PoWeR! Book Bags is welcoming the new season with enthusiasm and gratitude... |
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While this little guy is sharing his excitement over a PoWeR! Literacy Bag, and the contents are starting to FALL out...we welcome you to to FALL into our work for the kiddos throughout Lower Northern Michigan! |
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We are celebrating fall this year with two Volunteer Work Bees on Thursday the 21st -- (which is technically the last day of summer, but close enough!) -- If you haven't already registered, kindly consider joining us at either our Suttons Bay location or at the Lakeshore Resource Network in Ludington. We are filling bags for our School Programs! You may just show up – or correspond with Gabrielle (SB) or Kathy (L) directly. |
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The Suttons Bay event is part of the NW United Way’s Day of Caring. We are hosting two sessions: 10-12 or 1-3. (101 Dame Street outside of the Millside building). gabrielle@powerbookbags.org. |
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The Ludington one is at the Lakeshore Resource Network, 9-12, and is part of the monthly volunteer work bees in Mason County. The next one will be held at the same location on the 3rd Friday of October 20, 9-12. Text Kathy @). 231-510-5410. |
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There are also other volunteer days to be found on the sign up genius: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0945A5A92DA3FEC16-volunteer2 And if you’d like to arrange another day/time for yourself or a group, please let Gabrielle know at the email above. We have literally thousands of bags to be filled for children at our programs at local schools and community sites (pantries, play groups, and health departments). We hope you can FALL in with us! We’d love to see you there! |
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And THANKS to those who have already contributed time this fall! The Otsego Day of Caring was an enormous success! Beth, our Northern PoWeR! Coordinator reported: “The event was great! We had many volunteers eager to help with assembling the bags for our school age kiddos! The volunteers were all ages and enthusiastic to be part of supporting literacy in their community! Thank you to the United Way of Otsego County for sponsoring a Day of Caring!” |
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We are FALLING over ourselves with gratitude… |
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Without the ENORMOUS help from our friends from all over, we would not even have our supplies to fill the bags for the season! Once again, our dear friends at the Ludington Meijer Store helped us squirrel away 10,000 boxes of crayons and 10,000 composition books! But getting them from Ludington to our Volunteer Site in Suttons Bay was a tough nut to crack! How do you move 10 pallets of material if you are a little non-profit??? |
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Calls were made…and Bay Area Recycling for Community (BARC) came to our rescue! On Friday Chris delivered the pallets... |
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And how, do you ask, did we move ALL of that into the building? Once AGAIN, our dear friends at Bayside Gallery and Leelanu Ride lent us their forklift!! |
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But who, you ask, at PoWeR! knows how to drive a forklift? Our dear volunteers, the Allingtons, just happened along at just the right time…and Albert took the wheel! |
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And finally, once the pallets were up our little hill (which is not so little when things are heavy), 2 students from St. Mary’s shifted inventory to make ready the space (thank you!), 2 more volunteers arrived, and a few more of us chipped in! In no time at all, the materials were organized into our rooms and ready for the work to come this week and beyond! |
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The sheer relief and gratitude we have for ALL of this community help is immense. Many hands, and a few big pieces of equipment, do make for light work!! |
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FALLing for Community Support… |
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Thanks to Oryana, and all who shopped on our day in August, we have a check coming for $2,200! We also were able to share our materials with some little friends at the store! |
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And thanks to Edson’s Farm and Deli in Traverse City. Every Wednesday this month of September, they are donating 1% back to PoWeR! Book Bags! |
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We have MANY things in the works right now as we plan for the upcoming year. We truly could use your assistance – with Talent, Time, or Treasure. If you’d like to become more involved, please contact Kara (kara@powerbookbags.org). |
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Like our little friend here, may you all have a SOFT landing and a good READ as you celebrate the FALL! Cheers! |
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P.S. Perhaps we can FALL into your plans for giving this season. As the winds of inflation find its way into every corner of our work, we could truly use your assistance. |
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