winter2003newsletter-page6

South Metro Work Group – Sue Poppler

Sue Poppler is energetic, efficient and a terrific asset to Bundles of Love. She’s been a loyal volunteer for about as long as anyone can remember, stitching up a variety of baby garments for our bundles each month. She was initially drawn to Bundles of Love by an announcement in the local paper inviting anyone who sews to a Saturday volunteer work group. She recalls using Mary Jo’s sewing machine that first meeting, as well as meeting several ladies who have since become good friends.

Sue works a full-time job outside the home and also has her own alterations business. Her seamstress experience shows when it comes to making clothing like baby t-shirts. She does everything assembly-line style and, according to those who have seen her at work, "really zips!" It’s not unusual for her to complete 30 t-shirts at one sitting. She starts by serging all the sleeve edges, then moves on to the neck edges, then attaching the sleeves to the body of the shirt … and so on. "It takes too long to sew one piece at a time," she said. She adds that her husband gets a kick out of peeking in on her work and watching the stack of t-shirts grow. She enjoys seeing that finished stack of her work, but even more than that, she says she "loves to see all the bundles made up. It’s just great seeing everyone’s work come together."

We first learned about Brotex, a fabric recycling plant in St. Paul, from Sue. Brotex basically dumps all the scraps into a giant vat and "melts" the fabric down (although there is no doubt a better technical explanation, that’s the way the process was explained to us). Sue encouraged us to collect all of our fabric scraps and each month delivers what we have gathered to Brotex.

Sue and her husband, Larry, have three grown sons. When her youngest son moved out, he left his dog, an exceptionally friendly lab, to keep Sue company. Any visitor to the Poppler home is guaranteed a loving canine greeting!

Sue’s dedication and hard work for Bundles of Love make her a good friend and valued volunteer. Thanks Sue for your shining example!

North Metro Work Group – Marilyn & Rob Rukavina

Marilyn Rukavina never seems to run out of ways to help meet our many needs. Past good deeds include serving as our secretary, sewing countless items and opening her home for North Metro meetings. These days she coordinates the bundle stuffing at the North Metro meetings and maintains an inventory of "bundle supplies" so we know what pieces will be needed in the near future.

Bundles of Love came along at the right time in her life, Marilyn explains. She had been mulling over ways she could contribute to the community through volunteer work when Mary Jo Prinsen, a friend and co-worker, approached her about starting up a local group that would serve newborns and their families. Much to her delight, Marilyn found that her sewing, organizational and creative skills were put to good use in this new organization.

Her husband, Rob, has provided moral support, as well as good-naturedly helping deliver bundles, clean their home before meetings, and watch their basement fill up with Bundles of Love material, although Marilyn jokes that she "hasn’t talked him into cutting things out yet."

Marilyn and Rob have also demonstrated their commitment to Bundles of Love with a recent donation that, together with a match from Marilyn’s employer, US Bancorp, paid for about a year’s worth of the snaps used for onesies and sleepers. Our heartfelt thanks to Marilyn and Rob!

Rochester Work Group – Mary Rossman

Mary Rossman’s caring spirit and generosity has been evident throughout her life, and now Bundles of Love and the families we serve are some of the lucky recipients of her care.

A native Minnesotan, Mary grew up on a farm with her parents and seven siblings. As a young adult she moved to the East Coast to attend college, where she earned her nursing degree. She returned to Rochester and worked as an RN at St. Mary’s Hospital for 23 years. Shortly after her retirement in 1998 Mary began sewing quilts for needy infants with her friend and former co-worker, Joanne Larsen. Although Mary never married or had children, she says she thinks of the babies she sews for as her own, and her friends tell us that she puts the same love and care into creating quilts and garments that any mother, grandmother or aunt would. Calling it "one of the best purchases I ever made," Mary puts her serger to use making "onesies" and sleepers. Her work doesn’t stop with sewing and serging --she delivers bundles for the Rochester area in her new Subaru Outback (another great purchase!). Mary also volunteers to hold and rock some of the babies she loves so much so their mothers can attend English and GED classes.

Her care and concern for others shows itself even when faced with personal challenges. In 2002, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. As she faced surgery and then chemotherapy, Mary asked her friends to make donations to Bundles of Love rather than send her flowers in the hospital.

Mary's faith and sense of humor have helped keep her strong through her illness. Shortly before the diagnosis, she had her hair permed, and when a friend later complimented her on how nice it looked, she mischievously replied, "And when I lose it all, I’m going to ask for my money back!"

Those who know her best call her an "unconditional giver," one who respects people of all races and religions. We are thankful that Mary is one of our Board members, but more importantly, we are blessed she is a friend.

Agency Spotlight

Close to the heart of many South Metro volunteers is the Wakota Life Care Center in Dakota County, part of the network of 24 Life Care Centers throughout Minnesota. The centers are faith-based, non-profit offices offering pregnant women counseling and assistance. Wakota Life Care Center has two offices in Dakota County, one in West St. Paul and a small office in Apple Valley.

The South Metro team provides nine bundles a month for the expectant moms, and we are told by an LCC volunteer advocate that "the gals get big smiles on their faces when they get a bundle. They are speechless, and clearly so grateful they are blown away."

However, the LCC does so much more, and we wanted to share a portion of their work with you:

The Center helps expectant mothers find proper housing and, in some cases, rent assistance, as well as helping them determine if they qualify for county medical assistance. Pregnancy counseling and education is offered, and alternatives to abortion are emphasized.

Many of the women are minors without full-time work and medical insurance. Often they don’t want to live with their parents, so the LCC works with these young moms-to-be to find another family member to care for them during the pregnancy. If that isn’t an option, the LCC may coordinate housing with an organization called Share Life that finds host families for the pregnant girls.

Near the end of their pregnancy, clients complete crib applications, which are reviewed by the LCC staff to determine need. The five families with the greatest financial need are given crib vouchers provided by Cradle of Hope, another non-profit organization that provides cribs for infants up to three months old.

What a wonderful opportunity to be a part of the work of the Wakota Life Care Center! We are blessed to bring our bundles to these young moms and their newborns.

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