It's time to collect those school supplies!

This is tonight's email:

Hello Friends!

I'm so sad that it is almost time to go back to school. There is nothing better than summer with all of my children home with me every day.

Back to school means new pencils with perfect erasers and empty notebooks waiting to be filled. While running your regular errands please consider picking up some extra supplies to ensure that children in need can receive proper tools for learning. There are great sales going on at places like Target, Staples, Office Depot, Walgreens, and Walmart.

Just a reminder that kits for LDS Philanthropies include:

School Kit
• 4 pencils (unsharpened)
• 1 box pre-sharpened or unsharpened assorted colored pencils
(approx. 7” long, approx. 12 pencils/box)
• 1 pencil sharpener
• 1 rubber pencil eraser (approx 1" x 2")
• 1 straight edge ruler - 12 inches, with metric
• 1 pair of blunt-nosed scissors (metal blades)
• Glued or spiral bound notebooks or letter size legal pads, with lined sheets. Include enough notebooks/pads to total approximately 450 sheets (Please do not include more than 6 notebooks/pads). Sheet sizes 8 1/2" x 11", 8" x 10 1/2", 8 1/2" x 11 3/4" are acceptable.
• 1 durable cloth bag made of heavy fabric (See cloth bag guidelines below)

Please donate according to the list, or consider a donation of money towards completing partial kits or time to sew bags and assemble the kits.

There will be a bin on my porch from tomorrow until September 15th. You do not need to donate full kits. You may choose to purchase just one item. I will keep a running tally on our site (wilsonfamilycharity.blogspot.com) of what has been donated. I'll also send emails each week including those totals.

Thanks for your help in this project!

Warmly,
The Wilson Family

PS Please contact me if you would like to be removed from this list, or if you have a friend that would like to be added to the email list.

School Supplies Drive!!!

What better time to do a school supplies drive than at back to school sales time!

We are pleased to announce the Wilson Family Charity School Supplies Drive, which will run from August 1-September 15. We will be collecting both goods and monetary donations to put together kits for LDS Philanthropies. My favorite thing about LDS Philanthropies is that 100% of all donations are used for the causes for which they have been donated. I am not aware of any other organization that is able to operate in this manner. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints covers all administrative costs so that LDS Philanthropies can use your whole donation for those in need.

In regards to giving humanitarian aid, LDS Philanthropies offers help to those in need without regard for religion, gender, race, or any other type of diversity.

School kits are often sent to both schools and orphanages and on occasion are sent to disaster areas.

We will need to donate kits according to the guidelines, so please only donate items that are actually on the list, or money. We will use all monetary donations to help cover the cost of fabric or velcro for the bags and/or for school supplies we are short on to make full kits.

And if you know how to sew and would be willing to help us put the bags together we would love it!!! (I do have a sewing machine though I do not know much about using it yet.)


School Kit
• 4 pencils (unsharpened)
• 1 box pre-sharpened or unsharpened assorted colored pencils
(approx. 7” long, approx. 12 pencils/box)
• 1 pencil sharpener
• 1 rubber pencil eraser (approx 1" x 2")
• 1 straight edge ruler - 12 inches, with metric
• 1 pair of blunt-nosed scissors (metal blades)
• Glued or spiral bound notebooks or letter size legal pads, with lined sheets. Include enough notebooks/pads to total approximately 450 sheets (Please do not include more than 6 notebooks/pads). Sheet sizes 8 1/2" x 11", 8" x 10 1/2", 8 1/2" x 11 3/4" are acceptable.
• 1 durable cloth bag made of heavy fabric (See cloth bag guidelines below)

Place items inside the cloth bag.

Cloth Bag (for School Kit)• Cut two pieces of fabric for bag 14"x 18", Cut 2 handles 24"x 3.5" (1.5" webbing may be substituted).
• Serge or zigzag all edges of both pieces of bag fabric.
• Put right sides of bag fabric together. Starting at the top of the side seam,(side seam = 18" length), sew around 3 sides of bag (2 long sides, 1 short side). Make sure to backstitch.

Handles
• Zig-zag or serge one long side of each handle.
• With right side out, fold over raw edge and overlap serged edge.
• Stitch lengthwise down center of handle.
• Pin or secure handle in place. Repeat with the other end of the handle on the same side of the bag.
• Repeat on other side of bag.
• After handles are secure, stitch hem of bag, including handles around entire hem.
• Reinforce stitching on handles.
• Place a 3” strip of velcro on inside of bag between handle straps. Sew in place.

Beginning August 1 there will be a bin in front of our home for collections. The address will go out by email so please email wilsonfamilycharity@gmail.com if you need it. After school begins, there will be a bin in the foyer of Steeple Run Elementary School. Also, there is one business location that may allow us to set up a bin. More information to follow.

Thanks in advance for your help! We are so blessed and grateful for the opportunity to help others have tools for learning.