Never Too Young to be a Member of a Giving Team

Daisy Troop 360 Hard at Work Two groups of energetic young ladies from Earlysville, Virginia added to the production of full-day meal packets this month. Dawn Cleveland, an active volunteer working with Margaret Gorman (IHS's Meal Packet Program Director), received a total of 24 more packets from their March activities. Twelve (12) packets came from the Earlysville Children's Garden. The working group was composed of 12 children, ages 2-5. Each child made a card with a heart with their thumbprints and their name. As each recipient opens their meal packet from the Children's Garden, they will be greeted warmly with well wishes. Twelve (12) packets came from Daisy Troop 720, Broadus Wood Elementary School in Earlysville. There were 13 girls participating, ages 6-7. Individual handmade cards were also placed in each packet. A Special Message Card A special thanks to Children's Garden and Daisy Troop 720. These contributions will be included in the late April and early May deliveries to UVA Medical Center Social Work Program. If you know anyone living in Earlysville, please click on "forward this e-mail" below, and allow others in that community to know how much their young people are helping others in need.  If you know of other children's groups who would like to participate in the Meal Packet Program, information is as close as an e-mail to Margaret Gorman for guidance. Update on April Meal Packet Delivery On April 15th IHS delivered 136 full-day meal packets to Teresa Bevins, and restocked the Social Work Office food cabinet. The meal packets are accessed by  all UVA Medical Center Social Workers as needed to eliminate hunger for caregivers, and any out-patients who may need assistance during prolonged out- patient treatment stays at the hospital. Blessings ... T. Wade Clegg III

IHS Gives Thanks to the Meal Makers

It is really a good feeling to know that full-day meal packets for April delivery to the UVA Medical Center Social Work food program is almost complete. Each month is an individual challenge, but so much of the food program load is now being balanced due to the enthusiastic participation of several scout, church and neighborhood groups. A big THANK YOU to the following participants ....

Cub Scout Pack 183 and Boy Scout Troop 3 in Louisa:

Teamed up for a tremendously productive Meal Packet Service Project. Their joint efforts provided 136 completed full-day packets, plus a large collection of assorted items.

Some key players in this project, and on-going scout activities, were Jim Snider, Pack 183 Cub Master; Harry Quarles, Troop 3 Scout Master; Karen Sewell, Pack 183 Committee Chair; and Wolf Den Assistant Brad Baber. The Food Lion at Lake Anna also donated to the project in order to purchase extra items to complete this large donation.

Tina Schweikart, Wolf Cub Leader and her son Connor (pictured to the right), a wolf, delivered their bounty to IHS Founding Member T. Wade Clegg III on March 27th. The photo shows Rev. Clegg and Cub Scout Connor Schweikart transferring boxes into vehicles.

Cub Scout Pack 206:

Under the guidance of Robin Kaczka, added to the March meal packet collection. Robin said, "We charged an entry fee to our Blue and Gold Banquet which was a food donation item. Each den was assigned a portion of the meal packet."

Cub Scout Pack 206 meets at Hollymead Elementary School and their Charter Organization is the Hollymead Parent Teacher Organization. They have 50 registered scouts from 1st grade through 5th grade. For more information the Pack 206 website is www.cubpack206.org.

Thanks to Sue Hietanen of Charlottesville, whose son is long grown and graduated from Boy Scouting, but she and her husband are still volunteers. Sue heard Margaret Gorman's presentation about the IHS Food Packet Program in December and decided to put together food packets on her own. Sue and a friend made 25 full-day meals for pickup this past week to add to the April delivery. She noted that there are so many problems in our world that we cannot solve, but helping out the people served by IHS is something we can do.

For those of you planning on participation and in need of contact, please send your e-mail to info@interfaithhumanitariansanctum.org as first recipient during the first two weeks in April. Margaret Gorman will be on a much deserved vacation with her family until about April 10th.

If you are too far away for making and delivering meal packets, please know that funds are used to supplement meal quotas each month as needed, or used for IHS's continuing need for securing lodging for UVA Medical Center outpatients and caregivers who come from great distances without funds to balance their stay.

And finally...

Last week IHS delivered an infant car seat and baby clothes for a one-year old which had not a stitch of clothes at the hospital or at home and was being released. These are always last minute needs, of course. As this note is being released, we received another call and have scheduled tomorrow a purchase of another infant seat and a stroller for a child from a family which has neither. This is what we do...because of YOU!

Blessings ...T. Wade, Elisheva & Sam