Project RF

I received emails from LOTS of people - and all of them - every single one - was to help a family of one of our very own Helpers. We were deeply saddened to learn of the tragic house fire that totally destroyed the home of Robert Freeman and Tameka Brown. They are staying temporarily with Debra Freeman and we would like to offer our help to her precious family.

Needs:
Top priorities: - Furniture
                          - Bedding (twin and queen sizes)
                          - Towels
                          - Bath cloths
                          - Personal items
                          - Washing powder (Gain/Tide/etc)

Debra has said that the school families are helping with clothing and food, but in case you would like to also help with that here are the sizes:
Father- 36 pants- 2XL shirt, 10 shoe
Mother- 16 pants, 1x shirt, 8 1/2 shoe (she wears scrubs for work, so I'm sure those would also be appreciated - any color)
Sons - boys clothing sizes ranging from 8-14, boys shoe sizes 3-5
Daughter – girls clothing size 12; girls shoe size 2 ½ - 3

Let's see what we can get together between now and Wednesday for the first drop off phase.

Drop off Locations:
- Jones Wheat Elementary School (Lauren Turner)
- Bainbridge High School - Guidance Dept (Susan Moseley)
- if neither of these are good for you, you can also drop it by my house or call me and I can make pick ups - please email me at momara@dcboe.com for my information.

Also, I would say that a monetary donation and/or gift cards (restaurants/Wal-Mart/Winn Dixie/etc) would be good for this situation. You can make the checks out to Debra Freeman, and any cash can be sent to any drop off location.

Please remember to mark everything you give with PROJECT RF.

Update: Project LM

~~~UPDATE~~~ 11/03/2011


We are now officially at the "Needs Met" stage - great job! Along with the items that you all donated, we also collected enough money to help pay the deposit and rent for their mobile home (I got a money order for record keeping and to make sure the money is going where we intend it to go) - electricity and water are being turned on today, and you are the ones who made it happen! The mother is also contacting Labor Finders today, and hopefully a job for her will be found with the help of our contact there. After speaking with the mother yesterday, she understands that the monetary help was a one time deal, and that now it is her responsibility to take the steps necessary to make sure the needs of her children are met. Great job on a project well done! You all stepped up to the plate, and got the job done. :)

~~~END UPDATE~~~

___________________________________________________________
Great job on helping to meet the majority of the needs for this family!

PROJECT LM Needs:

- Clothing
- FOOD
- Soap
- Toothbrushes
- Toothpaste
- Deodorant - we have enough female deodorant, but need more male deodorant
- Shampoo/Conditioner
- Tissue paper
- Paper Towels
- Dishes/Eating Utensils
- Pots/Pans/Cooking Utensils
- Curtains - we received two long brown curtains, but more are needed
- Microwave/Toaster Oven
- Cleaning supplies
- School supplies

On a side note, I had several people ask about monetary donations. For this case, monetary donations will be accepted. They are in need of turning on their electricity and transferring their water, but cannot do so until their rent has been paid. We would need close to $650 to have everything done for them - so far we  have $325 - exactly half. If we could even just get enough to have rent + electricity that would be better than nothing. If you cannot give, or prefer not to do cash, that is fine - please feel no pressure to ever give money. I would also like to say that any money given will be accounted for through receipts - I, along with anyone else who would like to go, will be taking them to pay the bills so the money will not just be gived to them on faith.

Project LM

I am titling each Project with a set of initials that will help me keep organized. When responding, please make sure that the Project name is somewhere in your email. Thanks!

PROJECT LM Specs:

Living arrangements: mother, high school daughter, and middle school son; live in Mobile City
Transportation: none
Jobs: none; mother has applications on file at various fast food restaurants, grocery stores

PROJECT LM Needs:

Clothing:             Mother/Daughter                           Son
                                Shirt: Adult Large                             Shirt: Boys Medium (12)
                                Pants: Adult 13-14                           Pants: Boys 10/12 average
                                Shoes: Woman 6 -7½                      Shoes: Boys 7

Although not listed, I’m very sure that undergarments/socks are also needed. Underwear/sock size should be the same as pants/shoe. Bra size would probably be around a 36-38DD; I will double check on that.

Other needs:

-          FOOD
-          Soap
-          Toothbrushes
-          Toothpaste
-          Deodorant
-          Shampoo/Conditioner
-          Tissue paper
-          Paper Towels
-          Dishes/Eating Utensils
-          Pots/Pans/Cooking Utensils
-          Curtains
-          Microwave/Toaster Oven
-          Cleaning supplies
-          School supplies

Personal Note:

I have personally been to their previous residence (this family has slept in over 10 different places since August). The mother opened all cabinets/drawers to show me the items they had (which were scarce). The residence was not dirty, there was no indication that any alcohol or drugs are used. They have no pets. If you know anyone who rents properties within Bainbridge city limits who would be willing to offer them a reasonable rent (the mother receives approximately $400 a month plus a small amount of food stamps), please let me know. Also, if anyone has a bicycle (or two!) these could be used for a type of transportation for them – at this point in time they walk pretty much everywhere they go if they cannot find a ride. Social Services have helped this family to every extent that they can – it is now time for community help.

Last note: Please let me know of anyone that you know of that needs help – this group is meant to not only ask for help but to ask for people who need the help. I would like to keep this strictly geared towards school-aged children.

Thanks and Be Blessed,

Mandi

The First Letter - Who We Are - Sent out October 18, 2011

Good Afternoon, Ladies!

I am feeling led to start a group called “The Helpers”. I have selected numerous women from within the school system (at all levels) and within the community – and if you received this email then you are one of the “selected”. Please let me know if you do not want to be a part of this group – just email me back and I will scratch your name off my list. I intend for this to be an anonymous group where no one knows if you are in the group unless you want them to know – if you think you know someone who would be a great member, please email me their name and email address so that I can contact them.

The purpose of this group is to help identify any child (from elementary – high school; NBLC and PLC) that needs help. This group’s purpose will be to serve children of all races. Obviously Decatur County has a lot of needy individuals, and I know that social services help all they can, BUT there are some individuals that are in emergency situations who need help NOW with items like soap, food, tissue paper, dishes, and clothing. I would like for this group to be the ears of the community and be the hands who serve those in trouble. We will never have meetings, we don’t pay dues, all we do is help supply some items that others don’t have.

I do not think that every single person will give items every single time it is asked for, but I think that with each situation maybe just a few people will have some stuff they can donate. Clothes/shoes don’t have to be new, they can be gently worn items. If dishes/cups are needed they don’t have to be new either – I know I have multiple mix-matched items that I would never miss.

I know that I can get bogged down in the daily struggles of life and it is hard to see things past my own little social circle. There are people who are hurting and struggling for basic necessities just down the street from each of us, and we can’t see them because we are too caught up in our own little worlds. I know there are places like the AGAPE Shop and other places that have been set up to help those in need, but I believe that it should be the whole community that rallies to help others and not just a few that have to do all of the work. Please help.

Thank you so much for your consideration – around 3:00 this afternoon I will be sending out a call for help for a high school girl and her middle school brother who are in dire need of assistance.

Be blessed,

Mandi O’Mara

(Photo Credit)