Saturday, July 30, 2016

FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITIES

FUNDRAISING

As you're all probably aware, our Days for Girls chapter relies entirely on donations to operate.  All of the kit supplies you bring in, all the contributions you make to online fundraisers, all the many hours you spend cutting, pressing, sewing, serging, etc., it all adds up to life-changing kits.  We get NO financial support from headquarters.

So, I'm always delighted when I can tell you about a fundraising opportunity, and doubly pleased when there are two to announce:

THE FIRST ONE:  
The last weekend in August we will hold a big yard sale in conjunction with the Springfield Lions Club, which has been very supportive of our chapter.  At this time, we're expecting to be open for business from 9:00 to 4:00 Friday, Saturday and Sunday, August 26, 27 and 28.  It will be at 250 Palomino Drive, between Harlow and Sorrel, in Eugene.  Mark your calendars.

There are four ways you can help:  
  1. Donate some great (pre-priced) items to the sale
  2. Help out for a few hours setting up and/or working at the event
  3. Come to the sale and BUY when you spot those items you can't live without, or need to give as gifts
  4. Spread the word!  Tell everyone you know who loves garage sales, or who wants to support Days for Girls.  Post it at work, at church, in newsletters, etc.  
If you have garage sale expertise, display tables, ideas for something out of the ordinary (bake sale, etc.) please let me know.  It is a very big driveway, so we will have lots of room for enticing merchandise!

THE SECOND ONE:
DFGI has just notified us that starting in August, they will once again be keeping 10 percent of all monetary donations made to our chapter, except during one or two online fundraisers.  And here's the first one, where 100% of all contributions will go to our group.

There will be an online fundraiser running from September 14 to October 26.  Supporters of our Eugene/Springfield chapter donated several hundred dollars in the Revlon Challenge last year.  If you're considering a monetary contribution to our chapter, this would be the time to do it.  I'll give you more information in September, but you would just go to the fundraiser website (I'll give you the exact link later), scroll down to find this picture of some bags and shields and the words "Eugene, OR," and click on that.  


You can be anonymous, you can leave a message, you can donate in honor or memory of somebody.  All will improve the lives of some appreciative girls!  If you want your contribution to be in honor of someone, I also have slips of paper you can give them that say that has been done.  Just let me know.

Announcing 2016 Revlon Challenge 
September 14th - Oct 26th
The Revlon Challenge has invited us to participate again this year and the benefits are bigger and more prize levels.  Last year, with the amazing support of DfG Chapters, Teams and supporters, we were able to win 4th Place. That was a phenomenal accomplishment since we were up against the big leagues (like American Cancer Society… big). The challenge will serve as the 2016 Annual Days for Girls Crowdrise Challenge and thanks to Revlon and Days for Girls International, ALL proceeds, including the processing fees, will be covered! 100% for you during the challenge. So you can set a goal of doing your entire planned annual funding if you’d like and help us all win BIG for girls.

UNDERWEAR

August was the time of year in 2014 and 2015 that Target and Walmart had their best deals on girls' briefs.  What we've seen previously was 9-packs with 3 bonus pairs, for as low as $5.99.  So, 50¢ a pair, and if you use a Target card, you can get an additional discount.  The fabrics typically have a variety of designs and colors, often including ones too light to hide stains well.  

This week's Walmart flyer lists 12-packs of Hanes girls' briefs for $6.94 (59¢ a pair).  That may or may not be the lowest price of the season.  They also have women's 8-packs for $6.94 (89¢ a pair), also an excellent deal.  Target.com has 9-packs of girls briefs for $5.99 (60¢ a pair).  Please remember that we use regular briefs, not low-cut.  Previously they approved hipsters, but have found that the briefs work better.

We're delighted that Laura continues to dye our too-light panties in lovely, rich, stain-hiding colors.  Here's a peek at the most recent batch she returned, along with some flannel that was previously too light.  All very beautiful and usable now!  

Thank you SO much, Laura!  Your continuing willingness to dye means that we can use more of the undies in the packs, and can use more of the flannel and washcloths donated to us. Last year we traded those with animal prints with Bags of Love, so 100% of the briefs met DFG guidelines.

What size briefs we use will vary depending on the group that receives them.  For that reason, we normally don't put our kits together until we've received a request and know what underwear sizes they have requested.

We should be sending a few hundred kits to Ugandan refugees in the fall, and hope to soon know what sizes they'd like us to pack.

In any case, the sizes DFGI says to buy are Girls' 10, 12, 14, and 16 and Women's 5, 6 and 7.  They say that Girls' 16 is the same as Women's 5.  

SOME STATISTICS--all continually increasing


101 . . . . Days for Girls has distributed kits to girls and women in 101 countries

500  . . . . Our Chapter has sent over 500 kits and some components to Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Zimbabwe and India, as well as a few hundred liners to headquarters (they didn't say where they were headed)

670 . . . . There are now 670 Days for Girls Chapters and Teams around the world.  Several come on board every week.

350,000 . . . . Days for Girls has changed the lives of over 350,000 girls and women . . . and counting!  It's so impressive to think we're giving back about 60 days a year to each of them!  What would you do with 60 extra days a year?


KIT CHANGES


Days for Girls listens to the feedback received from the girls and women using the kits.  A recent change is based on information that for some with heavy flow and some with fistulas or other conditions, our regular kits were not absorbent enough.  We had two absorbencies--regular and postpartum.  There is now a new "Heavy Flow" design to replace the postpartum kit, and it includes a regular and a longer shield, and more liners in two sizes.  The good news is that we will still cut our flannel strips the same width.  Once the two layers are sewn together, they'll then be cut into 2 different lengths--8.75" and 11.5".  One will be a square and the other a rectangle.  

This photo shows the new Heavy Flow liner open, folded in fourths to be used in a regular shield, and folded in thirds for the longer shield.  The width ends up the same.  A regular liner can be inserted inside the latter configuration, which would give 12 layers of flannel without extra bulk in the pockets.  Or you could put the shorter folded version of this Heavy Flow liner inside the longer version for 14 layers in the middle.  Nifty, eh? 



NEXT WORKDAY

The third Sunday in August falls on the 21st.  We'll be at Our Sewing Room from 10 to 5.  I hope you can join us.  If you have some things to contribute to the garage sale fundraiser, you can bring them that day.





Monday, July 11, 2016

July Workday and News

OUR JULY WORKDAY

Our next workday is next Sunday, July 17.  I hope you can make it.  As usual, we have a variety of tasks to choose from.  Please bring standard tools--sharp scissors, rotary cutter with sharp blade, seam ripper, empty bobbins, etc., depending on what job(s) you want to work on.  And if your chosen task involves using a serger or machine, please bring yours.

LEARN TO SEW SHIELDS

Are you an experienced seamstress who would like to do slow, precise sewing on your domestic machine? I'd like to train some more people to work on shields.  
Currently all of our shield makers sew at home, after making one or two that passed the quality check with me.  Would you like to be part of that group? On Sunday, I'd like to teach any new people who are interested -- say at about 2:00. Please bring your machine threaded with medium blue to navy thread--bobbin too.


DONATING SUPPLIES

If you bring any supplies to donate, please list the quantity on the spreadsheet as you sign in.  This information is part of what I report to headquarters each month.  If you don't make it to a workday, but drop something off at Our Sewing Room on another day, please leave a note or email me with your name and what you donated. This includes items you sewed at home.  If you'd like a receipt for tax purposes for your year's in-kind or monetary donations, please ask me or Mary Jo.

You all have probably read the orange half-sheet flyer that has our wish list on the back. What you may not know, is that I update that every month or two as I print more.  The main place for changes is on the wish list side, which has supplies we use "listed in order of current need."  Our need for supplies is ongoing, so I hope you're buying mostly when you see a price is reduced.  Right now, a good thing to be on the lookout for is polyester serger and sewing machine thread, in medium to dark colors.  Our liners look more professional when the thread matches, and we go through a lot of it!  Another item we seem to run out of quickly is Fraycheck, which we use on the ends of the drawstrings on our bags.  This doesn't mean we don't need any more briefs, soaps or washcloths, etc.--it just means we have lower inventory of the items near the top of the list.

Rather than your having to remember to pick up a new flyer every month, I'll start pasting any updates into this blog.  That should save some paper and ink!  But, of course please feel free to take one of the orange handouts and keep it in your purse or car.

NEW KIT OPTION

The design of the kits we make and distribute is based on feedback from the women and girls who use them.  Over the years, Days for Girls has changed the shapes of the shields and liners, number of items included in a kit, and many other things thanks to the suggestions they hear from the recipients.

We currently have been offering two "absorbencies" of kits--regular and postpartum.  Now the postpartum kits are being replaced by a newly-designed "heavy flow kit."  Our chapter hasn't had any requests for postpartum kits yet, other than a handful that were taken to Kenya as samples, but I suspect we will be asked for some heavy flow kits in the future.  

Here's a short video featuring founder Celeste Mergens showing the design of the heavy flow kit and how it works.  Design version/tweak #28!  I like the idea of a smaller liner being folded inside the larger one, doubling the absorbency but making it no more difficult to insert in a shield than a single liner.


UGANDA

In the DFG works currently is a September shipment of 5000 kits for Ugandan refugee women and girls.  Our chapter will be part of that!

KOREA

Here's an article on the menstrual challenges faced by Korean girls and women.


GARAGE SALE

We are hoping to raise some money for our chapter's kit expenses with a garage sale which will be held the last weekend in August.  I hope you can contribute lots of appealing items and also stop by to find some things you can't live without.  Of course, we will also need folks to volunteer.  And spread the word!  Details soon.  

UPDATED INSTRUCTIONS

Days for Girls recently updated the look of their sewing instructions on their website.  No major changes other than the new heavy flow liners, but they're easier to follow.  Go to daysforgirls.org, and click on "Get Involved," then "Make DFG kits." You can get patterns, instructions, and also watch videos on making the different components.  If you want to attend my shield-making training on Sunday, it would be a good idea if you'd read the instructions and watch the video in advance.  I'll have materials for you to sew--just bring your sewing machine and have medium/dark blue or navy thread on the machine and bobbin.


SEE YOU SOON!

Hope to see you all on Sunday at Our Sewing Room.  Stay as long as you can between 10 am and 5 pm.  We have lots to do and talk about this month!