trust issues and CARE packages

So, I really really want to believe the universe (god, goddess, buddha, mr. rogers..) has my back and that giant leaps are FUN.

I'm getting closer to going all in. Thanks to a lovely response to my Birthday Fundraiser for this here charity, I got up this morning and deleted all my tuition buttons and settings for BASE Camps.

Yep..free oh free free.

ok, and donation based...but that stuff is all private and no shame in passing the tithing box when you come to camp. I would! Especially if I was making art for charity. But still..we need to keep the Camp CARE studio around and the CARE-a-Van..oh, and a steady stream of supplies. So donate away all you can.

Here's a story...

The religion of my childhood gave me roots of serving others. One of my favorite parts of working with troubled youth was kids being ordered community service by their judges. Not only was it an excuse for me to pack up my arts and crafts supplies and get paid to make stuff with kids but the mantra "when you have to serve time, you have time to serve" was born.

One holiday season, I brought a bunch of notebooks, magazines, glue and scissors to work with the group of girls I was working with in "kid jail". We made an assortment of beautiful and thoughtful journals with images and words cut from the magazines. Then came the canvas bags I had found at a local thrift store. Turns out promotional logos and brand names can be covered nicely with puff paint and stitched beads and made into pretty special journal bags. All our Journal Bags - Care Packages were tucked under our center's tree when a volunteer asked about them. We hadn't come to conclusions about recipients yet so she offered a suggestion. It just so happenedd that Debbie had a son teaching under-served kids in his second grade classroom who might love these gems. She was right. A full report came to my girls and I the following week. The kids LOVED them. Having something of their own like this (made by teenagers!) was magic. I call this extreme win/win.

PS: Debbie and her husband were retiring their volunteer stint shortly after this event and wanted to do something special as a parting gift. Their last night, they came in our center with boxes filled with canvas bags, notebooks and art supplies so my girls could do this all over again for the next lucky kids.

I am excited to turn more straw into more gold. I hope you, dear reader (you read this far!!! I freaking love you!!) will join me..as a Maker, as a Giver. Email or call me to sign up your group or to give us some straw!!

peace, love and light - Tori