Snack Bags for Bridge of Hearts
We're back to supporting Bridge of Hearts during the month of November! They provide snack bags, (as well as SO many other birthday goodies) to children in need. See the list below of what goes into each snack bag. They provide hundreds of these snack bags for children and teens, so the need is great! Here is what Bridge of Hearts does for children, as written on their website:
"At Bridge of Hearts, we believe that every child deserves to have an unforgettable birthday celebration, no matter their circumstances. We are a youth charity organization that is dedicated to brightening the lives of children who may be facing difficult life situations. Our mission is to provide birthday experiences that create memorable moments for children and teens as they celebrate their birthdays. We work to spread love and joy to children across the nation, and we are committed to making a difference in every community we serve."
What a worth, important cause, and what wonderful people who join together to provide for these kids! So many of them are retired teachers whose love for children knows no bounds. Please find it in your hearts to join with us to contribute this small part of all that Bridge of Hearts does. Just bring your items to our lobby, and we'll take it from there, packaging them up and getting them to Bridge of Hearts! If you'd like to do more, follow this link to their website to find other ways to help! https://www.bohnc.org/
- Nutri-Grain Bars (individually wrapped)
- Plastic spoons (individually wrapped)
- Snack Pack pudding, variety pack
- Mott's applesauce cups
- Welch's Fruit Snacks - mixed fruit
- Oreo snack packs (individual)
- Ritz Snack Pack of Cheese Cracker Sandwiches
Food for Days
In years past, before COVID-19 became the "norm", we were collecting items for Food for Days, which provides food in backpacks for local kids who may not get a meal on the weekends. Can you imagine? Each month, Food for Days collects a different item. While some of these may not seem as nutritious as you might want, these are items that kids will actually EAT, filling their bellies when they may not get anything else. They are easy-to-make food items that are appropriate for kids to make themselves.
As you can see, each month has a specific food item that we are collecting. These items may be purchased and placed in the basket in our lobby – it's on the top of the shelves where the cat food is kept. You'll see a sign, or just ask! Each month, we'll remind everyone which item we are collecting on FB, but this list will remain on our website as a reference for you.
Please help us feed local kids. As you may know, Animal Hospital of Statesville is very involved in community projects throughout the year.
As always, thank you for your generosity. We know we ask much of you, but no more than we ask of ourselves. We try to help those that can't help themselves. In this instance, and in the instance of our Quarters for Laundry drive, the kids are the ones who benefit. Let’s make 2024 a better year for our community’s kids of all ages!
For more information visit: foodfordays.org
Quarters for Laundry
One of the needs that Tonya Reid, who was the District Homeless Liaison for the Iredell-Statesville Schools, has made us aware of is the need for local homeless students to have clean clothes to wear to school. To that end, we are collecting quarters for Tonya and her “crew” of helpers to use to make sure those kids are sent to school with fresh, clean clothes. We have a big jar on the desk in the front lobby to donate your quarters to help her accomplish this important, but, dare we say, often overlooked issue that faces our community’s homeless students. We’ll be keep the jar up indefinitely, so gather up your quarters and stick them in our big plastic jar! Our staff is donating, as well as clients who come in, have a few quarters, and just pop them in the jar! They will add up quickly! In the video accompanying this write-up, two of Sarah’s daughters – Sarah, who was once one of our Client Services Representatives – robbed their piggy bank of their savings and generously donated their hard-won quarters - $20-worth, to be exact - to help out other kids in need! It’s a great lesson for kids to learn about charitable giving. It feels good to us, and it benefits others and makes them feel better, too! We have 2 cups on our counter - one at check in, and another at what we call retail. Please consider gathering up your quarters to help Tonya. She is no long the liaison, but STILL donates her time (and money) to do "her" kids' laundry so they can be clean and ready for school.