First Saturday of each Month

As I mentioned last time, we are changing our meeting date.  We will no longer meet on Sundays.  Our new monthly date is the first Saturday of each month.  We'll still be at the same wonderful place, Our Sewing Room at 5th and Main in Springfield.  We are so fortunate that Mary Jo and Don let us meet there every month!  On occasion, there might be a conflict with something else scheduled for the facility.  In those cases, information will be sent to people on my DFG email list and posted here.  So, do check in!  Our next work day is November 5th.

We had a very productive workday last weekend.  As usual, my camera wasn't out enough, but here are shots of some of us hard at work.

April Haberman, director of the Days for Girls Chapter in Edmonds, Washington, shared this online blog interview, and is happy to have us share it.  You can too.  Click here to hear April talk about Days for Girls and the issues we are addressing.

Days for Girls International is still in the running to win the million dollars in the Revlon Challenge.  All money donated to teams and chapters counts in our nonprofit's quest to be the top money raiser in this competition amongst charities whose focus is women's health.  With three and a half days left to go, Days for Girls is in 2nd place, less than $40,000 behind the first place group.  I sincerely thank you if you've already donated to this fundraiser.  We've had wonderful, generous donations from many of you I know, as well as from friends of friends and supporters!  If you have been considering making a contribution to our Days for Girls Chapter,  this is the perfect time to do it.  100% of your contribution goes to our chapter (you can even skip the Crowdrise processing fee--just change it to zero) and every penny you give puts our charity that much closer to winning a million bucks!  Think of the impact that would have on the lives of so many girls!  If you donate they give you a link to share it on Facebook.  If you do that, please write something that might encourage your friends to donate too.

Use this link to donate to make sure both Days for Girls Eugene and our international group benefit. Consider donating in memory or honor of some special females in your life.  Ten dollars translates into a kit that will keep a girl in school for three years--wow!  How many kits can you support?

Let's end with a joyful photo from the Days for Girls Facebook page:

CHANGING OUR MEETING DAY

EVQ QUILT SHOW

I hope you had an opportunity to visit the Emerald Valley Quilters quilt show at the Fairgrounds this past weekend.  There were wonderful quilts, fun vendors, educational demos, a garment fashion show, and the always popular small quilt auction.  EVQ generously gave me space to set up an information booth for Days for Girls and I got to meet so many new interested (and interesting) people while telling about what we do.

I think we can expect some new folks to join us--which of course means we can help more girls receive an education.

Thank you to all of you who stopped by, shared stories, took things to work on, put your name on the email list, and generously donated to support giving girls back 60 days a year!  I put that cash--over $200--in our chapter account via the current Revlon Challenge fundraiser on Crowdrise.  Our international organization is hoping to be one of the top 5 fundraising non-profits to win the challenge money--$25,000 up to $1,000,000! DFGI is currently in 4th place.  If you haven't donated yet and want to make a tax-deductible contribution to our chapter, the challenge goes through October 26.  Our chapter receives all the money, but the donations count in DFGI's total for prize purposes.  Any money they win helps with setting up enterprises in the Third World.  More girls kept in school and participating in life every day!

One of our supporters emailed a few friends after making a donation, telling them that this was a great cause that she supported, and suggesting that they might like to make a contribution also.  Several did, and one made these comments I'd like to share with you: "This problem I learned about in 1993 when I did Hurricane Andrew relief in Homestead.  1/4 of all women under 50 are menstruating all the time.  It is as important as bread and water and clothing. Thanks for what you're doing."

250 KITS

As I mentioned in the last post, we've sent off 250 kits which will be part of a batch of 5000 going to refugees in Uganda.  I can't imagine the horror of being a refugee . . . a situation  made even worse by not having any way to deal with your period.  Patty generously packed her car with 250 kits and transported them to the team in Olympia, where the father of a headquarters employee picked them up and drove them the rest of the way to headquarters in Lynden, WA.  We have the underwear size marked on the Ziploc inside each kit, and then pack them in these trash bags, one size per bag.  This is what 250 kits look like.  Those bags are too slippery to want to stack!

IN SEPTEMBER

At our workdays, we typically each work on one facet of making a kit.  Pressing fabric, stitching casings on bags, serging flannel,  glue-basting labels, rotary cutting fabric, topstitching pockets, cutting out shields on the Accuquilt, etc.  I ask people to tell me when one task starts to get boring, so we can shift them to something else.  We got a lot done in September.

I love to have pictures of our wonderful volunteers on the workdays, and having the background be the quilts Mary Jo and Don display at Our Sewing Room make them extra special.  PLEASE remind me to take some shots every month!!

OCTOBER 16

October 16th is our next and final Sunday workday.  We will be at Our Sewing Room from 10 to 5, and are hoping for a good turnout.  This month we will be sharing space with the people making quilts for the NICU babies.

SUNDAYS

October will be the last month that we meet on a Sunday.  This is good news for those of you who find Sundays don't work well for you.  Stay tuned for an update on when we'll be gathering in November.  If you're not currently on our email list, you might want to sign up at the October 16 meeting.  I'll of course put the info on this blog too.

Thank you so much for making a difference in the lives of girls and women around the world.

So much going on!

BIG ONLINE FUNDRAISER

The Revlon Challenge online fundraiser went live yesterday and goes through October 26.  This is our main source of funds for supplies for our kits.  Each washable feminine hygiene kit contains $10-$12 worth of materials.

Our chapter will keep 100% of all funds donated.  Even the transaction fees are covered by Revlon and Days for Girls. The DFG headquarters get credit for donations to all teams and chapters, in their quest to win one of the top awards, which range from $1,000,000 for first place down to $25,000 for 5th.  Last year we were in 4th place, and with so many new teams and volunteers this year, maybe we can win the $1,000,000.  A million dollars would change the lives of so many girls and women in developing countries.

KITS FOR UGANDAN REFUGEES

Days for Girls is sending 5000 kits to refugees in Uganda.  Our group is contributing 250 of those.  Thanks to Patti who is driving them to Olympia, on their way to Lynden, on the northern border of Washington.  I'll post any pictures DFG shares.

KENYA

We also just sent 24 kits to Kenyan women with disabilities.  Thanks, Maggie, for facilitating this!

IT'S THIS SUNDAY

Please join us for our September work day, Sunday, September 18.  We'll be at Our Sewing Room from 10 to 5.  Come for as much time as you can spare.  We have tasks for experienced sewers and sergers, and plenty of work for those who don't sew or serge.  If you plan to use a machine, please bring your own, along with your standard tools--sharp scissors, sharp rotary cutter, seam ripper, etc.
We have a few new people joining us that I've been in touch with.  Love to have more!

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL

How are you at fundraising?  October 11 is the International Day of the Girl, and DFG teams and chapters around the world are asking businesses they patronize to donate a portion of their sales to the local chapter that day.  Is this something you could help with?  I've got some suggested paperwork if you are interested.

FREE

As much (or more) of a necessity as paper towels and toilet paper in the public restrooms!  Yay for  Brown University!

EVQ SHOW

I'll have an information table at the biannual Emerald Valley Quilters' Quilt Show at the fairgrounds the first weekend in October.  Stop by and see the new Heavy Flow shields and liners, drop off any undies, or washcloths (etc.) you've picked up, or just spend some time talking about Days for Girls.
The quilt show is worth your admission fee--wonderful quilts, great vendors, a fashion show, a small quilt auction, demonstrations, and much more.  Win that beautiful red and white Hunter's Star quilt you've seen around town!

September News

NEW AND IMPROVED

The DFG kit-making instructions have been simplified, improved and updated in the past month.  Check them out here.

I love the wordless instruction card for using and caring for the new Heavy Flow Kit.  If you or your business would like to contribute by printing these and the instructions for the regular kit on (2-sided) card stock, please let me know!

QUALITY CHECKS

As you sew, please check the measurements and quality of your work--including the tension.  I've come across a few shields and bags where the tension got messed up, and I could easily pull out the stitching by pulling on a thread on the back.  Not good!

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE A KIT?

Various team/chapter leaders weighed in on this recently.  Since there doesn't seem to be anyone who just makes one complete kit at a time, these are estimates.  But the consensus seems to be that an experienced seamstress could sew a kit in 3-4 hours.  Add to that shopping, washing, drying, pressing cutting and packing time, and about $10-$12 worth of materials.  Other estimates were up to 10 hours total per kit. At minimum wage, you're looking at at least $40 per kit.
This is quite the gift and labor of love we're giving our sisters!

ENJOY THE PHOTOS

I get to see numerous photos shared by various groups who have distributed DFG kits around the world.  Here's a site on Flicker that I just discovered where you can enjoy lots of them!

ONLINE FUNDRAISER

Days for Girls will be participating in the online Revlon Challenge again this year.  As people make contributions to the DFG teams and chapters, Days for Girls International,  as the "mother" charity, earns credit (but we get 100% of the money donated to our chapter during this fundraiser) and the charity that raises the most money wins a million dollars. Imagine how many girls that money would help!!

I'll post the link for donating to our chapter once it goes live--which is September 14.  These online fundraisers have been our main source of funds for the kit supplies we need to purchase.

UPCOMING DATES

Our next work day at Our Sewing Room is September 18th.  Join us for as much time as you have available, between 10 am and 5 pm.

I will have an information table at Emerald Valley Quilters' Quilt Show at the Lane County Fairgrounds, October 1st and 2nd.  Come by and say hi!  If you haven't seen the kits and components up close, that'll be a good time to take a look--I'll have a bunch (including the new Heavy Flow shield and liner)!  If you have some items to donate, I'd be happy to collect them there.  EVQ shows are held in even-numbered years, and they always have lovely quilts on display and fun vendors to visit!  I really appreciate their providing space for people to learn about Days for Girls.

WILD IN EUGENE

On August 8th, I was delighted to be invited to speak briefly at the Mobility International sponsored 2016 Women's Institute on Leadership and Disability (WILD).  Twenty women with various disabilities had been selected out of hundreds of applicants from around the world to attend this special 3-week leadership and advocacy training in Eugene.

I told the women about Days for Girls, what we do and why.  This was the first time I've spoken to a group where my words were simultaneously being signed int ASL and another more global sign language, translated into Spanish and I think one other language, and typed into a computer then projected on a big screen next to me.  I was allotted only 5-10 minutes, so I had to go fast and only hit the high points.

Talking to the whole group

I showed them a kit and explained all the components and offered a kit to each of the 20 women.  I had printed off copies of a small booklet that's a very brief summary of what they'd learn in the educational part of a distribution.  They each got one of those and a business card with all my contact information.  And I offered to fill orders for those who thought they'd like to take some kits back to their communities.

They were invited to come talk to me after their meeting and I think they all at least stopped by to pick up the handouts and kits.

Several gave me their business cards.   I met Hellen from Nigeria, and she will be distributing 150 kits to her students.   Amazingly, someone at DFG headquarters has a friend traveling to Nigeria in October, and the kits will fly along with her!

With Hellen

Jemimah said she'd love to make kits with her group in Kenya--they have sewing machines and a serger.  Were there any grants to get started on supplies?  I passed her query on to someone from the King City Lions, who just happened to call me a couple of days later about speaking to that group, and gave him her information.  I'm hopeful that will work out--he sounded very interested.  But, in the interim, I'm packing up a duffle bag of supplies so these Kenyans can get started sewing on some life-changing kits.

With Jemimah

WORK DAY THIS SUNDAY

Please join us Sunday, August 21 at the air conditioned Our Sewing Room to work on kits.  For what supplies to bring, scroll down to earlier posts.  We will be there from 10 to 5.  We have plenty of sewing, serging and no-special-skill-required jobs available.

OUR BIG YARD SALE

We're going to try having a huge yard sale to raise money for our chapter's expenses.  I hope you have some things to donate (please pre-price them), will be able to volunteer, and will find some fun things to buy.

I'm planning on an area of fabric and quilting supplies--do you have something to add to that? Or want to buy?  There will be a variety of vintage sewing machines too, some to use, some to admire and use as decor.

The dates are Friday--Sunday, August 26--28th, with set-up on Thursday.  Can you bring your donations on Thursday morning?

The Springfield Lions are joining us in this--they have lots of experience with big garage/yard sales.  My last garage sale was in the early 90s, so they're leading the way.

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.

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!