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RESTON INTERFAITH'S WISH LIST:
The following are lists of items Reston Interfaith always needs. Reston Interfaith helps support Laurel Learning Center, Embry Rucker Community Shelter, and Social Services in Reston, VA:
Laurel Learning Center:
Polaroid & 35 mm film, arts & crafts supplies, new children's clothing including underwear, socks, sweatshirts and sweatpants, sports equipment, boardgames. Phone: (703) 787-3130.
Embry Rucker Community Shelter:
New clothes for men, women and children, toiletries including soap, shampoo, shaving cream, toothpaste and deodorant, gift certificates to stores such as Kmart, Target, Pay-Less, TJ Maxx, the Hair Cuttery, and Giant. Phone: (703) 437-1975.
Social Services:
Gift certificates to the following stores: Giant, Safeway, Food Lion, Lane Bryant, Target, K-Mart. Nonperishable foods (including peanut butter & jelly, canned vegetables and meats, spaghetti sauce, corn, rice, macaroni and cheese, and sugar), new clothing for infants, children and adults and new book bags and school supplies for children, paper products, diapers (all sizes).
Phone: (703) 787-3100.
ANIMAL SHELTER NEEDS:
Leashes - all sizes; Toys; Snacks; Food for Puppies, Dogs, Kittens & Cats: Cat beds; Old Newspapers: Old Blankets; Old Towels; Collars - all sizes; Hay (small bales for the bunnies); Cotton Balls; Paper Towels; Shredded Paper; Dog Shampoo; Pens and Pencils; Clipboards; Kitty Litter; Office Supplies; Laundry Detergent; Dishwashing Soap; etc. Every shelter has some needs in common and then their own specialized needs, so I'd encourage you to contact your local animal shelter before collecting any items.
Link to Fairfax County Animal Shelter here.
GIFT IDEAS FOR NURSING HOME AND HOSPITAL RESIDENTS:
Lotion, deodorant, nightgowns, easy to remove clothing, slippers, socks, audio tapes of favorite music or family members singing / talking, photo albums, subscriptions to magazines, or calling cards for long distance calls, stationery, puzzles, crossword puzzle/word search books, playing cards, etc. Remember to keep in mind the health situation of the person for whom you're buying.
Here are some...
Ideas for gifts for Alzheimers patients & other patients with dementia...
VA Hospitals: Here's an article by Peggy D. Vetter, that appeared in The Observer, Feb. 11, 2000, which should give you an idea of what our local Veterans Administration Hospital in Washington, DC, could use:
"Students at Harding Hall Day Care Center in Herndon were busy this week before and after school preparing dozens of colorful Valentines for patients at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Washington, DC. The valentine greetings will be delivered by members of Herndon's American Legion Post 184, which has switched its delivery of services from the VA facility in Martinsburg, W.Va., to the VA hospital in Washington. "We made the change because the hospital in Martinsburg has so many large cities around it that deliver some of the same services to them and Washington needs a lot more than it gets,"said Jack Hickson, adjutant of the Herndon Post. The organization has already delivered 5,000 surplus paperback books, including hundreds of "Westerns" that are in great demand by the veterans, all donated by the Loudoun County Librrary in Leesburg. But Hickson is particularly proud of the arrangement the local Legionnaires have with the Herndon Post Office. "Everybody donates stuff like old National Geographics from their basements and attics, but they never get up-to-date magazines," he said. Like all postal facilities, the Herndon, Reston and Oak Hill post offices find many current magazines that are improperly addressed or have had the labels fall off. "until we asked if they would collect them so we can take them to the hospital, they just threw them away," Hickson said." (Jean here - If this arrangement with the Post Office worked in Northern Virginia, why not elsewhere? Maybe it'll take a Girl Scout troop to get a similar arrangement in place in other parts of the country.)
Ideas welcome. I'm still working on this page. Please e-mail your thoughts to me at jtsmjohnson@hotmail.com and I'll post them here for other troops to use.
Click here for some great freebie/coupon sites on the internet. These offer inexpensive ways for your troop to purchase or get FREE some of the above items. With coupon codes, you only have to make your purchase and then type in your coupon code while checking out (there'll be a space for it) to receive the savings. I know one troop leader who trades coupons with others on the coupon swap board at Mycoupons.com. She looks primarily for coupons for non-perishable items to donate to shelters.
And did you know that military personal overseas can use outdated coupons? Apparently, the coupon expiration dates are extended for them. You can find overseas military personnel who'll gladly take your outdated coupons by posting to the coupon swap board at Mycoupons.com. And check out the internet sales. Recently, Amazon.com (only one of many great book stores & toy stores on-line) sold Barbies for only $1 each and they offered free shipping!
Are you a Brownie girl scout who'd like to do a good turn now & then by helping out at home? Click here to see some ideas of things you could do to lend a hand.
Are your used items treasure or trash? Click here to find out.
