My Wish List

This is my wish list. Having these items would help out so much!

• Stained men's and women's work shirts.
• Worn out blue jeans and heavy cotton dress pants.
• Polar fleece.
• $1 denomination USPS postage stamps.
• Baseball and softball equipment--new or used
• Freshwater fishing equipment--new or used
• Popular books for 4th-7th grade reading levels

More About Each Item on the Wish List....

Stained Men's and Women's Work Shirts:

• Don't throw out worn or stained dress shirts!
• They make great quilting squares for blankets!
• They make great backgrounds for cloth books!
• They make great stuffed animals!
• The buttons are great for math supplements (counting), and used for school crafts

Worn Out Blue Jeans and Heavy Cotton Dress Pants:

• When cut into strips, they are woven into durable, washable throw rugs for under heated or drafty homes.
• Grass stains and holes? No problem! We cut around them.

Polar Fleece:

• Yards and yards of colorful solids and stripes are needed to sew sets of hats, scarves and mittens.
• What's great about polar fleece is that its warm, washable, easy to work with, and doesn't unravel like other fabrics.
• I have a goal to sew 100 sets by Fall 2009...I have the sewing pattern, a few yards of polar fleece, but not enough.
• Pastel colors won't wash well--I'm trying to stay away from pastel.
• Joann Fabrics has a great selection on their website.
• Non pill is best...means it won't wear out as fast or get those little knots that sweaters get.

$1 Denomination USPS Postage Stamps:

• Here's the problem. I don't feel comfortable collecting money because I'm not a certified charity or for non-profit organization. I don't have a board of directors. I don't have time for the paperwork. Its just me steering the ship right now. So that means I collect items.
• I have to be careful to select themes that are light-weight to keep shipping costs down. I'm scared to see what the book drive month will cost. But books are so important, so I know its worth it. Plus there is a way to send books at a lower rate with the US postal service. But I digress...
• Getting some help with shipping means we can help the students more. Bottom line.

New/Used Baseball & Softball Equipment, Freshwater Fishing Equipment, and Popular 4th - 7th Grade Reading Level Books

• When talking with the Title I teacher, she said it gets harder in the older grades to motivate the students to love to read. They have a program that most schools have called "AR Reading". The student selects a book, reads it, and takes a short quiz to check for comprehension. They earn points in the school store as they read new books and take the quizzes.
• I thought maybe they need some juicier items for their school store for this age group--how about a glove and ball? How about a fishing pole and tackle kit? (There is a nearby lake, and its not polluted so the fish are edible!)
• I thought maybe they might need some of the popular titles like Goosebumps series, Harry Potter books, etc.
• Getting kids reading, enjoying it, and motivated is the goal! When they move on to middle school, being successful will depend on their ability to comprehend what they are reading. The further they get into their education, the more learning will be self-directed from textbooks and less learning from lecture.

And that's my wish list. If you can help, add a comment and I'll contact you with information. Again, thanks for stopping by! -Missy