THE UNVEILING OF OUR 2017 RAFFLE QUILT

SEPTEMBER WORKDAY

Please join us next Saturday, the 9th if you can.  We'll be at Our Sewing Room from 10:30 to around 4:30--5:00.  Bring your machine if you'd like to sew or serge, and basic sewing supplies.

WHERE DO WE DISTRIBUTE KITS?

Just about everywhere.  Right now I'm getting some components ready for women in Houston.  But, most of our kits go to girls and women in other countries:  Ghana, Haiti, India, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe, so far.

Days for Girls is on target to have distributed a million kits by the end of this year!

That's a lot of girls who will have many more days of school each year.  Girls who are less likely to drop out because they've gotten behind on their studies.  Research shows that girls with more education will help to raise the economy of their community.  In Third World counties, the rate of infant and child mortality is directly related to the educational level of the mom!  That's impact.

FINANCES

Teams and chapters receive no financial support from Days for Girls.  We rely entirely on the generosity of folks who agree that this is important work.  

When we buy for our kits, we wait until the prices are excellent.  And I try to post when I hear that components are on sale.  Last night I cleaned the Eugene JoAnn's out of all (really) their flannel that would be great (busy and dark enough, no faces, words, etc.) for our liners.  I spent $102.43, and saved $234.09 off regular prices.

We let people know what we need, and every month there are angels bringing us fabric and other supplies.  When we started out, we often received donations which were not exactly what was required by DFG, and we had to pass those on to other nonprofits.  But now--wow--we get such perfect donations!!  Our orange handout does have a detailed wish list on one side, and it appears people DO read it!  I'll paste that info in this blog post--just scroll down a few inches.

Last year, we held a big yard sale with the Springfield Lions, and split the profits.  This year we're trying a raffle quilt as our big fundraiser.  Several volunteers foundation-pieced quilt blocks this summer, using fabric scraps left over from making bags and shields. I finished hand-sewing on the binding this weekend, and it's ready to meet the world!

We hope to have many opportunities for people to buy (and sell) tickets for the quilt.   Please help out--if you know of a place where volunteers could set up to sell tickets, or you have a group where you could offer tickets to others, please let me know. And please offer them to your friends.

I'll have tickets and the quilt available at our workdays.  When you take a batch of tickets to sell, you can take a photo too.  The quilt is available to be shown at events, too.

OUR HANDOUT

In case you've misplaced yours, or never got one, here's the text of the orange flyer with all the crucial information:

Days for Girls International

Eugene/Springfield Chapter

Susan Mondon & Mary Jo Moloney, Co-Directors

Email:  dfgeugene@gmail.com

Blog: dfgeugene.blogspot.com

Website:  daysforgirls.org

Since 2008, Days for Girls has changed the lives of nearly a million girls and women in 113 countries by providing them with washable feminine hygiene kits.  With a kit, a girl can stay in school. Families, communities and nations become stronger.  The single most important factor in reducing childhood deaths is the education level of the mother, and these kits help girls stay in school.

If you decide that contributing to Days for Girls is something that you’d like do on a regular or occasional basis, just join us or contact me at the above email.  Our volunteers typically focus on one item or phase of making an item.  If you want to sew at home, please let us check your first items before you continue.

If you’d like to donate supplies, the details of what we need, and restrictions, are on the reverse of this slip, and on our blog, dfgeugene.blogspot.com.  They are listed in current order of need. If you’d like a receipt for tax purposes, please ask.

For tax-deductible monetary donations, please check with me.  Sometimes there’s a fundraiser with matching funds.

These kits may be the nicest things the girls ever receive!  We strive to make them beautiful and perfect in every way.  Thank you so much for helping with attention to detail!

Our DFG Eugene Chapter meets monthly at Our Sewing Room, 448 Main St., Springfield, usually on the 1st Saturday of the month. (Check blog to verify a specific date).  We are there from 10:30 to about 4:30.  Come for all or part.  Information, photos, links and future dates and changes will be on our blog.

Every Girl.  Everywhere.  Period.

Days for Girls Eugene/Springfield Chapter

Donations Wish List

Fabric restrictions:  Medium/dark to dark colors, in busy stain-hiding designs, such as florals. Because of cultural considerations, we need to avoid prints depicting weapons, people/ animals with faces, insects (butterflies are OK), camouflage, religion, words, or holidays.  Avoid solids.

Polyester serger thread—good quality, medium/darker colors.

Polyester thread in medium and dark colors (Gutermann is a good brand). 

Quality cotton flannel (see fabric restrictions above).  If you have time to wash, dry and press it, that’s greatly appreciated.

Cotton washcloths, in darker colors. Target has a good price on 8-packs by Room Essentials.  Do not wash. Not microfiber.

Girls’ cotton underpants, sizes 10, 12, 14 & 16, & women’s sizes, as colorful as possible (for hiding stains). The style we use is briefs—please no bikini/hipster/thong/boy shorts styles. Fabric restrictions apply here too. Do not wash.

Rotary cutter blades, 45mm or 60mm

Ziploc brand gallon size freezer bags  (photo of meat on front of box)

Quality cotton fabric, the prettier the better. (see fabric restrictions above). 

Small “hotel” soaps

SEPTEMBER MEETING DATE CHANGE

The first Saturday of September falls during Labor Day weekend, and many folks reported that they couldn't make it.  I checked with Mary Jo, and was able to reschedule our next workday to the second Saturday in September.  So, please mark your calendars and join us, if you can, on 9/9.  Come to Our Sewing Room any time after 10:30, for as much time as you have available.  We usually leave between 4:00 and 5:00.  

EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN

LIONS SUPPORT

We have been so fortunate to have the support of the Springfield Lions Club, and benefit tremendously from the extensive work Lion Patty does for our chapter. 

In the current (July/August 2017) Lions International newsletter, there's an article about Lions in British Columbia partnering with the Mayne Island Quilters making DFG kits.

SWAZILAND ENTERPRISE

This woman expresses her appreciation for how their lives have been changed by Days for Girls Swaziland.

NEW LAW IN NEPAL

You've read about girls and women in Nepal being banished to huts away from their homes during their periods and after giving birth.  This past year two girls died during this chhaupadi period.  It became illegal a dozen years ago, but with no consequences, and was still being observed in rural areas.  Now, anyone forcing this isolation on a female faces jail time and a fine.  The BBC reports.

HONG KONG

Read this in-depth article in the Guardian about women fighting to break the taboos surrounding menstruation. 

BIG RAFFLE!

AUGUST WORKDAY

August 5th will be our next workday.  If you're available, I hope you will join us.  Those of you who sew or serge, please bring your machines and basic sewing supplies, including extra bobbin(s), seam ripper, sharp scissors, etc.  I'll bring thread and other supplies.  We'll be at Our Sewing Room from 10:30 until about 4:30 or 5:00.

Remember, last month I said that July 1st (our workday) was National Underwear Day? 
I'm happy to report that we all wore underwear as we worked that day, but am sorry to say that I marked it down on my calendar as the first Saturday of the wrong month!  I was a month early!  So, please join us August 5th to celebrate National Underwear Day 2017.  And happily, stores are starting to put their undies on sale this month!

UNDIES!!

If you are wanting to help change a girl's life - give her a Days for Girls feminine hygiene kit. If you want to delight her- give her some brand new underwear.  Each Days for Girls kit we distribute has two pairs of undies. 

Many of these girls don't have a single pair of underwear before we show up. Can you imagine?? 

HOW YOU CAN HELP: 

Right now Walmart has their girls' underwear on sale at back-to-school prices (Fruit of the Loom 12-packs are $5.97)! Fifty cents a pair is typically the best price of the year.  (We use briefs in girls' sizes 10-16). The downside is that almost all the colors in many of the packs are TOO LIGHT!  

Don't get me wrong, for my granddaughter, I like these pastels much better than what FotL has offered before, but they will need to be dyed for DFG  kits, to better hide stains!  The good news is that none of these briefs have faces or other taboo designs!  Larger Walmart stores are also offering 17-packs of briefs, but not the Eugene store. 

Target's packs of briefs are also on sale, but not this cheap yet.  In the past, they've had the 12-packs for just under $6.00  too, so I assume that's coming soon.

But Target's wonderful Room Essentials 8-packs of washcloths are currently marked way down--you might want to pick up some of those in dark colors.

As usual, donations can always be brought to one of our workdays or left at Our Sewing Room for me. Be a part of changing a girl's life!  

JULY WORKDAY AND OUR RAFFLE

At our July 1st gathering, many of us worked on making quilt blocks out of strips of fabric leftover from making shields and bags.  The blocks are looking so cheerful as we put them together. 

 We're hoping that the raffle of this lovely scrappy string quilt will be very successful. Once the top is completed, it'll go off to Robin for quilting.   

Here are some of the blocks on the design wall. It's made from strips of mostly leftovers from cotton donated for our bags and shields. Happy, eh?

I think it would be cool if we had some other prizes in the raffle--offering multiple opportunities to win, similar to the old Duck Races that the Rotary Clubs  held.  I assume our prizes would be a  bit smaller--perhaps gift certificates to restaurants and stores.  I have a list of companies willing to donate, shared by another Days for Girls chapter leader.  Please contact me if this is something you could spend some time on or if you have connections and/or ideas!

Do you have some occasions where you could sell tickets?  Once the quilt is completed, and we're ready to roll, I'll give out tickets and photos and a list of prizes so you can have them available if you are talking to somebody who's interested.  Think about friends, family members, work, your clubs--Rotary, Lions, PEO, bunco, bridge, music, etc., and faith groups.  Post it on your Facebook page and any bulletin boards you have access to.  Do you volunteer somewhere else?  There might be people there interested in supporting DFG with ticket purchases.  If you have a group event, let me know if you'd like to take the quilt with you to display.

THIRD SUNDAY OFFERING--WOW!

The Unitarian Universalist Church in Eugene gives 100% of the offering collected on the 3rd Sunday of each month to a nonprofit.  In June, they had me as their guest.  I was given a couple of minutes to explain to the group what Days for Girls does (luckily I was able to write up something for their newsletter too). The members of the congregation very generously donated over $800 to our chapter!! Our sincere thanks to all these caring people!

NEW SOLUTIONS IN INDIA

In India, most girls in impoverished rural areas miss school each month when they have their periods.  Twenty-three percent end their education at the onset of their menses.  There are so many long-lasting repercussions from this. For the females fortunate enough to have discretionary income that allows them to buy disposables, they then must deal with the issue of disposal--throw in the street, burn (emitting toxic fumes), or?   Read in the MIT Technology Review how an Indian-American MIT graduate and banana trees are making a difference.

CHALLENGES IN INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIA

Embarrassment, plumbing issues, cost, lack of health education and privacy--they all are working against these girls in Western Australia.  This is not the first time The Guardian has written about menstrual issues that challenge impoverished girls and women.  Impressive continuing coverage.

A REPORT FROM A SIERRA LEONE DISTRIBUTION:

We distributed 65 DfG kits to Bumpe High School girls. Before the distribution, I went through the AWH Flipchart with 203 girls. Health educations on Sexually Transmitted Infections were taught by a health worker to these girls and 40 senior boys. Next week, we will be distributing 35 more kits.

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It was a great programme!! I couldn’t imagine how fascinated and
excited all the girls were to receive the kits. We had to fold 65 bits
of papers and mark them as ‘DfG’ which was the winning pick and
another set (138) with ‘Later’ mark which means you will receive DfG
kit later. I placed all the folded bits of papers in a box and allow
each girl to pick one. The 65 that picked the folded paper with DfG,
won. If I had not done this, there was no way I was going to control
the crowd – as every girl wanted a kit. After the winners were given
their kits, three girls came like three eagles on one prey to take
away the sample I had on my table. The girls needed the kits so much
that I can’t imagine. 

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For the past 5 years I have been running educational programmes, honestly, this is the most exciting programme I have ever had. These girls appreciated every single thing in the kit. We spent 6 hours in the hall and I didn’t notice any girl nodding or sleeping.

I recommend the adding of 2 or 4 rubber hanging clips to the kit. With

that, hanging liners and shield in the sun will prevent falling on the

ground. This will prevent germs and another washing of the shield or

liner.

REALLY, INDIA?  12%?  REALLY?

Pretty bangles are considered essential, but feminine hygiene supplies?  Nope. 
 CNN tells about the new tax that was passed in India.

BUT IN SCOTLAND . . . 

A new program in Scotland will provide free sanitary products to low-income girls and women in an effort to end period poverty! This initiative makes it the first known country with a national government-sponsored effort to ensure access to free menstrual hygiene for those in need. A six-month pilot of the program, which will take place in Aberdeen and will support at least 1,000 girls and women, will distribute pads through secondary schools, a college, and non-profit organizations dedicated to helping lower income women. “It is unacceptable that any woman or girl in Scotland should be unable to access sanitary products,” says Equalities Secretary Angela Constance. “The pilot in Aberdeen is a first step to help us understand the barriers women and girls face -- and to help us develop a sensitive and dignified solution to making these products easily accessible to those who need them.”

Activists in Scotland have been working to raise awareness of period poverty and the effects that it can have on girls and women’s futures. “Over a woman's lifetime, sanitary products cost on average more than £5,000 [over $6,500], a significant sum for those on low-income,” says Dave Simmers, the chief executive of Community Food Initiatives North East. “Many cannot afford them and may use inappropriate methods or miss school.” Tina Leslie, a public health worker, added "If you have a mum with two teenage girls, that's a lot of money each month when you're on zero-hours contracts, benefits or low income." One teen girl in Leeds, UK recently told the BBC how she managed when she didn't have access to sanitary products: “I once sellotaped tissue to my underwear. I didn’t know what else to do.”

The Educational Institute of Scotland, Scotland’s largest teaching union, has also found that a lack of access to menstrual products can results in students missing school and college classes. By providing products for free -- and making them available through schools -- the Scottish government hopes to improve women’s health while also encouraging them to continue education that may help them earn higher, more stable incomes in the future. And, while many applaud the pilot program, others, such as Scottish Parliament Member Monica Lennon, assert that national action is needed: “A pilot scheme is a welcome step in the right direction but we must go much further to help women and girls across the country who are facing a monthly struggle to access the products they need.” Lennon hopes that the country can end period poverty and "make Scotland an example to the world on menstrual health.”

WHY "DAYS?"

Did you ever wonder why our nonprofit is called "Days for Girls?   Days for Girls was so named because a DFG kit provides a girl with the means to stay active every day, even during her period, so she can stay in school and play sports and anything else she wants to do with her days. Too many girls currently have to sit at home alone due to lack of options for menstrual hygiene management.  To me, the most impressive benefit is the ability to attend school.  That has so many repercussions for the girl, her family, her community and future generations.  This article in the Washington Post is only one of many reporting studies that show that the single biggest factor affecting child mortality is the educational level of the mother.

A MESSAGE FROM CELESTE MERGENS

When we think about how many girls and women are going without hygiene solutions in the world, the task ahead may seem daunting. However, when we think about how simple the solution is - that with each Kit we can give back days of health, education, and opportunity - we can recognize that this issue is entirely solvable in our lifetimes. Let's go team! #MenstruationMatters#WeAreDaysForGirls

DO YOU SERGE?

One of our Days for Girls leaders does serge a lot and says even she learned something from this video.  She said she had it playing the in background and would pay attention when she heard something she didn't already know.

I found this vid very informative:
youtu.be/wfiHuDLCcKY
Let it play in the background while you do something else, and pay closer attention if you hear anything intriguing. I learned a few new things, and I've been serging for 2+ years. 

I think it would still feel like a lot (an hour tutorial just for threading fundamentals?!) to take in when I was new to serging, but at this point most of what I heard was comfortably familiar.  

Simple Serging 101: Threading Fundamentals by Pocono Sew and Vac

This first video in our Serger Fundamentals series will demonstrate how to thread an entry-level serger…

YOUTUBE.COM

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