 Christmas 2007 Pajama Project
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Project 2008 starts in February!! Hope to see you then!!
December 8, 2007 2007 Pajama Project—ANOTHER RECORD YEAR!!
GREETINGS to all 226 Pajama Project Donors and Volunteers!! This year we can say we had volunteers age 9 to 98!! We did it AGAIN and surpassed last year’s record of 600 pair! 825 garments were cut out, assembled into kits and sewn! 130 pair were BEAUTIFULLY gift-wrapped by Kathy Moreburg—adding a very special touch for the children and adults receiving them. Here’s where they went! Click here to read the rest of 2007 PJ Wrap-up. November 14th
2007 Pajama Project We had another record-breaking year surpassing the 2006 record of 600 garments to 825 this year!! We have less than 25 yards of fabric left from our 2000 yard purchase last year. The 2007 Project actually started in November of 2006 with 16 people getting up at 4AM the day after Thanksgiving to purchase our favorite brands of flannel. For the first time this year Joann’s Fabric allowed us to use a 20% off coupon for our total order resulting in a cost of $.79/ yard instead of $.96/yard (The fabric regularly sells for $5 plus/yard). We set out to purchase 1500 yards of flannel and ended up with a total of 2000 yards. The majority of fabric was washed by Church members. Cutting began in earnest in March with an average of 25 volunteers showing up on the last Saturday of every month to cut fabric and assemble kits. All ages were welcomed and ranged from 9 years of age to 98 years of age. Church members were undeterred by the lunch requests for 25 and continued to provide wonderful meals at these workdays that kept the volunteers nourished and willing to continue working. Committed volunteers took on many extra responsibilities that enabled a more efficient and productive year. All of us met in February of 2007 and came up with new methods for workflow, ironing, storing and delivering pajamas, better tracking of pajamas, secretarial assistance with mailings and writing thank you notes to donors. Budget responsibilities were handled by Bethlehem Lutheran Church this year. More hands yielded more pajamas!! New ideas that we have decided to continue included: · Flannel Frenzy Identifier Name Tags used by Flannel Frenzy Shoppers to legitimize their huge order of flannel and to prompt questions and interest from other shoppers. At one location, shoppers were passing money up the lines to the Flannel Frenzy shoppers! · Laure Reynolds and Kim Oswald cut square and sold two quilts made of flannel remanents earning $50 for the Project. We will continue to include a work area for quilters to cut squares for quilts at our monthly work days. Next year, we plan to pair each quilt with a coordinating Size 2 set of PJs to sell with proceeds going to the Project. · We also created the “100 Plus Club” at the suggestion of one of our most prolific sewers, Doris Anderson (90 years old!!) She and Sharlene Paterson (a long-time supporter and member of the Project) both sewed 140 pair. · We were also able to offer the use of two sergers thanks to Belinda Simonini and Diane Nichols who loaned them to the Project. Two more sergers were purchased and will be donated to the Project for use next year. · Storing
and delivering completed pajamas in boxes has kept the pajamas looking fresher and were more pleasing to deliver rather than
the large trash bags we used in the past. The increase from 600 garments to an amazing 825 garments was made possible by an effective fundraising idea initiated for the first time for the 2007 Project. Children from Bethlehem Lutheran Church and from the community helped decorate cards with samples of flannel from the 2006 Project and enclosed a letter describing the Project and requesting a donation. They were mailed out to former donors and used by the participants in the Project to mail to their friends, coworkers and family. We were able to meet our goal of $4000 and actually received about $4400 in donations, all of which was used this year. This was especially significant as the usual $800 donation by Thrivent was not available due to the transfer of accounting responsibilities to Bethlehem. Approximately 226 volunteers from Bethlehem Lutheran Church, a Girl Scout Troop and individuals from the community joined forces in every level of this Project to produce and distribute 825 pairs of lovingly sewn flannel pajamas to the various local agencies serving children and families in need. We increased the number of pajamas donated to each agency with a significant increase to the military. (Military Outreach Ministries split into two agencies serving Camp Pendleton and San Diego separately.) The continued productivity of this group is due to the increasing level of commitment demonstrated by the volunteers themselves with many people offering to manage parts of the program and contributing ideas that improve our efforts as a group. I am pleased to say that they are committed to continuing their efforts and I am hearing talk of “1000 next year!!” I would like to personally thank Bethlehem Lutheran Church Members for their participation in this Project, for allowing the use of the Family Center and managing the monies, for the Custodians who set up tables for us before each of our work days and cleaned up afterward, for the storage space loaned to us that helped us beyond words, for the advice, support and assistance regarding fundraising. THANK YOU for helping make this all happen.October 25th October 22, 2007 LAST
WORK DAY THIS SATURDAY!! Oct. 27th, 10A to 4P in the Family Center Lunch
Provided Update for 2008 PJ Project
We're looking ahead to 2008 and will need our funding by November to purchase 2500 yards of fabric. Our goal is $4,500 and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has offered to match up to $800 in donations. Please see the Giving Tree for more information. THANK YOU!! Questions--Sherie Whiting 760-436-6874
October 14, 2007
Pajama Project 2007 is coming to a CLOSE and we have LOTS of work to do!! Please plan on joining us this Saturday, Oct. 20 and/or next Saturday, Oct. 27!! We'll be at Bethlehem Lutheran Church Family Center from 10A to 4P!! Lunch will be provided thanks to the ongoing efforts of Kris Rollin!! SEWERS!! We need you AND FRIENDS to help us do mending AND to help sew up remaining kits...We have lots, so if you can sew more up before Oct. 27th, more kids will have new pajamas this Christmas. Bring your sewing machines and notions. We WILL have at least two sergers for use at our work days. (This is a good time to give serging a try. If you fall in love with this technique of sewing PJs, we'll LOAN you a serger for a YEAR, if you will agree to sew 50 pair!! That may sound like a LOT of EFFORT, but each set takes 1 hour and 15 minutes once you get the hang of it and that's just one pair of PJs a week with a 2 week vacation!!)  PLAY SANTA!! All ages can help in filling "orders" for the various agencies. We will be sorting PJs by size and gender and then choosing a special pair for an individual. All of the PJs we choose this week will be lovingly wrapped and given as gifts. We will need "teams" to fill and double-check each order. The other agencies' orders will be filled the last work day as they use the PJs year-round. IRONERS!! Volunteers made a huge dent in the ironing/quality checking process last month, BUT, we have LOTS more to complete. Why do we iron?? To make the PJs look NEW and to check for errors, threads or labels still stuck to the fabric. Bring your own iron and ironing board. You will ENJOY seeing the huge variety of fun prints used to make these special PJs. ANY QUESTIONS?? Call Sherie at 760-436-6874 September 6, 2007
LAST 3 PJ WORK DAYS for 2007!! Bethlehem Lutheran Church Family Center 925 Balour Drive, Encinitas 10AM to 4PM Lunches provided every day...
Call
us for kits if you are unable to come by on a work day. August 25th. How we make it happen and have Fun! doing it. Click each photo to make it larger.
August 21st, 2007
The cutters are OUT OF CONTROL!! They have already cut 616 pair of PJs and have TWO MORE cutting days to go!! Last year, sewers were asking for kits and we'd run out!! This year, we have LOTS of kits ready to go. Kits will be available THIS SATURDAY, August 25, from 10A to 3P in the Family Center at Bethlehem Lutheran Church (925 Balour Dr., Encinitas). We'd LOVE to have you join us for lunch! If you are not available Saturday, call Suzanne or Sherie to make other arrangements... Sherie Whiting 760-436-6874 Suzanne Schmidt 760-431-2817 August 5th, 2007, please let me know if you are interested in either of the following:
* We have a free sewing table being offered to any sewers by Tammy Cardenas. It is approximately 2' by 6' and has a drop in it where the sewing machine goes so that fabric stays level to the table's surface. It weighs about 15 pounds. You can email Tammy at tcardenas@sbcglobal.net * I have about 4 more large bags of flannel that needs washing and I would love to avoid hauling it to Church. Anyone want to come by and pick some up? It could be returned to me, the church office or just brought to our next work day on August 25. I'm home this weekend and can be emailed or telephoned at 760-436-6874. THANKS everyone! Sherie July 22, 2007, 534 kits assembled and PLENTY of flannel to
go!! Please come, Saturday July 28th, to help cut and assemble kits AND IRON! (We have about 100 kits returned and ready
to press). Bring your own ironing board and iron if you like to press. Lunch will be provided!! See you
in the Family Center from 10 am to 4 pm. A refresher sewing class will be offered at 1 pm. Questions, call Sherie
Whiting @ 760-436-6874
July 2nd, 2007, We've cut out approximately 410 kits!! Last year, the sewers sewed up 600 and were asking for more...Bring friends and we'll see if we
can cut more than they can sew!! Special Treats: Lunch provided! 2007 Incentives for sewers! Compliments of Suzanne Schmidt *35 + PJs will earn a pair of full size gingher scissors! *20-34 PJs earns a pair of embroidery scissors! *10-19 PJs earns a magnetic pin dish! Only one incentive for 2007 or Suzanne will go broke!! A sewing class appropriate as a refresher or for novice sewers at 1PM! You will complete a pair of PJ bottoms and learn all the skills needed for the top! Bring your sewing machine. RSVPs for lunch to Kris Rollin 760-510-3885 Work Day Questions? Call Sherie Whiting-760-436-6874 Work Day Questions? Call Sherie Whiting-760-436-6874April 30th, 2007 26
enthusiastic volunteers and Antije's great lunch, kept us all going (recipes requested Antije!!) We cut an
amazing 155 garments yesterday! 96 kits were signed out by sewers, but Suzanne and I have plenty available for anyone
who didn't get by yesterday. We are continuing to fine-tune our workflow to make the time spent working as productive
as possible and I guess we're doing something right!! We'll be back working on Saturday May 19th so
we can all enjoy a long 3 day Memorial Day Weekend. Thanks to all who contributed time and talents yesterday.
Questions or need kits?? Call:
Sherie Whiting 760-436-6874-- Kits/general questions Suzanne Schmidt 760-431-2817-- Kits/general questions Paula Leedy 760-753-0718-- Sewing issues Kris Rollin 760-510-3885--to sign up to be a cook March 24th, 2007 We had 26 hard-working, extremely productive people show up for our first PJ Work day for 2007 and we've ALREADY set a new record!! We cut out 136 garments!!!!!! When you add 31 one kits made in February to accommodate two very ambitious teenagers who offered to give their six-hour community service requirement to the Project AND 30 more kits cut at home by Sharlene Paterson (who stopped by to show us how our scraps are made into DARLING burp pads AND QUILTS for needy children)...we have a total of 197 kits and we haven't even gotten going yet!! Loree Andreasson cut ribbing for the entire workday and managed to get 70 kits completed. Hang in there Loree--we'll have reinforcements on the way! We had a great lunch coordinated by Kris Rollin (who REALLY is
going to spoil us with ice cold beverages and coffee to greet us in the morning). Cha Cha was our cook and remains un-intimidated
by feeding us all (and we even left some left-overs). After lunch, Paula Leedy offered
her sewing class and will continue to offer it at 1PM on our work days for anyone who'd like to brush up on sewing on
ribbing, etc. Paula and Anita Castleman both agreed to sew at least 50 pair of PJs in exchange for the loan of a serger.
(An insider tip... I think Paula is going for Pajama Queen of 2007!! She's signing out as many kits as she can get
her hands on!  )Thanks to everyone who came and for bringing your friends. We hope to see you next month on
April 28 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in the Family Center at 925 Balour Drive in Encinitas from 10A to 4P!! I'll
be sending out reminders.... Sherie Whiting (760-436-6874) Suzanne
Schmidt (760-431-2817)
Paula Leedy (760-753-0718) 2007 PJ Project is Starting UP!
We hope the 600 pajamas we cut, sewed and distributed last year haven’t left you burned out because the Flannel Frenzy Shoppers hit the best flannel sale EVER the day after Thanksgiving and BOUGHT 2000 yards of our FAVORITE flannels at $.79/yard! The patterns are DIFFERENT than last year’s and all CUTE! CUTTERS and WORKDAY VOLUNTEERS!We need extra hands to turn out as MANY kits as we can as those sewers were still anxious to sew and we ran out of kits despite starting the year with 30 left over from 2005! SO, we’ve reorganized to make it easier for more people to get more done!! 1. We bought 10 pair of new, SHARP scissors. They “MELT” through flannel! 2. We will have more tables with fabric ready to go 3. We will CONTINUE to have lunches provided 4. Our much-loved sewing instructor, Paula Leedy, will continue to walk people through the process of making a pair of PJs. 5. ALL HELPFUL hands are welcomed! Bring your friends. We’ll find something they are comfortable doing to help the process along! SEWERS!We hope to have kits available at each of our workdays with the best chance being after 1PM. If you can’t come by to pick out your kits, call Suzanne or I and we’ll make arrangements so that you can pick them up at a more convenient time. Don’t forget that Paula will happily work with you if you haven’t sewn for awhile and will be at each workday. EVERYBODY!Here are the 2007 PJ Project Workday Dates! Please note that the March and May dates do NOT fall on the last Saturday of the month… March 24 August 25 April 28 September 29 May 19 October 20 June 30 October 27 July 28 As usual, we’ll be in the Family Center at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Encinitas from 10AM to 4PM with earlier arrivals welcomed if you have time to help us set up! We’re looking forward to seeing you all again! Call us if you have any questions! Sherie Whiting (760-436-6874) Suzanne Schmidt (760-431-2817)
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