You may remember me posting a while back about a grant I received from Start a Snowball, an organization that helps kids make a difference in their community. Yesterday, they profiled Buddee Bags on their website!
I hope you will take a minute to read the article and to visit Start a Snowball!
Today I went to a local nursing home in Warminster to deliver bags and neck pillows. As always, it was wonderful to spend time with the residents and I was so happy that they all loved the bags and pillows! In total, I donated 24 wheelchair bags, 21 anywhere bags, and 4 walker bags. I also donated 38 neck pillows!
I am including some pictures below.
Sam and me
Bags and Pillows
Winston the dog loves Buddee Bags!
Today I participated in Global Youth Service Day along with some wonderful volunteers!
Thanks to Youth Service America, Disney Friends for Change, and Karma for Cara we were able to make 15 Buddee Bags, 40 neck pillows, and 20 heart pillows to be donated to local children’s hospitals.
We had a busy day of sewing and stuffing, but it was worth it! I’m including a few pictures below and more on my facebook page… remember to “like” BuddeeBags!
I am honored to announce that I have received a grant from the Karma for Cara foundation!
Karma for Cara was founded by 21-year-old Cara Becker and her family while she was being treated for leukemia in 2012. I hope you will take some time to visit their website and learn about Cara, her legacy, and the foundation. www.karmaforcara.org
With the funds received from this foundation, I will be working on items that I will donate to local children’s hospitals in Philadelphia. I will be making bags (of course!) but will also be making homemade pillow cases and heart-shaped comfort pillows for children and teens who are in long-term hospital stays.
I am including a picture of an outer space themed heart pillow as a sample. Be on the lookout in the next few weeks for pictures of the items and updates on where they are being donated.
Heart Pillow
Today was a very exciting day. After lunch my grade was called into the auditorium for a special assembly. My principal explained that we were all brought together because of a special award that she was very proud to give. She read a letter from President Obama and showed us the Presidential Service Award. Then she told us that in addition to the Presidential Award, there was more, a Certificate of Excellence from the Prudential Spirit of Community Award.
After she talked about the awards and read the letters, she announced that I was the person receiving them! I also got a Citizenship Medal from my principal! The whole grade clapped for me and congratulated me and my Mom and Dad were even there to see me get the awards!
I am very honored to have received these awards today and I am so glad that more people will know about Buddee Bags.
Mom and Dad with me at my school
Prudential Spirit of Community Certificate of Excellence
Presidential Service Award and Letter from President Obama
The past few weeks have been very busy for Buddee Bags. As you know, I participated in the MLK Day of Service at Girard College and was mentioned on KYW. This week, I was highlighted on the CBS Philly Caring Community! You can see that story by clicking here.
The story has been shared by my friends and family on Twitter and Facebook which has been a great way for more people to learn about Buddee Bags! I am thankful for the nice messages and support. Don’t forget to LIKE Buddee Bags on Facebook and Follow me on Twitter!
I would also like to say a special thank you for some recent donations that will help me to continue to purchase material and supplies!
I also would like to share a picture of some beautiful fabric I received in the mail today from my Aunt Karen’s friend who was visiting Jarkata, Indonesia and thought of Buddee Bags!
Beautiful fabric from Indonesia!
Today was the day I went to Girard College’s MLK Day of Service. There were 5,000 volunteers working on projects to help make the world a better place. A number of people stopped by to learn more about Buddee Bags and how they can help me out. One of the things I was most proud of was helping to teach people how to sew and make a Buddee Bag.
I also had a chance to speak to KYW1060 about my project. I am including some pictures and links from my day.
News article:
Radio clip:
Photos:
Some of our wonderful volunteers!
Learning how to make a Buddee Bag
My best friend Jill came to help out!
Sorry it has been a while since my last post!
Over the past few weeks I have received a number of donations, I am very thankful for all of the support! I especially want to thank a volunteer who made 24 bags as a part of Make a Difference Day… I’ve included a picture. They will be put to good use!
24 donated bags from Make a Difference Day
I have also been busy preparing for the Martin Luther Kind Day of Service on Monday. Emma (from DresseswithlovE) and I will be spending the day with some great volunteers at Girard College in Philadelphia.
Girard College is the signature site for the MLK Day of Service in Philadelphia! I am very excited about this opportunity. You can learn more by clicking here.
Tonight I finished packing up all of the bags for my latest request for Buddee Bags. This group of 14 bags is very special to me because they are each going to students in a local school district. I am so excited to be able to deliver them and hope everyone will like them!
I am including a picture below of some of the bags being donated in this batch.
A photo of some bags I sewed for local students
Here are a few new bags I sewed for local students
I’m happy to report that I finished the first half of the bags for local students who use wheelchairs and walkers. Each of these bags were specially requested based on the students who needed them and some of their favorite colors. They were delivered today and the students should be getting them soon! I have another order of 16 bags for another group of local students that I hope to finish this weekend. I’m including a picture of the bags I just finished, all packed up and ready to deliver!
Buddee Bags for local students