WE DID IT!

I am just too excited for fancy words and cute pictures.  I just had to get on the horn right away and let everyone know:

WE DID IT!

We raised over $4000 to build a house for Jennifer Rose and her family!!

I can't believe this is really happening!  Just a few weeks ago our goal still seemed so far away and September 30th seemed to be right around the corner.  Our sale went great and people have been sending in donations.  We had a very generous donor (who wishes to remain anonymous but is so much appreciated) give a large donation yesterday that put us over the top.  

Our plan all along has been to trust God and take the next step He provided.  We worked hard and we never worried.  He gave us work when we needed it, donations when we needed it, encouragement and motivation when we needed it.  We trusted.  He provided.  

I've just sent word to Gretchen DeVoe, the missionary we are working with, to tell the family the good news. The Volmar family has been homeless for three years.  God has not forgotten them and neither have we.  Start building a house.

The process is still ongoing and there will be more updates to come, so please don't forget to check back.  One of the most exciting things is that, although we have met our goal, we are still in the process of raising money with Thred Up.  We still have bags of clothes to be sent, processed and paid, so we are going to continue to work with them.  This money will be ABOVE AND BEYOND our initial commitment but will be used in one of the following ways: 

   1.  to donate to the Homes for Haiti ministry to defray the cost of building           the house, which now costs more than $4000 to build, even though                 Lifeline has chosen to honor the $4000 quote that we set out with.  

   2.  to give to the family directly (part or whole) in a cash donation.

   3.  to buy things for the family or the house, such as bags of rice and beans        or a table or bed for the house.  

That being said, if you had planned to donate and did not get a chance, please feel free to send it in.  We are still accepting donations.  We can use your money for one of the above stated purposes or possibly another purpose of your choosing.  Want to send someone you love to Haiti to help build the house?  We can use donations in that way as well, if you so choose.  

If you still  have a bag to send to Thred Up or a cashout balance to send over, don't forget.  Here is the link to Thred Up:

Thred Up Group Link

And if this story inspires you and you want to stay involved with Lifeline Christian Mission and/or the Homes for Haiti ministry, visit their website for more information.  Prayer and financial support are always needed.  You can look into supporting the ministry, taking a mission trip with your family or group of friends, select a child to sponsor or build a house for family in need.  The love need not stop here, people!  

Lifeline Christian Mission

Thank you thank you thank you!  Can you tell I'm excited?!?!  OK, this might be the most rambling and disordered post ever, but I am just too excited to labor over this one.  I just had to share the good news.  

Thanks and love to all!

   

We're Baaaaack

You haven't heard from us in a while, dear reader (notice the singular), but I am here to say that yes, we are still raising money, yes we are still planning and preparing, yes, we are still chugging away on this goal of building a house for Jennifer Rose and her family.

Summer got quite busy around here for us, as I am sure it did for you as well.  We had a move, a disastrous family vacation and two new babies in the family to greet.  There was a lot of travel, a lot of disorganization as we clumsily settle into our new home and a lot of last minute shuffling of school plans for the kids.  



And that's just my family.  The team of girls all had their own summer busyness with a lot of similar themes:) While we were always accepting donations, some of our active fundraising was put on hold until we could make a plan and, quite frankly, come up with some ideas.  

You won't believe what we have come up with this time.  Wait for it.  

ANOTHER YARD SALE!!!!!!!!

Ok, we are committed, passionate, hardworking and determined.  We are full of faith that God will lead the way if we just agree to follow.  But creativity has never been my strong suit people.  I never claimed it was. 

our cutest customer

 And why would you  mess with success?  We have raised over a thousand dollars with our two yard sales!  Another $1100 in donations came in over the summer.  That puts us at over $2000, over halfway there.  We are hoping to raise another $1000 with Thred Up - jump on it if you haven't already.  So we have just a quarter of the way to go and some of us are just itching for an excuse for a good yard sale.  Is there anything more satisfying than getting rid of junk and making money at the same time?  You betcha there is.  At our yard sales we enjoy meeting some very colorful folk, as well as some of the nicest people you would ever want to meet, and the money goes to a great cause.  Beat that!



So details details, you beg.  Here you are my readership:

Saturday September 7th 8:00 am until 2:00 pm 
at 1038 Chicagmauga Ave (East) Nashville 37206

Be there or be square.

If you have any items to donate (or cold hard cash - time to up my hard press) call me or email me or facebook me or whatever your pleasure.  I will come to you.  I want your junk, I mean stuff.  I would LOVE to swing by your house and pick up clothing or really any household items that your would like removed from your life with a big side dish of feel good.  In Middle TN lets say.  I do have these two kids and can't pick up your stuff in Indiana.  

Previous yard sale. 

Looking forward to hearing from you (still singular. I'm a realist) and seeing you this Saturday.  Leave a comment -  I would love to have evidence that someone lurked.  Like I said, get a hold of me if you want to help or come by and shop if that is your speed.  I truly appreciate your interest.  

Jennifer Heinrich

773.844.8428

jenniferjheinrich@gmail.com

Yard Sale Success!

Wow!  What an amazing day!  We worked our behinds off, sweated in the humidity, sorted through an ocean of donated clothes but it was so much fun and worth every minute.  I only hope my fellow volunteers agree.  

My photos aren't uploading, but just wait until I get up some pics of the smiles.  These people rocked a yard sale!

Drumroll please. . . 

We didn't sell but a fraction of what we had, yet we still raised. . . 

over $700 to put toward the new house!!! 

A special thanks to the Rideout family who let us use their yard.  Bret Rideout of Rideout Repairs donated his time on what would otherwise be a workday for him.  He paid his employees to help us with the heavy lifting.  A very special young man named Dylan stayed with us all day and ended up donating his days wages to our project.  I was blown away.

check out Rideout Repairs

Bret's wife Jamie worked from sunup to sun down, all while juggling her three kids and a broken toe.  Somehow we still managed to squeeze in a laughing fit that brought tears.

Thanks also to Christi, Jamie L, Leslie, Stephani and Whitney who were so generous with their time and resources that day.  They truly blessed me with their tireless work and giving spirits.  There are too many donors to mention all by name but you know who you are and we appreciate you!  So many folks went into making the day a success. 

Clean out and Cash in. For a cause.

I've got my first bag filled and ready to drop at the post office. Couldn't have been easier.

Thred Up takes gently used name brand kids and women's clothing and resells them. You get paid. Or, if you follow my link, we raise money together to build a home for a family in Haiti.

ThredUp - Follow this link.

Order a bag (free) and fill it with the clothes that you and the kids are no longer wearing. Drop it off at the post office or at UPS for free shipping. Thred Up pays for each item they can sell.

How it works.

Right now Thred Up is matching dollar for dollar the money we raise, if we meet our $500 goal before the deadline. The race is on and the cash is good. Fill your bags, people!


Be sure to read the details at the Thred up website. They are choosy about what they accept and they don't return items they can't sell.

See what they accept and what they don't.

By the way, Thred Up is paying extra for certain hot items right now, including rain gear, swim suits, jeans and jean shorts, gap brand and girls dresses. Check the website for details.

Thanks for reading. A few minutes to clean out your kids closet (and you have to do that anyway) can help raise money to build a home for a family in need. It's a win win. Lets get started!

My bag sitting by the back door ready to go.