February 2011 USS KEARSARGE

[carols_kitchen]

While those of you who sew continue to sew (thank you ver much) here is our destination

Amphibous Assault ship The USS KEARSARGE.  It has been fun chatting with our chaplain, who says they have opened a new space for our Sailors and Marines to  unwind called Holy Joe's Café.  Are we ready to stock it?  Yes!

EVERYTHING in Holy Joe's Cafe is free to our guys and gals! 

 

So, here's the request list:

Beef jerkey covered by Jack's Links

Sunflower seeds

Gum (no hard candy or chocolate)

Coffee--all sorts, both instant, packetts and brew type (I'm saying some tea, too.)

Single packet drinks

Personal hygiene products

DVDs

The crew loves any TV show. I've noticed the popular ones are: Dexter, 24, Prison Break, NCIS, True Blood, Sons of Anarchy, House, Spartacus. I obviously wouldn't expect you to get all of these, but it is at least a selection to choose from.

 

Board games: Storage space is slim, so bulky board games may be difficult. I know that Cranium, Catch a Phrase, and games like that are popular.

 

 

Can you add to the list--of course. (No though, on books.)

Lots of cards and handmade pictures from the kids--think SPRING AND ST. PATTY'S DAY

 

Pack what you can in gallon ziplock type bags so the group can help pick up their godies.And of course, the pillowcases

 

It's now just a stitch over 1,000 needed.  Chaplain says: 1028 total

216 female

812 male

 

In the meantime, keep those sewing machines tuned up and continue sewing!  '

Love ya

Carol

 

***SHIPPING STARTS FEB. 22nd and ends the 28th (or thereabouts)****

 

Count to date by Mom, male/female/generic and total to date

valerijean                   50 female  200 male  30 generic

Ally                             60 female

jenmark                      60 generic

carols_kitchen            9 female  34 generic

Molly                           30 generic

Krista                           25 male   2 female

Llovemysailor                 25 female

Cheryl S                        20 female  20 male

Dana                           375 generic

sissi                             20 generic

Susan, mom to Niko      20 female, 30 male

 

Kimmy                          10 generic

Dee                             2 female, 2 male

(OOPss--dizzy blonde moment and listed a count twice.)   We can now concentrate on our other donations for this group. 

 

If anyone is still making iron on personlized ones, let me know as we definitely want you to send those.  Let me know, and we can switch some of the other ones out. 

 

[valeriejean]

The 30 that Mary gave me are primarily "male" oriented.

 

I also have 30 definitely female cases I will send.

 

I have more to contribute, but don't know the count yet....

[valeriejean]

These are just a few that my sister did

[Molly Molly Fo Folly]

I love the lobsters also :) tee hee hee hee

 

I dont how many you can sew in 4 days but I will let you know by wendsday !!!

Love the pictures VAL

[carols_kitchen]

Woo-hoo and more!  Love the fabrics!

[jenmack]

I will make 50. When I get them done I will see if we need more. I will let you know how many male & female. Still need an address where to send.

[carols_kitchen]

We will post the addy AFTER the January group is done shipping.  Don't want to confuse the two groups. These will ship around the end of February.

[jenmack]

Ok thanks

[Kim (Ethan's Mom)]

I haven't been following this discussion so I don't know if it is mentioned anywhere but my sister gave me pillowcases to sew that she had cut out and there are a lot that is flannel. Is this going to be too 'warm' for our adoptees or should I just save them for next winter? I need to get busy sewing again :)

[Michele]

Hey Kim, I'm not sure about this Unit, but I do know that the flannel PCs could be used for a couple of the Heads at Ease adoptions and troops we are sewing pillowcases for.

Like you, I support both MAS and Heads at Ease, but I usually only send the pillowcases for Heads at Ease adoptions. This month, though, I am going to send a few for the MAS adoption. Carol is the coordinator, and since she is local here in my area, its only appropriate that I do the double-contribution next month.

I don't know how many extra you have from your sister, but I'd be happy to send you shipping dollars if you want to send some of them to me to have sewn. I have sewers.

My crew here does the pillowcases for Heads at Ease (since that is where the concept for doing pillowcases began anyway - I introduced the Heads at Ease pillowcase group to the IL NavyForMoms in October 2009 when we had our 1st state-wide meeting, long before NavyForMoms in IL gained momentum). That was the first packing party we had for MAS.

Like you, I send at least one care package for the Molly's each month, but I send the items and not the pillowcases. Since I'm one of the original IL moms for NavyForMoms, and also a MAS participant each month, it is only right that I do double-duty.

I know that the flannel pillowcases cannot be used in some branches, per command. The flannel is dangerous for some, because it is flammable material.

I'm hoping some of our MAS IL moms and maybe some of our MO moms who will be sewing will come over and join us in the Heads at Ease group, too. Even if they only sew the pillowcases, being the IL liaison for Sue, I'd be happy to have them contribute to our project, even if they only do one or two pillowcases each month, they can get them to me and I'll send them out with mine each month... it saves on shipping costs, which is usually why many can't send each month.

[Molly Molly Fo Folly]

ha ha ha we need 1000 pillowcases for febuary adoption !!!    Flannel will be fine ---shoot I think anything is fine.  We dont have pillowcases this month thanks to our Kimmy (elves momma) making sure the Saberhawks got their christmas love. And then we adopted right behind her ---- YEAH KIM :)   Love ya gal

[Susan mom to Niko]

Hey Michele,

Looks like you might not know the full history of Heads at Ease...  but they spun off from the Molly's Adopt a Sailor project!  They were a part of Molly's back in their beginning.  And the pillowcase project was named by one of our dear Molly moms. 

A while back when MAS was filing for non profit status, Sue decided that she wanted to keep full control of the crew she was building.  So she pulled out of the Molly's group and set up her own group.  There are many moms that have sewn for both projects over the years.

I know that I continue to sew for Molly's and when I have had extra time and material have supported Heads at Ease.  Sue supports MAS and counts the pillowcases we send as part of her official count.  I guess you could call it a partnership of sorts. 

One of the main differences between the two groups is MAS has moms send their support and packages directly to the adoptees.  Heads at Ease encourages that moms send their pillowcases to Sue.  I know she was saying she had a hundreds of pillowcases to sort through at her home right now!

MAS has continued in their mission of adopting and supporting a different deployed group every month...  sometimes we send care packages and pillowcases...  sometimes we send themed packages.  But always we send pillowcases unless there is a reason not to. 

In addition to our monthly adoptions, we have supported Special Hugs.  Some of those Hugs are individual sailors, soldiers, marines, airmen that have been injured and need some extra support and love.  A pillowcase, letter from a mom, pair of sweats, game to play or magazine to read can brighten their day in the hospital.  Some have even been visited in person by a Molly mom. Some of the Special Hugs have been medical units that have needed items for their patients on a short term or more recently on a long term basis.

I have noted that Heads at Ease has begin to adopt units and send more than pillowcases...  there is plenty of need out there.  I just hope that we can respect each others efforts and celebrate all the achievements together!

 

.

[Michele]

You are absolutely right, Susan when you say that there is never enough Navy Mom love and support... I think you misinterpreted the intent of my post.

Since Kim participates in both groups, as do I, knowing she was getting back in the swing of things to start sewing again (she did so many for her son's squadron throughout the Lincoln Love Project) and knowing that we were doing the February group here from IL, I thought she might not be able to get them sewn in time so I would have some of the crew here in IL do them and we could include them in the February mailing which Carol is coordinating - and we will pack them and send them at the February packing party. That would save Kim the shipping costs, since she won't be driving here to IL for the packing party, I'm sure! (Then again... Kim, there's lots to do here in IL/MO!)

Not all of the MO and IL members are aware that several of us sew pillowcases and send packages for both MAS and HAE. If the MAS members weren't aware that they could participate in both HAE and MAS, joining in for the packing parties with either pillowcases or care package items, they are welcome to do both.

Double the pleasure, Double the fun!!  LOL...

As for me not knowing the history between Heads at Ease and Molly's... as I said in my original post, I know both quite well since I've participated in both since their inception. Sue's reply clarifies this.

There is no competition between the two groups. I'm not really sure why you seemed to think that there is or was.

I promote both MAS and HAE everywhere, all the time. Sue and I talk on the phone quite often, and she has talked to Molly, and I too have talked to Molly.

As a matter of fact, when MAS was awarded the Pepsi Challenge grant, I was working on St. Louis Navy Week, and I made the announcement to the Navy Week coordinators during our weekly conference call, Many of them weren't aware of MAS or HAE until then. We also used Carol's MAS banner to use at a couple of the Navy Week events to bring awareness to anyone who attended Navy Weeks.

I promote both groups all of the time and am absolutely thrilled when others want to participate in either of the projects. We're all in this together for one common cause... supporting all of the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines!

I have driven to the packing parties at Sue G's house (two hours away); driven to Karen C's house (a little less than 2 hours); and Carol had a meet and greet last year in Mt. Vernon, and we packed 13 boxes I think that month. Rest assured, I'm all for supporting both MAS and HAE, anytime... just ask the many people I continually harass about donating each month.  LOL

Since Carol is the local coordinator for February and we will be doing the February one right here where we both live... we will be able to coordinate our efforts to do the packing parties in this area every month! We both gather and collect items from many sources, so there will always be one of the two of us available to have a packing party. It doesn't get any better than that!

Summing it all up... I am truly humbled to be a part of both MAS and HAE, because we are all bringing smiles to so many men and women each month... and we do better than some of the nationally recognized organizations! There's a lot to be said for just a group of Navy Moms who want to show our love and support for our sons, daughters, husbands and wives who are proudly serving our country!