January ~ Poverty in America Awareness Month - Let’s Get Started

• posted by: Cheryl
• posted in: Uncategorized, Challenges
• on: January 5, 2009

Hello Fiskateers!  What a caring community you are and it shows.  I have seen in so many instances your caring heart . . . when you reach out to a fellow fiskateer in need, when you don’t allow distance to be in the way of lending a helping hand, when you do all you can to help someone in need, when you are so generous and thoughtful in your giving.  I have seen even recently where so many of you have come to the aid of a mother who wants her children to know her despite her battle with cancer.  You have provided layouts that will allow this mother to record her history and memories and special facts about herself so that her children can know her for years to come.  Crystal’s Cause . . .  http://www.fiskateers.com/blog/2008/12/13/christmas-a-time-for-giving-help-meet-an-urgent-need/

You as a community not only share in the passion for crafting, for a company that cares, for friendship but also share in the passion of giving and helping.  I see you reaching out to meet others needs . . . those within the community and beyond.  I want to share that it has been lovely to watch this take place and thus I think others saw the need to channel those efforts and provide a place where we can focus on such matters . . . the Charity Fiskamittee. 

January is ‘Poverty in America Awareness Month’ and with that the Fiskateer Charity Fiskamittee is starting 2009 off by focusing on this special cause.  Anyone can share in this new endeavor, vision and help with the efforts . . . in fact we want to encourage all Fiskateers that have a heart for charity to feel free to share their resources, talents and time.  Maybe there is a certain charity or cause that touches your heart in a deeper way that you’d like to help . . . go for it.  So here’s the plan . . . once a month we will feature a cause or charity.  We will provide avenues that you can assist both on line and off line.  As well, as needs arise within the community or outside of it . . . we will intercede as a loving Fiskateer community and play a role as time and resources allow. 

I will help to oversee the Charity Fiskamittee and Melita, Elena, Sudie and Jennifer N. will serve in a leadership role to help coordinate events and efforts.  This committee is yours as a community so hop aboard if this is something that is on your heart!

So we are going to ‘Sock It To Poverty’ and do a Sock Drive for January.  As mentioned, January is “Poverty in America Awareness Month’.  Sudie was kind enough to provide some great facts about socks and how they can help ’sock it to poverty.’ 

• Socks are vital to overall health of those living on the streets.  Socks are often not donated enough and are greatly appreciated by the recipient.
• Most homeless and impovershed people do not own shoes that fit properly or are not in good condition.  This increases the importance of socks.
• Many people suffer from diabetes and other ailments and they could benefit from socks with extra support.
• Not all shelters accept clean used socks so it’s important when collecting that we collect new socks.
• Socks are relatively inexpensive to donate.
• There are men, women and children that live on the streests and all could benefit with a new pair of socks.
• More people are becoming homeless due to the downward spiral of the economy as well as natural disasters.

So with those important factors . . . as a community we would love to do a ’sock drive’ in January.  You can send socks to Sudie, Elena or myself and we will forward them on to a shelter or organization that will get them to the hands (feet) that need them. 

Possibly you might consider spreading the word and collecting socks yourself for the cause and donating them to a place near you.  Be mindful of your safety but there are often many places you can donate to in your area that would take them to the places in need . . . you must might need to do a little research.

So here are some thoughts in spreading the word and helping the cause. 

• Maybe craft a ’sock box’ . . . Sudie had a great idea . . . a laundry basket would be cute to collect them in and create a sign to share where the donations are going and why. 
• Spread the word at your local scrapbook store and set a date to collect them at a crop.  How about a “Sock Hop Crop”.  Maybe your local scrapbook store would go for a crop in honor of collecting socks for those in need.
• How about spreading the word at ladies groups, church, your local rotary club. 

There’s lots of ways to spread the word.  We’d love to keep track of how many pairs of socks are donated by the loving Fiskateer community.  

We’d love to provide a little tag (attached with a safety pin) on each pair of socks maybe with a brief message and from what Fiskateer they are from . . .

i.e. With warmest regards.  Happy New Year . . . Fiskateer #002.  Sudie plans on “Warmest Wishes, Fiskateer #97″.  This will provide a special personal touch but not providing too much information. 

So two ways you can gather socks . . .

1. If you feel passionate about this cause . . . you can collect socks yourself and donate them to the organization yourself.  Please just keep track of the number and let one of us know how many. 
2. If you’d like to purchase and donate a pair of socks yourself . . . you can send them to Sudie, Elena or myself.  You can send them to Sudie by emailing her (through our internal Fiskateer system) . . . here is her profile . . . http://www.fiskateers.com/community/author/97 or you can send them to Elena at the address listed here . . . http://www.scrapbookroyalty.com/contact.html or to myself by emailing me at cheryl@fiskateers.com and I’ll send you my mailing address.

Watch for more details on the message board and updates.

We as a Fiskateer community can make a huge impact and continue to share the Fiskars love and warmth!

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Oh Little Town . . . Part I

• posted by: Cheryl
• posted in: Uncategorized, My Life
• on: January 4, 2009

Okay, so I promised I’d share a few photos from my trip.  It’s like a warm fuzzy feeling when I share because it’s coming home to ‘family’ . . . my fiskateer family.  Speaking of which, I have been touched to return home to some special Christmas gifts as well as lots of layouts for Crystal . . . both of which touch my heart!  Thank you!!!

I have been trying to catch up on my sleep and get a bit healthier so I took a couple days to recooperate but I’d love to share now.  I shared a few photos but I’d especially like to share some detailed photos of a special little town by the name of Lansing located in Iowa.  It’s where my father in law grew up and it has much significance.  I have seen photos of this little town in it’s day . . . days of old . . . where the river boats would visit it’s banks and when the town was in it’s prime.  You see, it lies along the Mississippi River. 

It’s a beautiful quaint little town and I loved the scenery . . . the churches, the old barns and it’s architecture.  I know as well that it was a place that women crafted quilts.  Speaking of which, Part II is all about a treasure of a quilt store I found in this little town.  Incredible place.

Check out the barn below . . . the wall states a name (possibly Thompson) and the date of 1910 . . . note the horse hitches along the wall.  I found the barn and wall so intriguing I did a little research on the internet.  I think it belongs to the Thompson family of Lansing, Iowa.

Of course we spent some fun time at my Aunt Ginger’s in the small town of New Albin.  We found a big enough hill to provide an afternoon of fun and sledding and even tried our hand at snow boarding with cousins who live in Iowa.

I have already printed some of these photos to scrap and to place in my home.  That’s one of the many reasons we scrapbook isn’t it?  To preserve and capture our family history.  Oh what special memories . . . what special history . . . family history and what special little towns.  Oh Little Town . . .

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