October 27, 2006

NEWSLETTER #6             GRAMMA'S HUGS INTERNATIONAL

A nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization...providing blankets free of charge to children.

EIN# 38-3702680

Our Motto: Every child deserves to have their very own special blanket.

Our Purpose: To provide as many blankets to as many children as possible worldwide.

It is always wonderful to be able to write a "newsy" newsletter. We have been involved in many projects since the last contact we've had with many of you, and we want to keep you "in the loop" of what is going on!!!

We had an annual meeting at "Gramma's" house in August, and discussed not only the requests for blankets and other items that we've received, but also just who we will give to in the future -- how many blankets -- and what other items.

With the accumulation of such a wonderful group of "hugs helpers", more items are being included to cover the needs of the various groups. For instance, Lorraine White is an excellent seamstress and has taken it upon herself to make us hundreds of drawstring bags from print cottons. These are given to the children in Crisis Nurseries when they go home... "belongings bags" we are calling them, and they are 2/3 the size of a regular pillowcase. If you have scraps of washable cotton prints that would be suitable for these, save them!

Besides the blankets made of fleece and lightweight cotton flannels, there are now some "helpers" that are crocheting afghans. Pamela Scott and Mary Ann Silva have both finished colorful afghans. Barbara Duke has serged edges on 100's of fleece blankets. These efforts are simply wonderful! For the holidays, small reversible drawstring bags have been filled with a washcloth; pair of socks; small soap, lotion and shampoo; a pack of gum and a tootsie pop candy sucker...these will be distributed to street boys in Uganda this Christmas. If you have a surplus of small toiletries -- we can use those too.

Blankets and other items have gone out to Biloxi, Mississippi, in our continuing Katrina Relief projects; the Crisis Nursery in S. Sacramento, that cares for small children in family crisis situations; Kampala, Uganda, for a work there that is orphanage, clinic, schooling for street children and other things; Webuye, Kenya, to an orphanage there where the children have lost their parents due to AIDS; Jogyakarta, Indonesia, in the continuing efforts due to their devastating volcanic eruption, earthquake and additional tsunami recently; Delhi, India, for the continuing efforts to get supplies to the victims of that devastating earthquake in Kashmir/Pakistan region; Mission Teams that went to Guatemala and Nicaragua. These are in addition to the list of areas that will have boxes sent to them for the holidays.

Among those are the Door of Faith Orphanage in Baja, Mexico; three new areas in Africa...Zambia, Nigeria and Tanzania; additional blankets to India for the Kashmir relief; locally to the Pregnancy Resource Center in Lodi, California; Bishop Gallegos Maternity Home in Sacramento; the Crisis Nursery in S. Sacramento, and the Biloxi Health Centers (Katrina Relief), in MS.

The months of October and November were very busy with not only the blankets and obtaining materials and such, but also with an interview and profile for UOP Alumni Association in Stockton, California; the Lodi News Sentinel article and pictures; a speaking engagement in Elk Grove November 1st, and one in Sacramento the 13th of November. Our booth at the Harvest Festival gained us over $400 towards supplies and expenses..."helpers" were there too!

"Gramma" renamed her car "Henrietta Hugmobile", and a board member purchased magnetic signs for the two sides that says: Gramma's Hugs International, the phone number and the website location...!!! Lookin' good.

 

We are always anxious to speak to any group interested. It is costly to not only buy materials, but to box and mail them; time consuming to sew, edge and wrap them. Monetary donations are needed to further this worthy project, and to continue to expand it's outreach to more and more precious children. We encourage you to give a thought to a sustaining contribution on a regular basis in order to accomplish this. Linda and Peter Wick pay for all the mailing (plus give me the boxes for packing), so the only expenditures are for postage, office supplies, website updates and sewing supplies. No one receives a salary.

And don't forget to check out our website. It is being updated to include a new listing of all the blankets, small animals and other items that have been distributed as of October 2006.

Please send all correspondence and donations to the following address:

Shirley J. King
Gramma's Hugs International
8652 Elk Way
Elk Grove, CA 95624

Hugs to everyone!

Shirley J. King
Gramma's Hugs International