July 7 (Day 129) Bake Me Home

Making the World a better place.... ONE COOKIE AT A TIME!  That is the mission of 9 year old twin sisters, Emma and Amy.  In 2008, when the girls were 7 years old, they along with mom Alison, established Bake Me Home. 

 

 

Bake Me Home grew from their desire to do something more for the homeless family shelter where they had volunteered together for 3 years. Their volunteer work began with collecting items for the Bethany House Shelter at the twins birthday party each year. In lieu of gifts from their friends, the girls asked for items for the shelter such as books, infants toys, and snacks for summer field trips. (What a great way to teach children about helping others.) Once the items were gathered, they delivered them to the shelter and prepared a homemade pancake breakfast for the families. The girls favorite part was always staying after breakfast to play with other kids at the shelter.

 

Desiring to help more families, Bake Me Home has expanded to include the YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter, and the Tom Geiger Guest House in Cincinnati, Ohio and the YWCA House of Peace in Clemont County, Ohio. These organizations do a great job helping the families find new homes and we want to give them a present on moving day. "We love making homemade cookies with our Mom and we want other kids to spend time with their moms, and enjoy eating cookies in their new home. So we give each family everything they need to make their own homemade cookies, all in one of our “Bake Me Home” cloth grocery bags (because we saw a show about how plastic bags are bad for our Earth). Here’s what’s in the bag:" 

• A $20 Kroger Grocery Store Gift Card
• Jar of homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookie mix
• Mixing bowl
• Wooden spoon
• Baking sheet
• Pot Holder
• Spatula
• Toothbrushes (Family pack of 6) and a tube of toothpaste
• A booklet of recipes donated by the Nutrition Council of Greater Cincinnati and printed by our friends at Mt. Washington Presbyterian Church

 

 

What is really amazing about these awesome kids is that they did not stop with their tote bag program, they have started 2 additional programs that complement Bake Me Home! They have a modified version of their Tote Bag program working in conjuction with local food pantries. They also have started the Bake Me Home Family Portrait Program.  The Family Portrait Program has to be, without a doubt, the program that makes the biggest impact for the least money. For approximately eighty cents worth of ink and paper they have seen mothers cry as the only picture they have of their kids comes to life. What an awesome way to make a difference!

 

 

I am so impressed by these 2 AWESOME young ladies!  They truly represent what this blog is all about.  Finding a need and doing what you can to make a difference!  Thanks to Mom & Dad too, for never telling the girls that they are just kids... they can't make a difference!  KIDS CAN AND ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE!   Amy, Emma and Mom.... YOU ROCK!! 

 

 

Get Involved:

Donate to Bake Me Home.

WE NEED YOUR HELP! Even little bits of money can be a big help. For example, only $5.00 will buy enough brown sugar for 30 jars of cookie mix!

 

Check out the BAKE ME BACK HOME  fundraiser page and send cookies to a service member while helping support the work of Bake Me Home.

 

If you are interested in a volunteering opportunity or donating 5x7 frames or potholders, send an email to cookiegirls@bakemehome.com regarding your specific interests. 

 

Bake Me Home on FaceBook.

 

 

 

Source:  Bake Me Home

April 17 (Day 48) - Be a Cheerful Giver

Today's cause is Cheerful Givers.  Let this inspire you to do what you can to help others....

Cheerful Givers is a 501c3 nonprofit organization committed to helping children in need. We provide birthday gift bags through shelters and food shelves to disadvantaged, needy children.  In 2009, 37,531 less fortunate children were able to experience the joy of receiving a birthday gift from their parents. The challenge facing Cheerful Givers for 2010 is to provide over 40,000 less fortunate children with birthday gifts. Since Cheerful Givers began in 1994, we have provided over 330,000 children with birthday gift bags.



Our Mission:
We provide toy-filled birthday gift bags to food shelves and shelters so that parents living in poverty can give their child a birthday gift. We believe this simple gesture boosts self-esteem, enhances self-worth, and strengthens bonds in families.

Our Vision:
All parents living in poverty will be able to give their child a birthday gift.


Founder's Story:    It started with just 12 birthday bags
Robin Maynard Steele and her husband Kevin had lived their lives like most of us, not realizing the impact they could have in their community. The world’s problems seemed too big for the hands of too few. But they had started to believe that if they had the desire to meet the needs of the world, the way to meet those needs would present itself. Robin was touring a food shelf when the barren birthday shelf met her. The thought of a child’s birthday passing without recognition lit a fire in her heart and stirred her to action.
12 birthday bags filled with toys. Nothing earth shaking. 12 birthday bags created with love in the basement of a house by a couple who wanted to make a difference. 12 birthday bags dropped off at Trinity Mission on a Sunday night. 12 birthday bags igniting a spark that would provide warmth for thousands.
Early Monday morning the call came. It was from the Trinity Mission calling to share the heart-warming story of the 12 birthday bags. A woman had come to the food shelf looking for a boxed item to celebrate the birthday of one of her children. Her anticipation turned to anguish when she was told that there were no birthday cakes available. But her despair turned to joy when she was presented with a birthday bag that she could now give to her child. Overwhelmed with joy the woman exclaimed, “The whole way over on the bus I prayed and prayed that there would be something here for me to give my child, but I never dreamed that there would be something so beautiful!” Within hours, all the bags were gone. Prayers had been answered and Robin and Kevin had found a place to meet the needs of the world. So it began and continues to grow.

After three years of providing birthday bags to the community, Robin started to wonder if she was doing enough. Driven by the desire to meet the needs of her neighbor in need, Robin needed guidance. Now most of us would look to a friend or maybe take a class or seminar in this situation. Not Robin. Robin found herself called to travel to India with hopes of meeting Mother Teresa. She was given an audience with Mother Teresa hours before this pillar of goodness would suffer a heart attack.

Robin came home knowing that we are all hungry- hungry for love. We all want to know that we are special and that our life matters to someone. Cheerful Givers provides more than birthday bags, it celebrates those lives that matter. The lives of the parents who give the gifts. The lives of the volunteers who create the gifts. And the lives of the children who receive the gifts.

Click here to find out how you can get involved.  You can donate cash, toys, supplies or you can host a birthday blitz!  This is a great way to involve your whole family in giving!  Cheerful Givers is inspiring people everywhere to follow their lead.  This is something you can do no matter where you are located.  Contact your local food pantry and ask if you can supply them with Birthday Bags!  

Source: Cheerful Givers