed animal closet and choose one of each to take home. That freedom of choice gives them a sense of empowerment and lends a hand in making them feel comfortable when speaking with our staff. And although it may not be immediately visible, giving children the power to choose helps cultivate a sense of value, builds confidence, and aids them in developing problem-solving skills.
We are so very grateful to long-time volunteers like NW Quilters Angel Quilters for a Cause, and local volunteer Norma Barney, who have donated hundreds of beautiful quilts and blankets over the years! And we are continuously surprised by the generosity of our community and new volunteers that reach out and want to help in any way they can. In fact, recently kids from Lake Oswego’s Parks and Rec Teen Leadership Program brought us 70 hand tied fleece blankets they made as part of their activities.
In December of 2021, we received multiple calls, (to our delight,) from community members that wanted to host toy drives on our behalf, like Adam Ford (seen with his son in the pic above) and Pauline Peterson. Adam hosted a stuffed toy drive that he promoted on his podcast, “Dads Going Solo.” Pauline and her sister have run their book drive for the last five years. This year they collected over 500 books, donating not only to us, but also to Clackamas Toy & Joy and Clackamas Women’s Services.
Each fall, we have a dinner/auction event that usually brings in more than a quarter of a million dollars! Part of that success stems from generous donations from our business community; local and across the state. These donations include everything from a couple of nights stay in a hotel, to a basket of beer and swag from a brewer; a round of golf at an exclusive club to a fair-trade coffee and chocolate package. The variety and the generosity are gratifying!
Another way in-kind donors support Children’s Center is by supporting and encouraging our staff. For example, we recently received a holiday cheese box from Rogue Creamery, whose owner is one of our generous donors! Another donor (and Board Member) Orlando Perez brings us monthly treats from area bakeries!
Finally, a great big shout-out to Carolyne who’s brought, for the last eight years, glorious home baked treats and an inspirational card for our monthly staff meeting. She recently let us know that she is moving on to other volunteer activities, so we want to express our deep and sincere gratitude for her steadfast warmth and encouragement. We wish her the best as she pursues opportunities. Here is an example of the wonderful encouragement we would find on her lovely cards. This one came in the spring/summer of 2020.
“Sometimes,” said the horse.
“Sometimes what?” asked the boy.
Sometimes just getting up and carrying on is brave and magnificent.”
~From The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charles Mackesy
Strange times but you are not forgotten! Carry on with your amazing and much needed work.
Thanks, Carolyne
To all of you who offer your compassion, talents, and in-kind gifts, we want to extend our most sincere gratitude! Together, we are building a world where all children feel safe, valued, and heard.