SCUFFLERS

Val Hemingway, from Vancouver, BC, has sent along this email, describing a new fund-raising venture she has started:

This is a special E-mail to tell you about something I am doing this Fall. When our grand-daughter Maya was 2 years old we fostered a 2 year old friend Amudha, in an Orphanage in India. We correspond with Amudha and have since taken on a boy, Ramesh for Aidan. These children are part of an excellent organization called Families for Children, which I can highly recommend. It fosters cross-cultural understanding and it is a real learning experience for Maya and Aidan to show responsibility and compassion for those less fortunate. Maya, Aidan, and I decided to start a project that would pay for Amudha's room board, and education as Maya and Aidan are now 10 and 9 years old.

Everyone who has seen these have thought they were neat, practical, and fun to wear, and they make excellent Christmas presents at $19.99 and $9.99 each for kids size. Shipping is included within Canada. I am enclosing some samples here of the Scufflers for you to see, and we would be thrilled if you would like to purchase one or two for our cause and your enjoyment. Maybe you would like to have a Coffee Scuffler Party with a few friends, and I could bring them along for people to try on!!

Please give me a call if you would like to see them at my house, or help us knit, (we can teach you!), or have yarn or buttons to donate. 604 921-8029 or send an E-mail to scufflers@shaw.ca

Thank you so much for supporting this cause and helping support new Canadians too, who are now helping us knit the Scufflers. Looking forward to seeing you Saturday, This is the Season!

Many Cheers for Happy Holidays ahead,

Val, Maya, and Aidan

So we have invented a special neck-warmer called a Scuffler. (Part scarf & part muffler!) These are hand-knit in cozy yarn of many colours and accented with two big stylish buttons to match. They are a very nice accessory for those blustery cool days keeping your neck (or ears if you like) protected from the cold. There are no long ends to get caught in zippers and car doors like normal scarves, yet they have a fashion statement of their own. Think of wearing one on walks, at the soccer fields hiking, skiing, and fishing as well.

Delbrook Fair was a big success for our Scufflers mainly due to the wonderful article in the N.S. News Nov. 18 edition. So Saturday, Nov. 26th I will have an Open House here at my house (5220 Keith Rd.) from 12-3 in the afternoon. If you missed me at Delbrook please come along and bring a friend. (I could only be there one day, sorry to those who came Sunday.)

DREAMS FOR CHILDREN HARP CD

Following up on her participation in the York Spring Market, Courtney Rider started on another fund-raising idea. In grades 9 and 10 at The York School the students do a 'personal project' that encompasses what the students have learned over the years and in particular focuses on a process. This concept builds throughout grades 11 and 12 when the students do another project called an 'extended essay' . It is designed to prepare the students for writing major papers at university. Courtney decided to focus on community and service. She is a harp (and flute) player and she wanted to use her talents and learn how to record and sell a CD with the proceeds going to FFC.

Courtney's CD has now been completed, and is available for sale. The CD is displayed in three or four retail outlets, and on the Saturday of the long weekend in August she will have a big craft and bake sale at her cottage where she hopes to sell more.

Dreams for Children Harp CD by Courtney Rider

Fifteen minutes of enchanting and soothing harp music including Hasselmans' Reverie, Salzedo's Reverie and Pratt's The Little Fountain. If you would like a copy of this special edition CD please send a minimum donation of $10.00 to Families For Children referencing 'Dreams for Children Harp CD' and e-mail your address to courtney_rider@tys.on.ca.
Thank you for supporting Families For Children.

Above, Courtney Rider, and at right, Stephanie Rider, are seen at the FFC table with a selection of co-op items.

YORK SCHOOL SPRING MARKET

The York School in Toronto has long been one of FFC's strongest supporters, with students and teachers visiting the India project every year. This year York School students held their first spring market sale, on Friday, April 15, and Saturday, April 16. The fund-raising event was open to the public, and FFC had a table on site to sell co-op craft items.

CHARITY YOGA CLASS IN PARIS

Families For Children has friends all around the world, and Michelle Jacobi is certainly one of the most active. She is a graduate of UCLA and numerous other courses of study, a professional dancer, and a yoga instructor since 1987. She founded her own yoga school, the Yoga du Marais center in Paris in 2001, and she currently directs and teaches there. She also visits India to study and teach. Michelle has started a donation-based yoga class to help raise funds for Families For Children.

The photo at right shows the Teacher Training Class of 2011.
More information about Yoga du Marais is available on Michelle's website, Yoga Marais .

Well, we had our concert again last night, and I challenged the crowd to beat our all-time record, $95. One man said he wanted to make a donation to try to break the record, put in his $30, and then also bought a whole bunch of raffle tickets besides. The band that was playing was selling cds (and donated one to the raffle), and they put in the money from selling a cd as well so that was another $20. People who had been before were so eager to do the raffle that they bought tickets as soon as they came in the door, even though I hadn't announced anything about the raffle yet! We had all our usual great prizes, and when we drew the winners it was great fun, everyone was so excited. But the biggest surprise was when we counted the money - it was an incredible $155!!! Summer Joy, Merville B.C.

Since then, Summer has held other concerts, and set a new record of $245. She has another concert planned for July 30, and has already sold 60 raffle tickets, a full house.

SUMMER JOY'S HOUSE CONCERTS

Summer Joy of Merville, BC, an artist and long-time FFC supporter, has found a new way to help Families For Children. In her own words:

My husband Jim and I moved to B.C. from England in 2010, and being big fans of folk music, we decided to start putting on monthly house concerts, inviting folk musicians from here and from the UK to perform. The English folk clubs we used to love going to always include a charity raffle, and it soon occurred to us that we could also include one as part of our house concerts. I've supported FFC for years, so that was the obvious choice of what to raise the money for. We introduced the first raffle at our October concert, and it was very enthusiastically received, so we've continued them every month. The performers have generously donated CDs as prizes and we always have some other great prizes too.

Summer Joy has her own website, where you can learn more about her and her artwork: www.summerware.co.uk

POINTE CLAIRE VILLAGE CRAFT SALE

A new cabaret / boutique / co-op, Desbons Voisins, is now open in the Pointe Claire village. Desbons Voisins serves a variety of teas, coffees, muffins, cakes, wines and cheeses. The co-op also sponsors a variety of community activities, and prepares and sells organic food using local products. On December 11, 2010 Desbons Voisins hosted a special craft sale to raise money for Families for Children.

The sale was organized by Zoe Stratigakos, Susan Kaye, Marilyn Hawkins and Christina Duvander, and featured an assortment of craft items from the FFC co-ops in India and Bangladesh. It was very successful and raised over $700.

The photo above shows Zoe Stratigakos at the sale.

The photo at left shows Carol Gover (FFC volunteer) on the left, Anne-Marie from Desbons Voisins in the center, and Susan Kaye (FFC volunteer) on the right.

Desbons Voisins is located at:
247A Bord-du-Lac (Lakeshore Road) in Pointe Claire, Quebec
www.desbonsvoisins.com

JEN AND TALENA'S CRAFT SALE

Jennifer Glen and Talena Hale held a craft sale for FFC on November 20, 2010. They set up shop at a small fair but had the busiest table on site. As Jennifer described it in her email:

Talena and I held our craft sale yesterday, and had no idea what to expect. I think it was pretty successful. We were the busiest table at the fair....The passport bags were the big sellers as well as the yoga mat holders. One blanket sold. A few of the square bags sold as well as the small change purses and make-up purses. We also sold one jacket.

At right, Talena is shown at their table with an assortment of FFC products.

NYC FOR FFC MARATHON FUND-RAISER
Geoff Capelle is a university student and long-time FFC supporter. He is currently at Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario where he is finishing his final year for his degree. He has volunteered at the FFC project in India twice, the first time in March 2005 with a group from Toronto York School and most recently from February to April 2008.

Geoff is also a runner, and has done some running in support of various charities. In November, 2010, he decided to run in the New York City marathon, and turn the event into a fundraising opportunity to help out Families For Children. Geoff set up a Facebook page where people could get information about the run, and also to donate in support of FFC.The race was held on November 7, and Geoff finished his run with a time of 4:28. He also collected over $1500 for FFC. Well done, Geoff, and a sincere thank you to all those who supported him.

SOPHIE'S FUND-RAISING
When she was 8 years old, Sophie Nakashima took a jewelry making class at school. She was fortunate to have an excellent teacher who gave the children challenging projects with glass and stone beads. After receiving many compliments on the items she made, she decided she could sell her jewelry and donate the money to Families for Children, as she and her family were supporters of FFC.

Sophie is now 12 and for the past 3 years, her family has hosted an "FFC Open House and Fund Raiser" in December, for friends and family. Hosting this event, seeing friends come together for a great cause, and making a difference is what makes the holidays special for us. Sophie makes necklaces, bracelets, earrings, bookmarks and key rings, so there is something for everyone. Supply costs are kept low so that 100% of the proceeds are donated. In addition, each year there is something new....this past year, Sophie learned to make sock monkeys and had four of them ready for the open house....she took orders, and ended up making 25 monkeys!

One of the side benefits that has come out of Sophie's efforts is that she has inspired other children to make a difference. For the past three years, the Posluns campus of the Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto has been operating a program known as the Mitzvah Corps. The program involves students from grade two to grade five, and allows them to volunteer and contribute to a series of community projects and organizations. Sophie was invited as a guest at the Mitzvah Corps, where she told the students about FFC, her fund raising work, and then taught the students to make some jewelry items which she has included in her annual sale. Among other things, the Mitzvah Corps students worked on creating bookmarks which could be sold to raise money for FFC. In the words of one student who was happy to participate and help FFC, "It was so much fun I wish I could help again!"

Last year, Sophie was invited to make jewelry for her school's Me to We clubs fund raising. She raised over $200 in key ring sales for Mother's Day, part of which will be donated to the club's African well project with the rest going to FFC. It is a wonderful way to inspire other children and also get the word out on the work of FFC.

Barb Gosney is one of FFC fund-raisers, helping to sell FFC co-op craft items. She is shown at left at the market in Nelson BC. Barb has been selling Crazy Quilt and Hand-Painted bags from the FFC co-ops at the Cottonwood Falls market, held on Saturdays, and at the Wednesday market at the leisure center car park