Blame Cyndl for me bringing this up - I broached it in the other forum, and pretty well got shut down before I started.
There is an organization out in California that started this - it's a sturdy canvas tote bag given to children who go into women's or homeless shelters. In the bag is a stuffed animal, a book, and a small blanket - around baby or lap sized. the child gets to keep this bag.
I would like to get this going up here for Mountain Peace Shelter. The police and rescue for the area already have quilts they give to victims to keep, which I think is lovely. Gunnison county has a trove of stuffed animals they give to children who need an ambulance or have fire truck show up, or even for emergency room visits. (My daughter still has hers from when the dog bit her face when she was 6.)
we can start a local group, we just have to fill out the paperwork and buy the bags - they are $3.50 each. If we each bought a bag, and then filled it by a certain time, it is more than likely in everyone's budget.
If we stuff our own bags below is a link to a company I have used in the past. If you place a large order (i.e. a gross; 144 pieces) they usually can really knock the prices down.
Here is an idea for a stuffed toy and he has a blanket in the set. List price is $9.99 (single piece)
[url]
Uploaded with [url=http://imageshack.us:zocqnowf]ImageShack.us[/url][/url]
I bet we could approach the local thrift stores to save very gently used children's books for us and maybe even Mountain Books could donate a few to the project.
And I crochet blankets - I have two tucked in a drawer right now - and make toys - there's about 5 of those in the drawer.
Plus my kids went through their stuff, so I have a good stack of gently used books.
I know there's lots of crafters up here. I think this would be nice to do for our local kids.
I'm going to meet w/JMC at the King Soopers in Aspen Park Saturday morning at 8:30 - right in front of the entrance. If you're out and about and that works, stop on by, SG. Look for the dumpy old broad with the totes. <g>
This is really Local Historian's project - I didn't mean to steal his fire, just jumped in to get the first order of totes going. I think he has a contact w/a shelter that he'd like to work with...
