Post on 31-Jan-2021
Board
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BOARD NEWS
Our TLL Board deserves recognition for their willingness
to serve. Thank you to Jan Kiikka, Chairperson; Nancy
Coho, Vice Chair; Linda Grandstaff, Secretary; Sally
Bricker, Treasurer; & Trustees Robin Hughes, Laurel
Grubbs, Kim Varker, Jill Hawse, and Carol Tolliver. Also
thank you to Katrina Durst, our Infant Loss Coordinator,
who manages and packs all our infant loss and memorial
items and deliveries. You are appreciated for everything
you do behind the scenes to help the day-to-day
operations run smoothly.
A special thank you to Robin Hughes and Carol Tolliver.
Robin has been compiling our delivery reports for us and
is now “passing the torch” to Carol who will begin doing
our reports starting in 2020. Thank you to both for your
willingness to help out in this area.
TLL has had a wonderful year of serving Ohio babies.
We have made over 530 deliveries and delivered
approximately 66,000 items. This is a grand total of over
1.2 million items in the almost 20 years of our existence.
Thank you to all our many volunteers in Ohio and
elsewhere. We have increased our deliveries by 15,000
items over what was sent out in 2018! We continue to
reach more and more families and children and couldn’t
do it without all of you! Whether you make one or two
items each month, help us with deliveries, buy your own
yarn or fabric, pack deliveries at Sal’s house or contribute
monetarily – we need ALL of you. No contribution or
donation is too small to make a difference in the lives of
“our babies”.
The Board has voted to continue to use a portion of TLL
funds to purchase used clothing in 2020. This year we’ve
purchased around 5,000 pieces of clothing at an average
cost of 30 cents apiece. We believe this is a good
investment and supports our mission to serve needy
newborns in Ohio. .
CONDOLENCES
Our condolences to the families of Martha Wilk, Theresa
Ritzman and Joyce Carpenter. These ladies put in many
hours of time using their skills to make things for “our
babies
hours using their skills to make items for “our babies” and
will be missed.
BUCKEYE BABY PROJECT
This has been a banner year for our
Buckeye Baby project. Our volunteers
made 130 OSU quilts along with a variety
of other OSU themed items. We provided 40 quilts to
OSU Hospital along with 10 layettes which were given to
parents after their baby “graduated” from the NICU. The
remainder were provided to other hospitals and clinics.
Thank you to everyone for their efforts and Go Bucks!
TOUCHING MORE LIVES 2019
Our Touching More Lives 2019 campaign was a huge
Success. Our goal was to collect 2,019 pieces of used
clothing from our volunteers by the end of the year. We
have met and surpassed that goal with 2,338 pieces of
clothing turned in! We also received donations from
several organizations such as Joseph's Coat and
Columbus Mothers of Twins. In addition, TLL purchased
5,858 pieces of clothing from our budget. By the end of
the year, we were able to distribute over 11,000 pieces of
used clothing! Not only were we able to provide this
clothing to different facilities including health centers,
women's shelters, WIC offices, Pregnancy Decision
Health centers, but also to mom's who contacted us to ask
for help. In just the last three months of the year, we were
able to provide newborn through 12 month clothing for
six moms who needed help. Thanks to your donations,
we were able to provide for these “needy newborns” and
their families.
TOUCHING LITTLE LIVES NEWSLETTER
First Quarter January – March 2020
Editor : Linda Marshall
One organization that has been particularly grateful for all
this used clothing is MOMS2B. This is a facility we
highlighted at the beginning of 2019. Their mission is to
combat infant mortality rates in the communities where it
is highest. In October 2019, we sent out 22 bags of used
clothing to them including over 230 coats/jackets and 78
sweaters along with larger sized hats and other items.
This was over
800 items in all!
Providing
clothing is just
one of their
services and
TLL is pleased
to be able to
support them in
this way.
We recently received this “success story” from
M0MS2B…”I just wanted to say that I will be forever
grateful for MOMS2B.
It has been 7 years now
since you all have made
an impact on my life.
All is well. My
daughter that you and
the MOMS2B helped
nurture will be turning 7
in October. I have been
working for the
Prosecutor’s office and
will soon be finishing
my Associate and
Bachelors from
Franklin University.
You all were my support, my everything at a time when I
needed it and I will always hold that close to my heart.
Peace and Blessing to you all. Thank you”. Kateresa L.
THIS AND THAT
The nurses in the
Labor & Delivery
department of
Mount Carmel East
have baby fever.
We learned recently
that 13 nurses in the
same department
were pregnant at the
same time. We
thought it would be
fun to send them
quilts for their babies so this quilt and 12 others were
delivered to them in November. Congratulation to all and
thank you for taking care of “our” babies
*****
Sally is in need of a substitute delivery person for
February for Our Lady of Guadalupe, 409 Industry Drive,
Columbus OH (3-4 bags). If you are able to help out,
please email Sally at info@touchinglittlelives.org or
message me. Please include your phone number so
that she can discuss the details with you. Thank you
*****
Below are the upcoming work days at Sally's house. We
work from 10am – 2pm with lunch provided. If you're
interested in coming to help, please email Sally at
info@touchinglittlelives.org. We delivered over 1400
bags of baby items in 2019, so we need all the help we
can get.
Jan 20th & 21st
Feb 17th & 18th
Mar 23 & 24th
*****
We distributed over 200 Christmas quilts this year in
November and December. Thanks to all of our quilters
and finishers for making this possible.
*****
Our next TLL-a-thon is scheduled for Saturday, June 27th
from 10am – 4pm. This will also be our 20th anniversary
celebration so please mark it on your calendars now so
you won't miss this special event. More information to
come in our next newsletter.
*****
Please continue to collect the following items:
Box tops for education and pop tabs for the Kiwanis
Buttons for our sweater makers
“Bling” (old jewelry, brooches, necklaces, pins, etc) for the Turban Project to adorn the turbans
they provide for their patients.
Print cartridges (any kind) for us to recycle at Staples
Please bag these items separately from your other
donations.
*****
Thank you to everyone who has responded to our “Needs
& Announcements” emails each month. We've had a
great response. It has really helped us ensure we always
have what we need every month. Of course our needs
mailto:info@touchinglittlelives.org
change from month to month depending on what
deliveries we make and how many facilities we are
delivering to that month. We will continue to send out
this email and post it on Facebook near the end of the
month. A special thank you to Newborns in Need who
sent us 60 hats in the mail when they heard we had run
out in November. Thank you for sharing!
QUALITY CONTROL TIPS Quilts:
We wanted to make you aware of some of the issues we've
had recently with items we've received. One problem that
has cropped up is that the seams in quilt tops are ripping,
either when we sandwich the quilt or after they are
washed. We would like to share a couple of tips to help
prevent this from happening. When you are sewing your
seams, it is not necessary to trim your end threads
completely as they will be cut off when the quilt is
sandwiched. Another thing that will help is to use a big
enough seam allowance so that they will not come open
when they are washed. It
is harder to fix these issues
after the quilt is assembled
and often we have to set
aside these quilts to be
fixed later, if possible.
If you tie your quilts, please
make sure that the ties are
spaced about 6-8” apart and
that the tie goes through all
layers of the fabric. Please
double knot the ties and trim them to about 1/2”. When
sewing tags onto quilt tops, please attach them at least 4-
6” away from the edges so there is room to sew and top
stitch the quilt without having to sew over the tag.
Afghans:
Afghan size and type of yarn used is important.
Newborn sizes: 36” by 36” or 30” by 30” are the sizes
we need most. You can use baby yarn or worsted weight
and any pattern is fine. Afghans that are a little bit larger
than this are okay as we can give them to facilities that
server older children.
Preemie sizes: 24” by 24” to 30” by 30” is the size we
need. You can use baby yarn or worsted weight and any
pattern is fine as long as it is not too “holey”.
Burial & memorial sizes: 12” by 12”, 16” by 16” or 20
by 20” ONLY. Yarn MUST be baby yarn either a pastel
color (except yellow) or a muted variegated color. Use
only one color on the afghan. Please remember these are
going to parents who have lost their babies so bright
colors and/or patterns are not appropriate and cannot be
used. If you have any questions regarding this or other
burial/memorial items, please contact Katrina at
sign.katrina@yahoo.com
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
THANK YOU MISS LYNNE
If you've been following TLL on Facebook, you know
that we have received three huge yarn donations this fall.
A great big thank you goes out to Miss Lynne who has
generously given us all this yarn! Over the years, Lynne
has stocked up on yarn to the point where she can't
possibly use it all and was looking to “de-stash”. Some
friends of hers reached out to us and have helped Lynne
sort through her yarn and then deliver it to TLL. To date,
we have received over 75 boxes of yarn! Because of her
generosity, we've been able to share the yarn with The
Turban Project, Newborns in Need, My Very Own
Blanket and some ladies who make blankets for the
homeless. Miss Lynne has a very kind heart and has been
making things for the needy, especially children, for
many, many years. Even though she can't use all this yarn
herself, we're making sure to continue her legacy of
helping those in need. Thank you Lynne for helping us
“serve the babies of Ohio” now and in the future.
Sally had a chance to meet Lynne (and Shiloh) back in
October.
This is just one of
the boxes and
boxes of yarn from
Lynne
Our volunteers are working hard to use up “Lynne's yarn”
and making some gorgeous afghans.
In November we received a $6000 grant from South
Central Power Electric to help us with the cost of buying
flannel to make receiving blankets, bibs and burp cloths.
This money will cover about 80% of the cost of flannel
fabric for the entire year. Thank you South Central for
your generous support again this year!
Thank you to The Energy Cooperative “Operation
Round Up” Foundation for their grant of $2500 that was
received in December. This will help us purchase the
fabric for quilt backings.
Thank you to the Moose Lodge for their continued
support this past year by donating a portion of their
gaming fund to TLL. We received $7452 from them in
2019.
Keep on shopping at Krogers’ and designating TLL as
your charity of choice! In 2019, we received $926 as
part of their Kroger Cares program.
THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS
I am grateful that I am a member of this awesome group
of wonderful people. Thank you for hand delivering
items to my nephew’s new grandbaby. Her mom just
turned 19 and needs all the help and support she can get!
I and they will be forever indebted. God Bless you all!
Nancy P.
Thanks a bunch.
LaTonya really likes her
new stuff. Thank you so
much for you hard work.
I would like to thank everyone infinite love that made
these cute clothes. Today
we received these
donations for our newborn
daughter Mia Valentina.
I'm happy that these kinds
of foundations exist to help
families just as we need
because we are migrants
and we have no resources.
(Translated from Spanish)
(Note: We were able to
provide additional used
clothing for her daughter
Mia and her 18 month old son as well. Here is an
additional thank you we received)
Hello I am writing to
thank you again. This
help you have given to
my family, my little
Adrian is very happy
with his new clothes
and baby Mia too. I also
want to thank Mrs. Kim
and her children
brought the donations to
my house. God bless the
home of each of the
people who are part of
this beautiful work.
I wish that those who donated saw how cute my kids are
now so I sent some photographs. Thank you again
Once again, we like to donate to TLL in memory of our
grandsons, Aiden and Jayce W. We appreciate the work
you do to comfort the parents especially. Thank you and
have blessed holiday season. Chris & Ed
Hi Sal, here is the
picture of my
niece Kelsie with
baby Kyler and
his TLL quilt.
Kyler’s daddy
played football in
college so they
love the football
I want to thank you so much for the crocheted blankets. I
am a Social Worker for Centering Pregnancy at TriHealth
Nurse Midwives with Good Samaritan Hospital. I
facilitate Centering pregnancy groups for at risk moms.
Centering is an evidence based program that shows that
pregnant moms that participate have a 33% less chance of
a preterm birth. Sometimes it is difficult to have patient’s
even show up to their appointments, so I used the
crocheted blankets as an incentive to complete an activity
and have perfect attendance for the first 4 sessions. Thank
you again, I cannot say enough how appreciative we are
for the care taken in making these. I know I will be seeing
them again and again covering car seats as they ride and
wait for the bus in the cold weather.
To everyone who gave of their time and talents for our
baby girl, thank you. Your craftsmanship is beautiful and
we are so grateful for your generosity and love.
Isabelle Grace (Belle, as she is known since her big
brother first said her name months ago) was born on
August 27 at Wright-Patterson Medical Center. We
moved from overseas this summer and as of her birth had
not yet received our last shipment, and we still have not
unpacked the last box. The gift from your organization
has touched our hearts and made us feel even more
welcome here in our new home. I am including some
photos I took of Belle in the sweet crocheted cap and
booties you gave us. Thank you. Kristin, Cameron and
Isabelle
Thank you for the
blankets and other
gifts! This is my 6
week old foster son
“John” He was born at
SOMC.
(Note: Since “John” is
a foster child, we
purposely are not
showing his face.)
I just wanted to send a little note, thanking you all for the
blanket we received at FMC. We love it and we use it for
so many different things! Thank you all! It was such a
pleasant surprise when the nurse brought it to us!
Thank you for your previous donation of blankets for our
special care nursery babies! We are extremely grateful
for such a generous donation to our patients. These
blankets were given to our hospitalized infants in the
special care nursery. Genesis is the largest healthcare
provider in six southeast Ohio counties, so these blankets
reached a great deal of patients all over the state! Thank
you again for donating these blankets to our smallest
patients! Angela B., Genesis Women and Children
Healthcare Services, Zanesville
Thank you very much for your donation of quilts,
sleepers, washcloths and toys to the UC Medical Center
NICU. Your generosity is greatly appreciated. Thank
you for supporting the babies and families in our unit.
Anne M., University of Cincinnati Medical Center
Thank you so
much for the
donations!
We are
grateful for
your ongoing
support to
PDHC and the
women in our
communities.
Keep up the
amazing job!
Pregnancy
Decision Health Care North staff and volunteers.
I just wanted to send you another
picture and say thank you
again. It's been a year or 2 since I
updated but my son will be 4 in
January and he still carries the
blanket he received at the hospital
when he was born. God bless you
all, Tammy S.
Just wanted to tell you
thanks so much For
Aiden’s Blanket we
received at southern
Ohio Medical Center!
Thank you
guys for the
handmade
gifts for
Anthony!
Amy, Aaron
and Anthony
On behalf of Turning Point, I would like to thank you for
your donation. Thank you for helping us meet the needs
of the individuals and families we serve. We deeply
appreciate your generous donation of baby layettes. Help
such as yours makes it possible for Turning Point to
successfully address the needs of victims of domestic
violence.
WORKGROUP MEETING SCHEDULES
Chillicothe -4th Saturday of each month (10-2) Adena
Hospital, Tecumseh Room.
Columbus –MOOSE- 2nd. Thursday of each month (10-
1) Moose Lodge 1245 at 220 Main St. Groveport, OH
Columbus – COOL 3rd. Tuesday of each month (6-8) at
the Church of Our Lady, 5225 Refugee Rd. Columbus,
OH
Grove City – 3rd. Friday of each month (10-2) at the
United Methodist Church 2684 Columbus St. Grove City,
OH
Delaware- 1st. Friday of each month (9:30-11) at Willow
Brook at Delaware Run, 100 Delaware Crossing.
Westerville- 3rd. Saturday of each month (12-2) at the
Heritage Christian Church, 7413 Maxtown Rd. Room 102
Westerville, OH
Meeting changes or cancellations:
Meeting cancellations: Grove City, Jan & Feb. no
meeting
*********************************************
Touching Little Lives, Inc.
4882 Bixby Ridge Dr. E. Groveport, OH 43125
614-653-3352
Email: info@touchinglittlelives.org
www.touchinglittlelives.org
mailto:info@touchinglittlelives.orghttp://www.touchinglittlelives.org/