Page
1:
* Help Wanted
* Donations
* West Side Clinic Update
* Farewell and Welcome
Page
2:
* Special Thanks
* Community Baby Shower
* We're Official!
Page 3:
* Thanks to
Share
* Volunteer Spotlight
Page
4:
* Retired
& Senior Volunteer Programs
* Leaders of Tomorrow
* Web Site Updated
Page
5:
* Shopping
Party
* Christoffers Quintuplets
* Perinatal Loss Conference
* Smocking Anyone?
Page
6:
* Delivering
Baby Items
* Agency Spotlight
* Board Members
* Work Group Meetings
Thanks to Share
The following is a sample of thank you notes we have received for the efforts of all of our volunteers…..
Thank you very much… for keeping our babies covered and warm.
- the nurses, moms & babies at Fairview Ridges Special Care Nursery, Burnsville, MN
Thank you so much for your gift of the quilts, blankets, buntings and gowns
for our patients who experience a perinatal loss. The loss of an infant or
of a pregnancy is difficult. Your gift will help us to provide more sensitive
care. Thank you again.
- Peg McCoy, Nurse Manager, Hennepin County Medical
Center Labor & Delivery
Thank you very much for the beautiful hat and mitten sets. Please pass on my sincere appreciation to all of the volunteers that made this possible….
- Shelly Espinoza, March of Dimes
Kristi at Abbott Northwestern gave my twin boys, Ethan and Evan your wonderful
gifts. We very much appreciate your lovely handiwork. What a beautiful gift!
Thank you & God Bless.
- Betsy & “the boys”, Minneapolis, MN
Dear ladies: Thanks so very much for the re-stocking of layettes! You’re all so amazing! And they are beautiful gifts to give to women and their babies in need! God Bless you one and all!
- Becky Sprenger,New Life Family Services (Rochester) - Birth Parent Social Worker 8/23/2001
…I had a baby girl on September 27th. I wanted to just drop you a quick note
to say thank you. Everything is beautiful. And, because we weren’t expecting
her to be so small (5 lbs. 13 oz), your smaller clothes came in very handy.
Thank you so much.
- Michelle Kreft, Minneapolis
- Dear Bundles of Love gang-Thank you for the beautiful quilts and layette bags that you recently donated. We are so thankful for all your love and kindness to our babies.
- Thank you for your recent donation of wonderful quilts, blankets, outfits and hat sets. Your great group has been so dependable with your donations and we are very grateful. Keep up with your loving work!
- Thank you for your donation of quilts, blankets, hats and newborn bundles.
We have great need during the winter months and appreciate all of your wonderful
work! We wish all of you… a happy and healthy new year!
- Regions NICU nurses
William & Eric were born on March 21, 2001 and before they left the special
care nursery on April 6th & 8th, the nurse gave us two bundles of clothing
and bedding. Having twins means getting two of most things, so your gift was
very helpful in getting started out. Thank you so much for your gifts. Although
I can’t help in making clothing, I am enclosing a small gift that can be put
towards something “Bundles of Love” can use (i.e. fabric, thread, etc.)
- Doug Mitchell, Hopkins, MN
- Thank you very much for your donation to the Crisis Nursery. Your continued generosity is greatly appreciated.
- On behalf of the children and families served by the Children’s Home Crisis
Nursery, we would like to thank you and your organization for the beautiful
quilts that were recently donated.
- The Dakota County Crisis Nursery
I just wanted to thank you and everyone that worked so hard on the diaper
bag, clothes, blankets and bibs that I received from the Ridges hospital after
having my little girl, Madison Faye. My experience at the hospital wasn’t
the greatest but as I left they presented me with one of your bags. We left
feeling blessed. Thank you!
- Lisa & Austin Cordero & family, Farmington,
MN
- Thank you on behalf of the mothers and families of Apple Valley Life Care. Your gift of “bundles” is truly a special gift of love...
- Thanks!!! Your gift is such a blessing. The preemie clothes have brought tears to the mother they have been given to. Each woman is so surprised that they are cared about in this way. All say thanks. God Bless you!
- In this season of giving you again have given more than material gifts.
You give hope in every bundle. The need is currently so great that just
one of these bundles can make the difference between choosing life or not.
Thank you again.
- Gina Kadera, Client Advocate, Life Care Centers of Apple Valley and St. Paul
Volunteer
Spotlight
We’d like to introduce you to some of our caring volunteers...
South Metro Work Group
Carol Houseman’s caring heart has directed her steps in several ways - as a surgical nurse at Fairview Ridges Hospital, for example, and as an enthusiastic and dedicated volunteer for Bundles of Love, working with the South Metro group. Not only does she create numerous items for the newborn layettes, but she has recruited friends from her sewing group to contribute their handiwork as well.
One very special recruit is her husband Carl, who, after reading one of our newsletters, surprised Carol by offering to deliver layettes. Carl had never volunteered for any organizations before, and we are honored he chose us. He has been a tremendous help.
Carol and Carls’ influence stretches even further when you consider the contributions of the friends they introduced to Bundles of Love. One such friend is Sheila Kelly, who belongs to a machine knitting club and now has members of that group donating knitted items.
Rochester Work Group
Nancy O’Neill is an inspiration to the entire Rochester group. Despite living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, she is a prolific seamstress, spending countless hours sewing for her children and grandchildren. She learned about the Rochester work group two years ago from her daughter, Bridget Mueller (also one of our volunteers), and now dedicates much of her time to sewing for us.
Because of her illness, she is confined to the indoors for most of the winter, but rather than fall victim to her limitations she makes the most of her time. When she is able to attend one of our meetings, she brings an oxygen tank, but refuses to make an issue of it.
Rochester
work group coordinator and fellow volunteer Joanne Larsen said “I think
it is so amazing that this is Nancy’s lifeline - keeping busy sewing -
when she could sit around and feel sorry for herself because of her disability.”
Nancy’s contributions extend beyond the Rochester area. She sews baby items for mission work in the Honduras, and helps meet the large demand for baby items in the Twin Cities area as well. Many families have reason to be appreciative of Nancy’s hard work.
North Metro Work Group
Carol Haas and Laura Nelson have been friends for a long time - not just friends to each other, but friends to just about everyone they meet. Their regular appearance at the North Metro monthly meetings add an extra value for everyone else in attendance, as they share their good humor and sewing experience with other volunteers.
It’s not just Carol and Laura’s cheerfulness that is so encouraging, however. Their hard work each month has earned them the nickname “the quilt ladies” as they roll out 50 yards of quilt batting each month and assemble the quilt tops others have created with batting and backing. Add to that the numerous gowns, sleepers, hats and preemie sets they each sew, and Carol’s special knitted hats and booties, and you end up with a bounty of lovingly created garments.
Carol’s husband Gene has contributed to Bundles of Love as well, by helping repair sewing machines purchased at garage sales, and Laura’s husband Rollie generously drives Laura from their home in Lindstrom to the meetings in New Brighton each month (and spends time with Gene while the ladies are at the work sessions!)
Carol and Laura’s generous spirit and charm flow naturally from them, and they are an inspiration, and a delight, for the rest of us.
