Aaron Eilerts' Parents Selling T-shirts to Rebuild Camp

The family of an Iowa Boy Scout killed in a tornado at the Little Sioux Scout Ranch is raising money to help rebuild the camp.

The parents of Aaron Eilerts designed a t-shirt to help with the fundraiser.

The t-shirts are lime green and feature a purple print. They cost $14 each, which $7 from each sale going to rebuild the camp.

Anyone interested in buying a shirt can send a check for $14 dollars to the Aaron Eilerts Service and Giving Foundation, 900 S. Jackson Avenue, Eagle Grove, Iowa, 50533

To view shirts, go to:

http://www.kcci.com/news/16846945/detail.html

Theme Song for this Blog

I wish desperately that I could figure out a way to have this song play when you visit this blog, but to no avail....

So, I will just make a recommendation, listen to:

Shed A Little Light
by James Taylor

listen here for free:

http://www.last.fm/music/James+Taylor/_/Shed+a+Little+Light

watch the video here:

http://www.last.fm/music/James+Taylor/_/Shed+a+Little+Light/+videos/+1-p18qu4Te9j4

This song captures the essence of this site!

Thank you for your donations for the Homeless

Thanks so much to everyone who donated items for us to take down to the "Catholic Worker House" where we help provide dinner once a month to the homeless folks and others in need.

Here's what we were able to give thanks to your generous contributions:
1 Tent
2 Sleeping Bags
2 Blankets
40 hats
7 pairs of shoes
16 pairs of pants
4 coats
28 shirts
2 rain ponchos
11 bottles of sunscreen
Bugspray
2 Sunglasses

Not five minutes after the guys carried all the stuff into the house, a man came up to us and asked if we knew where he could get a winter coat. It felt great to tell him he could just step inside and take one!

The "director" told us that this was stuff would go fast!

So, again, thank you all so much and in the words of one man I met last night, "God bless you and I know He will!"

SUCCESS: Alex's Lemonade Stand

In less than a week, ClubHOPE raised over $5000 for Alex's Lemonade Stand, funding for pediatric cancer research. At the WDM HyVee on Saturday alone, they raised $1700!!!!

Thank you to all who came out to show your support and have some lemonade!!

Stand Up To Cancer With The Heart Connection

Stand Up To Cancer With The Heart Connection: All friends of The Heart Connection and anyone who has an interest in the fight against cancer are invited to join us, along with ABC5, as we stand up to cancer! Please join The Heart Connection on September 5 from 6:00-8:30, as we kick off Childhood Cancer Awareness Month at the Cub Club (One Line Drive, Principal Park). From 6:00-7:00 The Heart Connection, local celebrities, and other cancer and health related organizations will be on hand to educate attendees how to Stand Up to Cancer on right here in Iowa. At 7:00 TVs will be turned to the national "Stand Up To Cancer" show on ABC5. This unprecedented event will be aired on all three major television networks. Appetizers will be provided. Please come join us for networking, education, food, and fun. Help Wanted:The Heart Connection has quite a few events coming up that we need assistance with! Please let us know if one interests you!

Living History Farms Seeks Item Donations

As a non-profit we rely on donations to keep us running. There are a few items that we are searching for that we do not have a budget to purchase this year. Donations to us are tax deductable and we would be happy to send you a letter for just such a purpose! We are trying to find someone with an old fashioned Ice Cream Maker for our day camp. We would really like one that could be cranked by hand. Also, we are short of coolers. We take Sarsaparilla to the Farmers Markets and we are in desperate need of a few more for the State Fair this year. We would love the kind that have wheels as they get REALLY heavy when they are full. Our Special Events team is in need of a large stand up commercial size popcorn popper/maker. We would love to be able to serve popcorn at our Halloween, Easter, Apple Picking Celebrations. Also on our wish list we would love to find a golf cart, new or used that could be gifted to the farms. Our day camp program has children that occasionally have some special needs and have trouble getting from one place to the next and so parts of the farms are hard to access by car. A golf cart would really help this program allow kids with greater physical challenges to attend. We are everyone's farm and we hope you will consider helping us continue to grow! Thanks in advance.-LHF Staffers

contact info:

website: http://www.lhf.org/

phone: 515) 278-5286

email: Donations and Development: giving@lhf.org

Alex's Lemonade Stand

From the Krueger Family Carepage:

Our hearts are especially heavy this week and go out to the Whipple family here in Des Moines. They are members of our newly formed support group, ClubHOPE. Their daughter Ashlyn, 2, “earned her angel wings” Saturday. It obviously hits so close to home and this is our first child in the group that has lost their battle. This family not only has had this unbelievable fight, but her twin sister Addison has also been battling cancer and is now in remission thankfully. In honor of Ashlyn, we ask that you visit one of the 3 Alex’s Lemonade Stands that are being hosted by several of our ClubHOPE families this Saturday, August 9th from 10-3. They will all be located at HyVee stores: West Des Moines: 1700 Valley West Drive, Urbandale: 8601 Douglas Ave. Altoona: 100 8th St. SW. Alex’s Lemonade Stand is an organization that supports pediatric cancer research and was started by a little girl that had cancer, Alex, to raise pediatric research funds. It is an incredible story and although Alex lost her fight with cancer, this amazing organization lives on in her name. For more information visit: http://www.alexslemonade.org/ Please stop by for a refreshing glass of lemonade and meet many of our cancer survivors and their siblings…they will be doing the serving! We have also set up a website if you would like to donate, but cannot attend. www.firstgiving.com/alsfdesmoines . We will be at the West Des Moines location from 12-3 and Will cannot wait! He is so excited to have a “real lemonade stand!” This uninvited monster has crept into our lives and so many others as well. With your help we maintain the HOPE that there will someday be a cure to this awful disease. We will plan to see you there and if you cannot attend, please consider making a donation-even $10 can make a difference. Let’s get rid of this monster in honor of Ashlyn! Thank you.

The Starfish Story

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean.""I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "It made a difference for that one."---Loren Eiseley

Waukee Area Christian Food Pantry School Supplies Program

For the third year in a row the Waukee Area Christian Food Pantry will be helping families provide school supplies for their children. Last year the Food Pantry helped over 50 children by supplying back packs filled with needed school items. Please consider providing a back pack or other school items for those in need. If you would like to partner with the food pantry in this effort, please contact Melissa at 321-0894. If someone you know is in need, please ask them to contact the pantry by email at foodpantry@westview.org or by calling 515-321-0894.

Thanks!!

~Nicole

Meals From the Heartland

Sign up for a 2-hour shift and be a part of something BIG!!!

http://www.mealsfromtheheartland.org/

September 1 - 9, 2008

HyVee Hall, Des Moines, IA

Collecting Gear

We're collecting stuff to take down to the homeless camps. Due to all the recent flooding, the homeless people who camp along the river in Des Moines, have lost what few possessions they had. Please help us gather the following items:

hats
shoes
bug spray
sunscreen
rain gear
camping gear

Post your reply or email me at livstro@hotmail.com if you have items to donate! Thanks!