MOE 2005
January 2005
We sent $2056 through UNICEF to benefit Sierra Leone, one of the poorest places in the world. The life expectancy in Sierra Leone is just 43 years compared to 77 in the United States. 43% of the people there do not have safe water to drink and 28% of the babies born alive in Sierra Leone die before their 5th birthday. For this reason we were very excited to sponsor a project at the Kenema Government Hospital Maternity Ward. Our contribution will help improve the health of both mothers and babies and provide much needed medical supplies. We raised this money by making and selling crafts and baked goods in our Old Fashioned Country Store.
January 2005
Continuing with our theme of children helping children, We gave a grant of $342.50 to The Nest of Johnson County. .This agency helps low income women and those with other risk factors to have healthy pregnancies and deliver healthy babies. The Nest program seeks to reduce the incidence of birth defects, low birth weight, and infant deaths by promoting educational opportunities and early consistent prenatal care. By attending medical appointments and educational classes the women earn incentive points that can be redeemed for supplies such as blankets and diapers. We raised this money by making and selling crafts and baked goods in our Old Fashioned Country Store.
January 2005
We chose another local project. We donated $342.50 to a new organization called, The Johnson County Children’s Initiative. The focus of this fund is to provide after school and summer activities to children in the County’s homeless shelters and transitional housing programs. It levels the playing field for all children. No longer will children have to stand on the sidelines simply because they don’t have running shoes or give up a dream of becoming a musician because they can’t afford lessons. The money we donated came from the money we raised by making and selling crafts at our Old Fashioned Country Store.
February 2005
We raised $468.50 to help the victims of the huge Tsunami that wiped out entire villages and killed thousands of people in Asia and Africa. We gave from our allowances, raised money by doing yard work, sold craftwork and collected donations from the community. We contributed to Week of Compassion which provides disaster relief world wide.
February 2005
We collected 7505 vitamins from local stores and individuals to be used in a nutritional education program in Honduras. They were transported in suitcases by Gail and JoEllen Crowe, a local husband and wife nursing team who were doing mission work in Honduras. Honduras is among the lowest-income countries in the Western Hemisphere, with a per capita income of only $850.
April 2005
We had an upscale bake sale complete with a strolling violinist and a table set to enjoy the refreshments, spring flowers, and music. We raised $150 for our Emergency Fund which enables us to respond quickly when there is a need.
August 2005
After learning that the Crisis Center Food Bank spends $1000 per year purchasing grocery sacks, we started an ongoing campaign to recycle grocery bags for them. We collect, sort and bundle the bags into a manageable size. So far we have delivered 3000 bags to them. The thousand dollars can be better spent stocking their shelves with food!
September 2005
We spent 12 hours working on a service project, packing boxes for a local woman who was moving to the West Coast.
September 2005
In an effort to find a way to replenish our emergency fund, we discovered a way to not only accomplish that goal, but to help protect the earth’s resources as well. We launched a campaign to recycle computer ink cartridges. Each year as many as 40 million non-biodegradable, petroleum-based plastic cartridges are thrown in the trash. Reusing those cartridges just once will help our planet many times over. As of mid October, in only a few short months, we have already earned $330 for our emergency fund and kept 118 cartridges out of the landfill.
September 2005
In collaboration with Virtual Home School International, we made school supply bags that will be filled with school supplies and donated to home-schooled children who have been displaced by Hurricane Katrina. It is a small step in the healing and recovery process, but an important one.
September 2005 We donated $250 from our emergency fund to help the victims of hurricane Katrina
November 2005
We put together 10 relief kits for people who were displaced by the earthquake in Pakistan. Each kit contained 20 basic health and hygiene items, such as towels, soap, combs, and laundry detergent. We packed the items in reusable laundry bags and they were delivered by members of the First Mennonite Church.
December 2005
We held an Old Fashioned Country Store, where we sold crafts and baked goods to raise over $3300. We used part of this money to give a $1500 grant to Concern America to help with work they are doing in Guatemala. $800 of this grant will be used to sponsor a Guatemalan to receive medical training for one year in order to become a field doctor who can provide medical care to his community. The remaining $700 will be used to provide medicines such as aspirin, Ibuprofen, and antibiotics.
December 2005
To make an even larger impact on a small country, we decided to give a $1500 grant to Global Partners, Running Waters for the work they are doing to provide clean water in Guatemala. This money will be used to rebuild two water projects that were destroyed by Hurricane Stan. We funded this project with money we earned at our Old Fashioned Country Store.