Many corporations support their communities by encouraging employee volunteerism, through matching gift programs, paid volunteer time off and donations. Recently, Bundles of Love has reaped the benefits of some of these corporate programs.

The Healthy Start group at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota (shown at right) are a phone support group for pre-natal care. Healthy Start nurses took advantage of Blue Cross' annual allotment of paid volunteer hours by holding a Bundles of Love work day last summer.

The 17 workers put their phones on call forward and spent the day sewing baby items for Bundles of Love, an organization that fits in well with their own work mission. They made quilts, blankets, and burp cloths - an impressive amount to complete in just one day - and also donated many baby care items.

They had such a great time and experienced so much team building and camaraderie, that they have made tentative plans to hold quarterly half-day work meetings in 2004.

The National Accounts division of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Minnesota formed a small work group among their employees and has taken advantage of lunch breaks to do some sewing projects for Bundles of Love, as well as shopping for bargains for "our babies." In 2004, these employees hope to help us by cutting items to be sewn at the south metro work meeting.

In August 2004, Teresa Wilts was invited to speak to the Corporate Volunteerism Council about opportunities for employee volunteer programs benefitting Bundles of Love. One corporation recruited through this outreach was Prudential Financial. Employees worked over their lunch hours and tied 50 infant polar fleece blankets, which they donated to Bundles of Love. Because of the large employee involvement, they also qualified for a $1000 donation to Bundles of Love from the Prudential Foundation.

South Metro volunteer Jennifer Little works for an agent of the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Burnsville office. (Thrivent volunteers shown in picture at left). Their chapter of 10 agents chose to help the South Metro at our November meeting, and collected personal donations to purchase a $1500 Wal-Mart gift card for us to use to purchase baby care supplies. Thank you very much for the reference, Jennifer!

We have also benefited from cash donations in the latter half of 2003 on behalf of employee volunteers from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Dollars for Doers program (employees Mary Stanek and Mary Jo Prinsen), American Express Global Volunteer Action Fund (employee Louise Volk), and Born Information Services (employee Jeanette LaFontaine).

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Many Thanks to AC4C!

by Beth Koskie

All Crafts 4 Charity (AC4C) is an internet charity group that was created in the 1990's by Shelley McCoy of Virginia, as a way to facilitate volunteering to charitable organizations around the world. Their volunteer base, through individuals and other non-profit organizations, reaches well into the thousands in over a dozen countries.

In January 2004, Bundles of Love was one of AC4C's charities of the month, with members creating and donating baby items for Minnesota's babies.

By working together with other groups such as this, Bundles of Love is able to further leverage financial and volunteer resources to reach more babies and their families in need.

To date, Bundles of Love has received over 1,500 items to be included in bundles or given to hospitals and organizations distributing items needed, including sweater sets, sleepers, blankets, booties and hats, jacket sets, baby outfits, burial garments, and baby care items. These items were donated by dozens of donors from 33 states and 4 foreign countries (Scotland, Canada, Wales and Australia). We are truly blessed to have AC4C volunteers share their talents and skills in making so many wonderful items for us to distribute!

To learn more about AC4C, visit them on the internet at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/All_Crafts_4_Charity/

Picture is of Christian Jay wearing an AC4C sweater.