Goal #1 - ACCOMPLISHED!

It is actually a lot more accurate to say that you blew Goal #1 away!  

The first milestone we were aiming for was to be able to deliver 25 bags, each with a blanket and stuffed buddy, to OCY, to gift to a child as they were forced to enter the foster care system.

We were thrilled with the donations we started to receive.  

These fun guys even came to us from across the country!

Then we gathered everything together so we could start to assemble bags.

Can you believe this!?

Once all buddies and blankets were tucked safely inside a tote bag or back pack...

... it became very clear that you had bigger goals for the children of Erie than we did!  You helped us put together 67 bags.  SIXTY-SEVEN!  That is absolutely amazing and humbling.

We are taking YOUR gifts to OCY this afternoon.  

Thank you for the blessings you are passing along on your behalf.  

In Kristy's Words...

Kristy, our friend who inspired us to reach out to children in the foster care system, wrote on her blog, Waiting For Happy, today about her family's experience in caring for the children who have come to them.  We wanted to share some of her words with you.  They touched our hearts.

~~~~~~

"We are not the same people today that we were just a few months ago. Today, we live with not just the awareness, but the intimate knowledge that not all children are fed, loved and cared for the way children should be. We have always known that this is the reality but now our eyes have truly been opened and we cannot look away. Once you’ve seen the face of abuse so horrific you’re sure you yourself wouldn’t have survived it, or have held a tiny child who has not had even some of their most basic needs met let alone been appropriately interacted with, you cannot turn back. It burns in your heart and in your mind. 

Our family has been blessed to be able to love and hold a few children in our three months since we’ve been licensed and our lives have been forever changed by them. Survivors in their own right, these kids are absolute miracles, but nobody has told them that. We get to. We get to love them and feed them and rock them to sleep at night assuring them that they are safe and secure and the next meal is sure to be served. 

Each child comes with a different story…a different reality and no two seem to be just alike. We’ve had four children placed in our home over the past four months and one common thread has been woven through each one and been a real eye opener to our privileged family. Each of these kids has come with little more than the clothes on their very back. Often times those clothes don’t even fit and sometimes they aren’t even weather appropriate. Taken from everything they know and love, they don’t even have a blankey or a trusted snuggly friend to join them on their journey that they didn’t ask to be on. 

It has been overwhelmingly heartwarming though to see that with each child who has walked or been carried through our door, the outpouring of love we’ve seen from friends and family. Not everyone can open their home (though I’d encourage you to really think and pray on that) but we all need to open our hearts to these kids and from our experience folks are eager to do so, they just don’t quite know how to help. I am here to tell you that something as simple as providing these sweet ones with just a little something to call their own, can make a difference. I have had the honor of being able to hand a four year old his very first stuffed animal and a five year old girl her first doll and I am here to tell you they are moments I will never forget. I’ve given my own children plenty of gifts, yet giving to a child who truly has nothing is an experience everyone should know."

~~~~~~~~~

Thank you, Kristy, for sharing this.  

Eight Blankets

Check out this group of sweet young ladies.   

Can you guess what they are holding?  

Eight soft and cozy blankets that they worked together to make. 

Their amazing Girl Scout Troop leader, Melissa, organized several hours on a Saturday afternoon 

for the girls to devote to doing something for children they will never meet.  

These girls came in with smiles and giggles, ready for action.  It was actually quite a bit of work for those little fingers, but they were up for the challenge.  

Cutting edges to make the fridge.

That is a lot of cutting!

Starting to knot each one of the fringes.

                             

Eight blankets that will provide comfort for eight children who are likely pretty scared.  

How awesome for Melissa to give them a chance to do something that powerful,

for showing them that they can make a difference to a child in need.

We are so proud of their hearts, and grateful to Melissa for supporting Soul Purpose.

Project #3 - A Little Security

We have friends, Kristy and Howard,  who have recently become foster parents.  They have, in just a few months time, had four different children stay with them before moving on for various reasons.

One thing we have learned while talking to Kristy, is how little these children have.  They are taken from their homes with not much more than the clothing they are wearing.  In some cases, that is ALL they have with them.

We think of our own children, whose needs are more than met, and who have the security of knowing that home is a safe place. It is heartbreaking to think that any child does not have that, and yet there is a staggering number of children who are mistreated and neglected.

And then it hit us - our children do have a safe place to call home, and they still have a security blanket, or a stuffed animal that they hold on to when they are sleeping, when they are nervous, scared, or upset, or when they have a bad dream.

Let's make sure that the children entering the world of foster care have something to hold tight to as they are transitioned to a safe place. The fear they must feel is something most of us can't begin to imagine. A stuffed animal or a blanket provides so much comfort to a child.

For Project 3, we are collecting NEW stuffed animals (with the tags still on, please), cozy lap blankets meant for snuggling, and tote bags for children entering the foster care system.

We will be setting up drop of locations as we have done in the past.  You can also get in touch with us through the blog or our email (soulpurpose.erie@gmail.com) and we can set up a pick up time.  Our first goal is to have 25 bags with a small blanket and a stuffed animal tucked inside by November 30th. These will be delivered to Mary Jo at OCY.

Your contributions of any combination of these 3 items will help meet this goal and give some love and a little security to children who desperately need it.

Boo Running!

TEAM SOUL PURPOSE!

Actually, this is only part of the team.  By race time we were about 20 strong. (AWESOMENESS!!!!)  The non-stop rain made it a little tricky to get pictures.  That's right.  Non-stop rain.  We were all cold and wet and happy at the end of the race. 

How fantastic is it to be wth a group of people who believe in a cause and will brave the elements to support it?

How can you feel anything but great when you know you have done something to help others?

Thank you ALL for coming out to the peninsula with us to take part in Safenet's Boo Run.  Thank you to those of you who made donations directly to Safenet.  You are amazing!

Who knew Frankenstein could be so adorable? 

Amy and Ellie.

 Melissa and Annabelle modelling the race shirts after warming up.

And a close up of the logo.

Thank you all for supporting Safenet and Project 2!

YOU are making a difference!



Domestic abuse is......

Domestic abuse is scary.  It is not knowing what the next day or sometimes the next moment brings.  It is feeling ashamed.  It is lying to cover for the person you love, no matter how they are treating you.  It is not feeling worth it.  It is feeling that no one  understands.  It is losing friends, family, and others that you love because they can not understand or you are just to afraid to open up to them.  It is driving home and feeling sick to your stomach because you are not sure what waits for you.  It is feeling so lonely all the time.  It is almost losing your job due to call offs because the night before you were having your head slammed into the floor.  It is being spit in the face.  It is being told that you  are nothing.  It is covering your arms so no one can see the bruises.  It is making excuses to not go places because of the bruises.  It is taking so much blame on yourself that you are convinced you deserve it.
It is.....sad
It is....desparate
It is..... hard to leave.  That does not make sense to some, but it really is hard to leave.  It is making plans to be safe and still not being sure you will be safe.  It is facing the fact that the person you trusted with your life and your heart is the one that is hurting you the  most.  It is taking months, years, or even decades to undo the damage.  It is thinking you are doing just fine and then being slapped in the face with a memory that brings you to tears.  If is feeling like you have no voice, no control, and no choice.

Please come out and support SafeNet next weekend at the Boo Run Run.  Help them continue to protect, councel, and rebuild these women.

Register here:  http://safeneterieboorun.weebly.com/

Boo Run Run

The Boo Run Run is just over a month away! Have you gotten registered yet?

 

A few questions have come up so we just wanted to clarify a couple of things. This is a FUN event. Don't let "5K" intimidate you. If you want to run, please do, but as of now the majority of our team is going to be walking the course.

 

If you want to wear a costume, again, please do, but you do not have to.  :)

 

We would love to see you there running, walking, skipping, or dancing.

Costumed, not costumed, in your pj's, or however you would like to dress.

If you are still working out your schedule and are not sure you can commit to that day yet, just remember you can register the day of the event.  And you can always sponser Team Soul Purpose with a donation!

Hope to see you there!!