Louisa Volunteers Do It Again ... and Baby Clothes Too!

Louisa Volunteers Gave Us A Boost into July

The kids from St. Jude and Immaculate Conception Catholic Churches in Louisa, Virginia gathered on June 17th for a combined youth group effort for IHS. As a result, and thanks to Tina Schweikart, Karin Sewell and Missy Bishop (youth pastor) for organizing the activity, the youth group produced 47 full day meal packets and 14 breakfast meal packets.

Combined Youth Group takes a break after packing meals

Tina and Taylor Schweikart delivered the bounty to IHS June 21st and the entire output found its way directly into both the UVA Pediatric Clinic for caregivers and also for indigent patients staying at UVA Hospitality House. 

Teresa Bevins, clinical social worker, and coordinator in the Pediatric Clinic for the IHS  Meal Program, had just realized that this past week there was a run on meal packets due to increased traffic throughout the Medical Center. She was down to just three(3) full day meals when delivery was made on June 23rd.

The Louisa Youth Group supplies were combined with previous work parties in June for a total delivery of 124 full day gallon size ziplock meal packets. The combined breakfast and single meal packets delivered to UVA Hospitality House's Mary Jackson on Wednesday came to 24 meals, plus a box of 36 snack packs for patient and family occupants. 

Did you see that notice about the need for infant clothes in the last e-mail?

Guess what?  Tina Schweikart did, and met our immediate need within days.
Tina works for the Paul Stefan Foundation, which provides transitional housing for expectant mothers and their babies.

Tina said:

"I checked in at work today, and we have a large number of baby blankets and baby girl clothing. We wanted to share with you thanks to the abundance provided by our wonderful followers. We had a run of baby boy births for the past year. Most everything is brand new, but a few items that are used are in very nice shape."

What a delight to receive these clothes and accessories  for the infants who arrive and sometimes leave the UVA Medical Center Pediatric Clinic with so very little. Tina also brought some of  most gorgeous baby blankets we've received. It was like a treasure trove.

By the time you read this note, all items will have been distributed for immediate use in the hospital.  Thanks to Tina and all those generous folks who are devoted to mothers and their infants at the Paul Stefan Foundation.  The receipt of those items will allow for a lot of infants to go home with much, much more than when they arrived for treatment.

Never be afraid to give even a little

Too often friends of the charity will hesitate when they are waiting to consider a larger donation. What would really help us get up caught up with bills to hotels for lodging would be just $5-$10 monthly.  If just that amount could be considered monthly, we could tackle the increasing hotel expenses.

Find one of those canisters for display in the kitchen area, and put a little sign on it which says,

"These coins will be my gift to make sure that no kids sleep in cars with their hungry family while their loved ones are being served at Virginia's premier medical center."

That's what Colonel Ed Fishpaw did this last year. Colonel Ed lives in Manassas, Virginia, and comes to the UVA Medical Center as necessary. He turned his collection of coins into the bank and sent us a check for $357.00.  It is amazing what a few coins a day can do.

For two years we have kept our promise to the kids and their families.  A little help is always appreciated.

Blessings ... T. Wade Clegg III

Food, Lodging and Prescriptions Update

Update for June

• June 4 & June 15 Single Meal packets delivered to UVA Hospitality House
  (HH): Total 51

• June 8 - What a day!  Four (4) hotel rooms booked in one 3 hour period for four families who could not be accommodated and would have had nowhere to stay had IHS not existed. UVA Hospitality House (HH) is now frequently full. Commercial room funds truly needed.

• June 11 - Home assembly session for meal packets in Charlottesville at Gorman Home.

• June 16 - Request for assistance for infusion of funds for prescriptions today.

• June 16 - Just received e-mail from Teresa Bevins, Clinical social worker in Pediatrics. She said, "If you have the opportunity, we are running low on baby clothes both genders. So, anything in sizes newborn to 9 months would be great."  Simply place any new baby clothes in a box and UPS to Rev. Elisheva Clegg, 37 Brougham, Palmyra, VA 22963, or send funds via PayPal or mail to IHS at P.O. Box 163, Palmyra, VA 22963.

• May 25 -  (late recognition) - Thanks to Mollie Michie Preschool, 717 Rugby Road, Charlottesville. Just before leaving for summer, the Preschool produced 18 full day meal packets which were picked up later that week. Those packets will be added to the June hospital delivery.

Another Great Gathering to keep food stocks level for summer

This past weekend Margaret Gorman organized a home work party to assemble meal packets. Nineteen (19) people from ages 3 - to beyond 3 - gathered and occupied space throughout Margaret's home in Charlottesville. What a sight it was! 

The little kids drew all sorts of colorful images, some almost recognizable. Then the older "kids" cut those pages into hearts and pasted them onto welcome notes for placement into each full day meal packet. That was the kitchen group.

Then the dining and living room areas had different stacks of food supplies arranged for a circular trail of workers to fill their gallon zip-lock bags with a full day's worth of nutritional items.  Then another group accepted the completed packets and boxed and labeled. The total results of two fun-packed hours resulted in 80 full-day meal packets and 22 single meal packets.

Next delivery to replenish the UVA Medical Center Pediatric storage cabinet is this coming week.  22 of those single meal packets were delivered to UVA Hospitality House yesterday.

Please allow me to thank those participating and using their Saturday for this wonderful effort: Dawn, John, Timothy, Michael and Joshua Cleveland; Mark Graham with children Emma, Ellie and William; Then there was Angela, Alice, Matt and Zach (no last names provided); Margaret and Patrick Gorman;  and Elisheva and T. Wade. Oh ...

And there was special guest Sandy Hausman, Charlottesville Station Manager, WTVF, Radio IQ, who interviewed participants and took photographs of this joyful happening.  Thanks to everyone involved. You made a difference. Thanks again ... 

Blessings ... T. Wade

Can You Match Timothy's Donation for June?

On May 27th  when I reached into my post office box in Palmyra, there was a single letter with a hand-written note from 6 year -old Timothy Cleveland who lives in the Ivy area of Charlottesville. Also enclosed was a donation of $30.75.

The note said,

Timothy and his mom selling lemonade!

"Dear Rev. Clegg,

Here is some money to help sick people at UVA Hospital. We made the money with our lemonade stand on Saturday. Love, Timothy Cleveland."

The previous Saturday Timothy and his mom Dawn set up their lovely stand and raised funds for IHS to be used for lodging expenses for families and patients in need of a place to stay.

This was the same day that  Margaret Gorman and her neighbors were hosting a yard sale just down the street for the sole purpose of raising additional funds for the charity's hotel bills for the very active months of April - May. Although Margaret is the Food Development Officer for IHS, she never stops coming up with projects to meet total charity needs.

Margaret said that Timothy's lemonade stand was "adorable." Also, as seen in the photo it was easy to spot, not only for refreshments for those neighbors participating in the yard sale, but also for the intended purpose ...and the sweetest possible salesperson.

A big neighborhood thanks to the Kimbrough Circle neighbors who assisted with another donation for the charity at the Gorman home. Other participants for the event's success with an additional $175.00  were Dick and Nancy Erwin, and Bo Berndt. This one neighborhood on the outskirts of Charlottesville continues to excel in the spirit of giving. 

Special Notice to Friends of the Charity

The UVA Hospitality House (HH) has been continuously full during April - May. This trend has not stopped. As I write on June 8th, Ronald McDonald House was full and assistance rendered for placement of a family. Four hotel rooms were booked this day alone. Your assistance is certainly appreciated. Quite literally, we are the only opportunity in these cases. Thanks for your attention.  Please consider matching 6-year old  Timothy's full day of work for "helping the sick people."   Thanks again ...

Blessings ... T. Wade Clegg III

LDS Ladies ... Latest Participants in Food Program

Posted by Margaret Gorman, Meal Packet Development for IHS:

Hard Working Teens

"For their annual service project meeting on May 18, about 60 women and teenage girls of the Charlottesville 2nd Ward Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints included IHS as one of their projects to give comfort and support to people who are going through difficult times. The group is lead by President Cheryl Thompson.

Meetings Coordinator Sharon Zobrist had read in the Crozet Gazette about Boy Scott Troop 79 preparing meal packets last November and offered it up as something the Relief Society might wish to do. Lexie Borg contacted me for information and served as the liaison. Marian Cheney helped with food collection and storage.

Sandy, Sharon, Lexie & Margaret

The Relief Society produced 110 full-day meal packets. They also donated another 49 additional main dish food items. I am told that church members  brought additional food donations that IHS will include in future meal packet assembly sessions over the summer.

A friend  of IHS, Sandy Williams, drove with me to the church in her large van and we joined the women of the Relief Society for a fun and friendly evening. The food filled the van, along with three bags of gently worn children's clothing which will be provided to

Meal Packet Program Items

Social Worker Teresa Bevins for those children who need apparel to replace and supplement clothes which they were wearing when they were admitted to the UVA Pediatric Clinic.

I wish the readers of this e-mail, and subsequent blog entry, could see all the healthy and delicious food that the church provided for making these gallon size zip lock bag full day meal packets. Some items were new to me, such as individual portions of dried pineapple and chicken dinners. The teenagers worked diligently to write friendly supportive messages on hand-made cards that went into all 110 meals, then packed everything in boxes in less than an hour.  That's active coordination!  Our special thanks. Sincerely ... Margaret "

Thanks to everyone who is assisting and planning for summer activities with food and direct donations to IHS to meet our most vibrant categories of support for patients and families, namely lodging and food assistance. More later on other participants making a difference.