From Our Families: A Holiday Thank You

These emails of thanks just arrived in our in-box, and because you've been so generous this holiday season, we wanted you to hear how your generosity has brought the spirit of the season to two Laurel House families.

"I can hardly put into words how I feel about what you all have brought to me this Christmas. I actually feel the joy of this season. I was floored when I saw everything I asked for in front of me. Please know I am so grateful & I am sooooo looking forward to sharing these gifts with my son. Thank you. Thank you! BTW, I'm scheduled to pick up my key for permanent housing on Jan 25!!"

And this:

"Thank you sooo much! We are indebted to your organization forever. The presents were great for the kids and I now have People pc (dial up) for my internet access at home. I will try to stop in today for the [donated] ballet tickets and on Monday go to Philadelphia to redeem them HOPEFULLY for the Dec 29th performance (my daughter T.'s birthday)."

Thank you, for giving the spirit of the season through your gifts to Laurel House.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday and happy, healthy 2010!

It's Snow Problem: Finish All Your Holiday Shopping with a Gift to Laurel House

Can't get out to the malls and stores today to finish your holiday shopping? It's snow problem!You can cross everyone off your list from the comforts of your house today while giving a gift that supports the families at Laurel House.

Here's one idea:

Sponsor the Children’s Program for a Day

The shelter is usually filled with children (there are currently 16 children in the shelter today!) and we also have children living in our transitional housing apartments. Our Children’s Program costs approximately $180 a day.

You can Sponsor a Day in the Children's Program for $180 ... or a half day for $90, or a quarter of a day for $45.

Your gift will pay for needed supplies for the children’s playroom at the Shelter, fund a trained Children’s Advocate to work with the moms and kids in our Transitional Housing Program, and make it possible for a Laurel House staff member or volunteer to supervise the children in our Shelter to give their mothers a small, but much appreciated, break.

We'll even take care of acknowledging your gift directly to the person you are donating in honor of.

To Sponsor a Day in the Children's Program, click here to make your secure donation online. (You can also use the same form to make an end of year gift, or a donation in memory or in honor of someone.)

Happy Holidays from all of us at Laurel House!

Santa's Workshop? Or the Laurel House Conference Room?

It's beginning to look a lot like you-know-who's workshop here at Laurel House, as our conference room is filled more than a sleigh with brand new toys.

Thanks to our generous donors, we have an abundance of toys to give to the children in our housing and counseling programs during the holiday season. Already, the children have enjoyed several festive events in celebration of Hanukkah, Christmas, and soon, Kwanzaa.

We now have more than enough toys for the kids, but if you are still wishing to support the youngest survivors of domestic violence, please consider our Sponsor a Day in the Children's Program campaign. Here's how it works:

It costs approximately $180 per day to operate our children's program.

By Sponsoring a Day, your donation pays for needed supplies for the children's playroom at the shelter, funds a trained children's advocate to work with the moms and kids in our transitional housing program, and helps to make it possible for a Laurel House staff member or volunteer to supervise the children in the shelter to give the moms a small, but much appreciated, break.

You can sponsor a full day in the children's program for $180, a half day for $90, or a quarter of a day for $45.

This is a great way to recognize birthdays and anniversaries all throughout the year, or to remember someone special in your heart.

To make your gift online, click here to donate. (Remember to tell us what day you'd like to sponsor!)

6 Ways Your Grocery or Gift Card Helps Laurel House Families

"So, how do you actually use the gift cards for the families?" asked one of our donors.

It's a good question ... and it's one that has many answers. If you're thinking about making a gift card donation to Laurel House, or perhaps already have done so (thank you!), here are 6 ways that we use them to help a needy family:

1. We use them to purchase fresh produce, milk, eggs, bread, cheese, and other items for the meals in our emergency, confidential shelter. This helps to supplement donations of canned goods that we receive from collection drives.

2. Anyone who has moved into a new home knows that the first grocery bill is often higher than usual. It's the same for a family that's moving into one of the apartments in our transitional housing program. We like to give them a grocery gift card for that first shopping trip. Even $25 or $50 helps out.

3. We use Target and Walmart gift cards for similar purposes, too.

4. We have a counseling program for people who aren't ready to move into the shelter. Recently, we had a mom whose abuser was withholding food from her and her kids. They were hiding cans of tuna fish and peanut butter in their car so they wouldn't be without something to eat. We gave them a gift card so they could get a substantial meal.

5. There's always an unexpected need. Recently, one of the women's vacuum cleaners broke. A gift card helped her with some of the money needed to purchase a new one.

6. We recently gave a gift card to someone in our transitional housing program who had a special request. Her son is on his school's wrestling team and doing very well. To him, sports represents something that is constant in an uncertain life, and something he excels in. He outgrew his wrestling shoes and the mom did not have the funds to buy him a new pair. A gift card helped her surprise him with the shoes as an early holiday gift ... and allowed him to continue participating on the team.

To make a grocery or gift card donation, give us a call at 610-277-1860 or leave us a comment below.

Give Gifts that Give Back

Tis the season for gift-giving ... and this year, you have two opportunities to give gifts from the heart and that make a difference to others locally and throughout the world. Laurel House is participating in two Alternative Gift Markets.

Sunday, December 6 ~ 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
“Gifts from the Heart”
St. James U.C.C. Alternative Gift Market 2009
St. James UCC , 321 S. Limerick Road, Limerick, PA

The Alternative Gift Market allows shoppers’ charitable contributions to provide meaningful, non-material holiday gifts to worthy non-profit organizations in honor of their friends, families, and associates.

If you can't make it on Sunday, there's two more opportunities.

Monday, December 7, 2009 ~ 4:30 - 7:30 p.m.
1st Annual Partners for Families Alternative Gift Market
Plymouth Meeting Mall at the Church on the Mall
Print out the shopping list
Laurel House is among the local and global organizations participating in this event sponsored by Partners for Families, a nonprofit faith-based organization in Norristown that transforms the lives of families.

And finally, Laurel House is offering new Holiday Giving Opportunities this year along with its popular Alternative Giving program. (Click here for details, and here for Laurel House's online donation page to make a gift in honor or in memory of someone.)

In this season of giving, thank you for considering Laurel House in your gift-giving plans.

A Winning Night for a Laurel House Family

Thanks to a donation of tickets from Verizon and the Philadelphia Eagles, Laurel House was able to provide a family with a night out at Lincoln Financial Field on November 8, where they had the opportunity to watch the Eagles take on the Cowboys.

Although their favorite team wasn't the victor, this family had a winning night, as the mom (Sarah) writes in this note to us.

I wanted to let you know what a wonderful time we had at the Eagles game on November 8. W. and R. were so excited to be going to the big game, Eagles vs. Cowboys. We got some Eagles gear, and made sure to take a blanket with us, and headed down early due to the SEPTA strike.

The kids and I had a friend who reserved us a parking spot in the closest lot, and when we went into the game, two kind strangers gave us complimentary passes to go down on to the field. It was very exciting to go in the stadium, under all of the bright lights and see our team come out onto the field. R. and W. ate chicken tenders, pizza, and had many hot chocolates. Despite the late night, and that the Eagles did not prevail, we had a great time. All of the people around us in our section got a kick out of our “die hard mini fans” in the making.

We will never forget the night at the Linc, under the big lights, cuddling together to cheer our team on. I had moments where I got nervous because of the high energy crowd, and crazy parking lot, but my kids just took it all in, and trusted that mommy knew what she was doing. I felt so proud of them.

Thank you so much for extending the tickets to my family. It was a gift we will remember forever.

With regards,

Sarah

Teens Host Spaghetti Dinner and Bingo Night to Benefit Laurel House

At Laurel House, we're grateful to have so many teens and tweens who volunteer and organize projects (such as cell phone collection drives and special events) to support our families. We're proud of them for helping in our efforts in their community and for taking a stand to end domestic abuse.

We're especially proud of our partnership with the Teen Leaders Club of the Indian Valley Family YMCA. This incredible group of teenagers has been planning a Spaghetti Dinner and Bingo Night fundraiser for Laurel House ... and everyone is invited to join in the feast and the fun!

WHAT: Spaghetti Dinner and Bingo Night

DATE: Friday, November 20
TIME: 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.

PLACE: Indian Valley Family YMCA

890 Maple Avenue

Harleysville, PA 215-723-3569

Adults (12&up) $5.00 per person
Children (4-11) $3.00
Children (Under 3) FREE

Early-Bird Special (Seniors 60+) $4.00
5:00-6:00

BINGO starts at 7:00 p.m.
Every family: 1 card per person

50/50 Raffle

For JUST BINGO and NO DINNER – 50 cents per game

The Teen Leaders Club at the Indian Valley Family YMCA is a program created and implemented by teens under the supervision of adult advisors. Teens learn leadership skills through community involvement, intergenerational activities, special events, rallies, web site design, and more.

Come out and show your support for Laurel House ... and for this great group of teen leaders who are making a positive difference in our community!