project warm hug is taking a break.

project warm hug is taking a break.

please donate your items directly to
the st francis center in redwood city.

details are in the post below.

i can be reached at:
bigheartdesigns@yahoo.com

thank you.
megan

How to donate children's items....

the st francis center in redwood city is always in need of children's items. they donate these items to the lo and very lo income families in menlo park and redwood city.

they are located at:
101 buckingham
redwood city.
on your way to target, turn off the el camino at buckingham (taco bell on the corner)
and they are on your left a couple of blocks down. they are in the new terra cotta colored building. pull up in front of the gate to be let in.

if you want to donate any large items. strollers, cribs...
please call them the day ahead.
365-7829

you can learn more about this group at:
http://www.stfrancisrwc.org/

if you have any questions, please contact me at:
bigheartdesigns@yahoo.com

thanks so much!
megan
650-468-3065

last call for our mother's day giving program

greetings.

last call for our mother's day giving program.

we are still needing 110 flannel blankets to be sponsored.

each blanket is $20.00
each blanket is made by a local mom who is learning how to sew.
each blanket provides project warm hug with funds to pay it's basic out of pocket expenses. ($1000.00 a month)
each blanket is gifted to a local mom in need-

my goal is to gift 150 blankets for this month.
so far we have 40 sponsored.

please help us reach our goal!!

to sponsor, please email me at bigheartdesigns@yahoo.com
and let me know if you would like to mail your sponsorship to:
174 spruce ave. menlo park, ca 94025
or use paypal.com
using mrosenhart@yahoo.com
as the recipient address.

thanks so much for your support!!
megan

mother's day giving program update.

greetings.

wow, we are collecting some awesome donations
for our mother's day giving program.

so far, we have:

25 flannel receiving blankets- thanks to the donation by decimal.
tons of diapers- thanks to the bay area diaper bank.
lots of new clothing- have been collecting all year.
lots of special gifts for mom... thanks to all....

we still need:
sponsorships, $40 per basket or
$20 per flannel blanket.

our goal is to gift 150 local moms in need.

thanks so much.
megan

Mother's Day Baskets.

hi
this was a very successful program during the holidays.
i have re-created it for mother's day.

these gifts will be donated to local mom's in need.
through the st francis center, shelter network,
and the prenatal to three program.

i hope to donate at least 150.

each basket will have:diapers and wipes.
a baby blanket hand crafted by local moms.
a new outfit for their newborn and
a special gift just for the mom.

each basket is a $40 donation.or
you can donate items for the basket.such as diapers...

you can also buy baskets to give to your friends!

please use http://paypal.com/ for your donation, using my email address of mrosenhart@yahoo.com as the recipient.

the proceeds of this project will be donated to project warm hug.
the success of this project will get us back on track financially.

thanks so much!! please email me at bigheartdesigns@yahoo.com
with any questions.
megan

our defining moment.

we are at a defining moment ...

as we are finishing up the last couple of days of our 2008, first quarter... the future of our efforts is at a critical point.

since the beginning of the year...

1 basket of blankets was sponsored- $220
7 adopt a mom's were sponsored- $280
the beginning of a big give program was received- $300
and a 2007 donation was received in 2008- $2000
that is a total of $2800. all of which i am very grateful for.

but, our operating budget is $36,000 for the year.
this budget allows for me to work full time on our efforts.

since this budget hasn't been met, i have had no choice but to go back to work. this means that i don't have the time or energy to keep up the level of donations that we had going from last year. the ones who are going to suffer are the kids who need us the most.

please take a look at:
bigheartdesigns.blogspot.com

i have created a very simple fundraising program that allows you to receive a tax receipt for your donation.

if you can... please help us to help the local children in need.

thanks, megan

our specific needs are included in our wish list, below.

our wish list~~

hi all.

here is our updated wish list...

we urgently need...
$2000 to pay off the balance on our wagon.
$800 to pay for repairs and new tires for our wagon.
$1000 worth of target and safeway gift cards
tons of orders for baby blankets.... to make and donate.

volunteer positions.
community outreach coordinator
---schools,
---churches,
---businesses,
---other organizations.
volunteer to begin, hopefully paid within a few months.

online marketing coordinator
--- set up and maintain our etsy store.
--- set up and maintain our ebay store.
this is a "paid" position based on sales.

items donated this week!!!

just a quick update.

in the last week, project warm hug has donated-

40 large bags of clothing- likely around 1600 items.
a crib
a couple of strollers
a couple of swings.
a couple of bouncy seats

for our spring giving program, we donated today

1000 diapers divided into 50 packages.
30 new "spring" outfits.
2 cases of girl scout cookies
25 small stuffed animals.
35 build a bear- animals.

thank you to:

children and family institute.
Google.
st timothy's Lutheran school.
our local redwood city girl scout troop
sacred heart prep school.
many local moms....

thanks!!!

Our Spring Basket Giving Program Update.

Happy Just about Spring.

Just under this post you will find the details of our spring basket giving program. My hope was to be able to donate 12 baskets, all with 12 mom-made receiving blankets. I am sad to say, that we have only had ONE sponsored!.

So plan B- We received an amazing donation of diapers today from the St. Timothy's Lutheran School in San Jose. Those diapers will be divided up into smaller packages and along with the dozens of NEW clothing donations we have received this year, Spring gifts will be packaged up and donated out this next week. The majority of the gifts will be donated to the caseworkers of the PRE to Three County Program that serve the
low and very low income moms with children in this county.

But here is the catch...

Our seasonal giving programs help to fund our overall mission of providing diapers, clothing and books to the local children in need.
Without our giving programs success, we are without funds to run our programs on a weekly basis.

Our 2008 operating budget is only $36,000. We obviously count on $9.000 a quarter. So far this year, only $2500 has been donated....
We are in a bind. Our donations and services are needed more than ever. We are receiving an amazing amount of gently used clothing, diapers and books. And are consistently finding the community to be very generous in this regard.

But, we also need some basic cash and gift cards to keep operating...
We only need 100 families to donate $30 a month... that's it!!!

Please email me at mrosenhart@yahoo.com
to answer any questions you might have.

Thanks so much!!!
megan

Spring Basket; full of flannel receiving blankets!!

happy soon-to-be spring!

my hope is that we can have 12 spring baskets sponsored to give out on the first day of spring.

each basket contains 12 large reversible flannel blankets, all of which have been crafted by a local mom.

each basket will be donated to one of the following organizations or the organization of your choice.

please indicate where you want your basket to be gifted.

you will receive a receipt from the receiving location.

suggestions-

shelter network-

-haven family house, redwood family house, first step and crossroads.

-pre to three county program- assist moms with babies in need.

-friends outside of santa clara

each basket is $250.00 and can be purchased through www.paypal.com

by using our email address as the recipient. please note which organizaion you would like your basket to be delivered. to!

from the $250.00

$50 is for fabrics.

$100 is for labor.

$100 is for project warm hug's

operating budget.

this is a triple win.

thanks so much.

megan

warm hug care packages- update, i need your help!

hi

at the beginning of the year, i set up a program that would not only gift moms in need, but would also provide work for local stay at home moms,
and provide funding for project warm hug.

to meet our annual budget of $36,000.
1000 warm hug care packages need to be sponsored.
this is 250 per quarter.
so far in quarter #1= only 27 have been sponsored.
this means between now and march 31st,
223 packages need to be sponsored!!!

each package will either contain-
a warm flannel receiving blanket made by a local mom,
a dozen diapers, and some wipes.
and a fleece stroller blanket.

or

a book bag made by a local mom.
filled with books to read to her kids.
a dozen diapers and some wipes
and a chocolate bunny!

you can choose either or both!
go to paypal.com for payment
and note in how many of each packages
you want to sponsor.

thanks so much!!!
megan

ck out our new website!!!

wwggzhttp://www.projectwarmhug.org/

thank you, lauren!!
a very generous mom designed and set this up for us!!

a quick update of our efforts, january and february.

greeting.

finally i have a moment to sit here and write up an update. i wonder just how so much time can go by, so quickly. i believe it is called mommy-warp-speed.

since the beginning of the year,

the following groups have started diaper drives for us!:
cubes and crayons, menlo park
the children and family institute, menlo park
st timothy's school, san jose.
bonnie's pre-school, sunnyvale.
i picked up these donations the other day. the kids had brought items from home, folded them up and put a little paper heart in each pocket.
this is the third year that bonnie hosts a "diaper and clothing" drive for us. each year she teaches her kids that not everyone is as fortunate as they are, and that those who can share, need to share with others. each year, her kids are so proud of their bags of donations. these kids are 3-4 years old.

we have donated:
strollers- 3+2
pak n play-1
swing-1
bathtub-2
hi chair-2
bags of clothing- 90. approx 25 items per bag. (2250)
toys- 3 dozen (36)
books- 2 dozen (24)
diapers- 300+200 (500)

we have gifted:25 gift bags that included-
40 dozen diapers.(480)
25 new kid's t-shirts (25)
25 blankets (25)
tolietries (25)

we have donated to:
pre-natal to three program- san mateo county
st francis center- redwood city
kinship program- san mateo county
shelter network, san mateo county

going into march-

we have 0 diapers.
we have 0 gift cards.
all of our remaining diapers, clothing and items are being donated out this next week to a number of families who are in great need of donations.
donations estimated to total- 150 items.

total for jan and feb= ~3500 items.

what we really need to make this year work.

greetings.

i have posted our 2008 plan and the details of our first two warm hug giving programs.

what i really need is to have a number of moms who are willing to make a monthly donation towards these programs.

for example-

" i would like to sponsor 10 care packages a month. i will use paypay the first of the month. please email me as a reminder."

our goal is only 80 a month. if there are 8 moms willing to sponsor 10 care packages, our budget is set for the year.

please let me know if you would like to monthly sponsor 1,2 ...10... or more.

thanks so much.
megan
mrosenhart@yahoo.com

february and march- warm hug care packages details.

greetings!

after a very successful "adopt a mom" holiday program,i am excited to announce our next two programs. project warm hug donated 122 holiday care packages to local moms in need.

i have changed the name of our 'adopt a mom' to 'warm hug care packages'. this ties our name into the giving program and gives us a little more flexibility with the seasonal themes.

here are the next two month's programs-

february- valentines theme.
a hand-crafted receiving blanket detailed with a heart.
a package of diapers. a package of wipes.
and a little something for the mom.
sponsorship is $40.00
deadline is February 5th.
to be delivered on February 12-14th.
goal is 80 packages.

march- spring theme.
books, a hand-crafted book bag and a see's chocolate bunny. these packages will be donated to local kids in need.
sponsorship is $40.00
deadline is March 5th.
to be delivered on March 19-21st.
goal is 160 packages.

additional bunnies can be ordered as a fundraiser for
project warm hug at $5.00 each. these are from SEE'S!
they can be ordered to donate or to receive...
projectwarm hug receives $2.50 per bunny.

please let me know how you would like to participate!
thanks so much.
megan

Project Warm Hug's 2008 plan!

Greetings.

I hope that you have had a wonderful holiday season.

William and I have been spending time at home in slow motion.
It has been great to look back and reflect on last year's efforts.
Below is Project Warm Hug's plan for 2008.
I would love your comments and suggestions.
Megan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Here is our 2008 plan.

To begin with the organization that we were working with in 2007, Friends Outside has eliminated a number of their programs, including ours.

This has been a huge disappointment especially since Friends Outside was founded by my grandmother.

In spite of this decision, Project Warm Hug will continue as a community program that collects and distributes warm clothing, diapers and books to local families in need.

The volume of this program will be confined to my garage and limited time each week. Last year, we donated #60,000 items! up from 21,000 for 2006.

I introduced to new programs last year; our 'adopt a family and adopt a mom' holiday giving programs. We gifted 21 families with over 200 gifts and gifted 122 moms with 'warm hug care packages'. Because of the success of these programs, I have decided to expand these programs to year round giving.

These families in need really need our assistance year round not just at the holidays.

Each month we will have a couple of families identified that need to be gifted. I will post the monthly wish lists on our blog at projectwarmhug.blogspot.com.

You can email me with the items that you would like to gift. The first two families are posted below. #01 and #02.

Our "adopt a mom" program quickly has shown that it is our most successful program for a couple of reasons.

This program combines Big Heart Designs with Project Warm Hug's efforts. Not only does a mom in need receive a "warm hug care package", a portion of the sponsorship is used for Project Warm Hug's operating expenses, a portion is used to create our "emergency fund".

The 'warm hug care package' includes a Big Heart Designs hand-crafted blanket valued at $24.00, diapers and wipes, a couple of books to read to their babies, and a special gift just for the mom.

The entire package will be valued at over $50.00. Big Heart Design's gifts are hand crafted by local moms who are looking for an opportunity to successfully work from home. This is a win all the way around!!

Each 'warm hug care package' sponsorship is $40.00.
My goal is to create and donate 1000 warm hug care packages this year!!!

Individual and monthly sponsorships are welcome. 1000 sponsorships will provide all necessary funding to continue Project Warm Hug as a community program, an emergency fund that will help many moms in need, and provide me with a "paycheck" to continue all of my efforts and also gift 1,000 moms in need!!!

So, our financial goal for 2008 is for 1000 'warm hug care packages' to be sponsored.
It is as simple as that. 20 warm hug care packages a week! (for 50 weeks).

I am hoping to jump start this year by receiving at least 100 sponsorships.
You can pay for your sponsorships via paypal.com or by sending a check.
I am happy to give you details for each.
I will be able to give you a receipt from the organization that receives your care packages.
Email me if you are interested in this program.
Here is an overview of our 2007 results!
number of items donated- ~60,000last year- ~21,000
number of families gifted- 21last year- 0/ new program
number of moms gifted- 122last year- 0/ new program
donation sites- 12last year- 0 new program.
we were ~$2500 short of meeting our out of pocket expenses.
we were 100% short of the $14000 to provide me with a monthly stipend. (for the last 14 months) these amounts will be set up as a note payable for 2008.

Here is a list of how you can make a difference.
~host a diaper drive.
~host a book drive.~host a clothing drive.
~sponsor a family's wish list or a few items on it.
~sponsor a warm hug care package monthly.
~tell a friend about our efforts.
~donate gift cards.
~volunteer an hour or two.
~host an "evening of giving"

It has been great to be able to have the time to put this plan together. I am excited about our new year-round giving programs as a way to give, fund and provide.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your support. I am thrilled that we have made such a difference in the lives of so many families in need.

with warm hugs.megan

2008 Family Wishlist #02

Struggling family in San Bruno.
Father trying to support family.
Special needs baby born very premature, mother unable to work as baby requires 24 hour care.
Gift Certicates to places she shops at:
Pack and Save
Lucky's
Target
Old Navy
Foot Locker
Foot Action
Clothes for Mom "Tilema"Shirts: 2xSweaters: 2xPants: 18socksShoes: size 9
Clothes for baby" Nephi" 10 months old Diapers Size 3 Wipes shirts 2T months pants 18 months socks Size 2blankets crib sheets King sheets, blankets, and comforter (any color in fine as long as they match)king pillows
Husband " Isaac"Shirts-3X or 4XJacket-4XPants-42/32socksShoes-13

2008 Family Wishlist- #01

have a single mother in san mateo who does not speak english and is raising her 2 year old on her own.
She is a wonderful mom living on very little.
She does not have a car to drive her around.
Her needs are:
Silverwear: she has 2 spoons and 2 forksplates:
she has 2, cups:
she has 1sippy cups:
she has 1 new king sheets new king comforter and blanket
Television (20" or larger) with DVD would be great
she would appreciate a gift card to (these are the only stores she canget to by walking):
Key Market KMart Target
Clothes for mom " Vitalina":Pants (size 14)Shirts (L)Sweatshirts (L)Jackets (L)Shoes (size 7) white tennis and any black shoeSocks
Clothes for 2 year old girl "Maria":long sleeve and short Shirts: 3TPants: 3TJackets: 3TShoes:7 ½Socks

happy holidays!!

happy holidays to all!!

what a year! at the end of last year, i thought that our 21.000 item donation total was going to be hard to beat. well, guess what? not only did we pass it, we nearly tripled it!
our rough total right now is ~$60.000!

in addition, our adopt a family program was wonderfully successful.
we gifted 21 families with a total of 88 family members.
and, we gifted 122 moms with our adopt a mom program.
whew!!!
thank you to all!!!
a few other successes-
a local family received a used RV to call home,
over 20,000 diapers were donated,
many very lo income families had warm clothing for their children.

after a couple of days of rest from this crazy week,
i have finally put together our numbers for the year.
so far, our out of pocket expenses are $17,640.
so far, we have received $14,846.
the difference we need to receive is $2794 by 12/31/07
my stipend of $14,000 is not included in this total.

please, if you are able to help us reach our goal of $17460,
send a ck to: 174 spruce ave. menlo park, ca 94025
or use paypal.com with my email address as the recipient.
mrosenhart@yahoo.com

thanks so much!!!
look for our 2008 plans in the next week!!
megan

Last Call for our "Adopt a Family" Holiday Giving Program.

GREETINGS.

HERE IS OUR UPDATE AS OF SATURDAY THE 22ND. IN CAPS~

greetings.

it is amazing just how many gifts we have received to give to our families this year....

we are still in need of just a few others.

a women's bike- GIFT CARD TO TOYS R US RECEIVED.

a gift card to macy's - GIFT CARD TO TARGET RECEIVED.

a gift card to north face - GIFT CARD TO TARGET RECEIVED.

a new car seat for a 1 year old - STILL NEED

a new car seat for a 2 year old.- STILL NEED

a gift card for a family portrait.- STILL NEED

6 more gift cards to target for $25-$50. each.- STILL NEED PLEASE!!

2 gift cards to old navy- STILL NEED

a gas card.- STILL NEED TWO.

and a partridge in a pear tree....

thank you all!!!

(email me if you would like to gift any of these items,
i will pick up from you!!- most of the gift cards you can buy from safeway)