Thank you Jack Dempsey!

One of the reasons I am so passionate about Operation Christmas Child is the fact a simple filled shoebox can bring so much hope to a child in need. The group I coordinate called Shoebox 1K  attempts to pack 1000 shoebox gifts each year. We normally pack more but 1000 is the goal. In poorer societies, older children are normally already forced to help bring home money for the family, school sometimes getting cut short. Girls especially can be overlooked. 

This is why one of the things we love doing is packing sewing kits into our older girls boxes! We coordinate our kits by hand, using donated supplies and materials to make sure each girl gets an assortment of items useful to her in sewing. In addition we try to include a project to teach simple stitches, as well as some fabric for her to work with. 

When talking to Jack Dempsey Needle Arts about our project, they were touched, they volunteered to donate sampler fabric and the directions for 500 sewing kits! 

Each sewing kit not only gives a girl a chance to have some necessary and needed supplies at home, but because we try to include picture directions, it could give a girl a chance to learn some life skills to help her when she gets older! 

One of our 500 boxes for the 10-14 year old girls, complete with sewing kit!

It took our volunteers many, many, many hours this summer, to sort through donated fabric, cut it into usable pieces, sort out embroidery floss and thread, purchase scissors, and then collate the 500 plus bags to be packed. But in the end it was so worth it!  

A big thank you to our volunteers but especially to Jack Dempsey Needle Arts for their generous donation!!