http://www.thepreemieproject.com/index.php/blog The Preemie Project Community Blog en kpa1b2@comcast.net Copyright 2010 2010-02-01T18:37:33-06:00 http://thepreemieproject.com/blog/comments/michigan_chapter4/ http://thepreemieproject.com/blog/comments/michigan_chapter4/#When:19:37:33Z I received an email saying that I had a comment, I can’t find the comment & thought this would be a better way to answer the question! To send items to the Michigan Chapter go to About, click on Chapters.  Scroll down until you see the Michigan Chapter.  There you will find our mailing address! General Blogging 2010-02-01T19:37:33-06:00 http://thepreemieproject.com/blog/comments/sew_fun/ http://thepreemieproject.com/blog/comments/sew_fun/#When:23:47:49Z We had a wonderful time at our work group last weekend!  This work group was held at the Iowa City Public Library to be able to accommodate more volunteers.  Thankfully we received a lot of wonderful publicity from the Iowa City Press Citizen.  Reporter, Rachel Gallegos wrote not one but 3 articles publicizing the event and our new Blanket Sleeper Program.  January 15, 2010 article January 16, 2010 article January 17, 2010 articleVolunteers sewed blankets from 10am-6pm on Saturday.  First the sewers sewed around the blankets. Then the “turners” turn the blankets right side out.  We’ve never had so many turners before!  It was great! Next the blankets were ironed and the hole for turning was pinned shut.  Here is one of our fantastic ironers. Lastly, the sewers top-stitched all the way around the blankets to close the hole used for turning. We had many new volunteers.  One of these volunteers was “T”.  When T first arrived she said, “I don’t know how to use my machine”, and asked “what’s a bobbin?“.  By the end of the day she had learned lots of new vocabulary words including bobbin, seam allowance and seam ripper!!  Here she is displaying her very first top stitched blanket.  Great job T! This is Mya.  She was a wonderful helper!  She walked around the room and picked up blankets from sewers that were ready to be turned.  We were sad that she didn’t stay the whole day! With the help of many volunteers, we finished 152 blankets!  Isn’t it a beautiful sight?! As always, the success of these weekends are totally dependent upon the support of our volunteers.  It was so great to see not only many returning volunteers but MANY new faces.  We hope to see you again soon! Thank you to: Laura Brofitt, Amy Welt, Pam Snalnaker, Isabel Zvorak, Carla Lyons, Michele Hogue, Kim Horras, Shellie Smith, Aditi Mahaskar, T Ho, Jacqueline Charlier, Nancy Fisher, Ginny Driscoll, Sheri Null, Margaret Wick, Marsha Cheney, Johanna Burdinie, Mary Heitzman, Renata Owens, Nancy Byrum, Sarah Straub, Carol Shekee, Carol Casey, Becky Watts, Jean Frazer and the Duncan Family.  Events & Announcements, General Blogging 2010-01-24T23:47:49-06:00 http://thepreemieproject.com/blog/comments/michigan_chapter3/ http://thepreemieproject.com/blog/comments/michigan_chapter3/#When:16:32:01Z Cherie and I would like to make a February donation to the Michigan hospitals.  We need your help to make this happen! Remember:  the small preemie sized hats, up to 5 lbs,  need booties.  The larger sized hats, over 5lbs, do not. If there is someone who loves to make just booties we also need small, up to 5 lbs, booties in pastel colors. Blankets of course are always needed. General Blogging, Michigan Chapter 2010-01-23T16:32:01-06:00 http://thepreemieproject.com/blog/comments/volunteers_needed_for_january_work_group_weekend/ http://thepreemieproject.com/blog/comments/volunteers_needed_for_january_work_group_weekend/#When:14:00:39Z We need volunteers to help prepare for and participate in our January 16th and 17th Work Group Weekend.  You do not need sewing skills to attend.  Reply to this email and let us know if you plan to attend, which day(s) and if you will bring a sewing machine.  This allows us to plan ahead for table/work space for all volunteers.  See below for all of the details on the work group. When? Saturday January 16th, 10am-6pm Sunday January 17th, 1pm-5pm Where? Iowa City Public Library Meeting Room A **Please bring a small dish for the potluck lunch** What are TPP Work Group Weekends? Four times per year we spend a weekend sewing blankets and blanket sleepers for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at the UIHC.  Our goal is to finish 100-150 sewn blankets and 60-80 blanket sleepers.  We need A LOT of help to reach these goals! How can you help with preparations? This is a great opportunity for people who want to help but can’t attend the event!  Volunteers are needed to wash fabric and use it to cut out and pin blankets and sleepers.  All materials and printed directions are provided.  Fabric is also available for people who would like to cut out and sew blankets or sleepers in their home on their own time.  Email for more information. What should you bring? 1. Sewing Supplies (If you already own them)-sewing machine, serger, thread, scissors, pins, etc 2. Small dish to share at the potluck lunch (Beverages provided) How can you sign up?  What if you have questions? Email with any questions. We hope to see you in January.  Remember, it’s for the babies!!  Laura Events & Announcements, General Blogging, Volunteer Opportunities 2009-12-28T14:00:39-06:00 http://thepreemieproject.com/blog/comments/tis_the_season/ http://thepreemieproject.com/blog/comments/tis_the_season/#When:06:01:35Z We had so much fun delivering the holiday donation to the NICU and PICU at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) earlier this week.  This donation included holiday hats, booties and blankets.  The items will be passed out to all of the babies in time for Christmas.  The families get to use these items during the holidays and take them home as keepsakes.  We had fabulous numbers this year.  So, we donated 10 sets of Santa hats and booties to Labor and Delivery for the little bundles of joy born Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  (Items donated by Barb Goode, Gail Madden and Cindy Anderson)Here are the totals: Blankets: 68 (fantastic!!) Hats and Booties 1-3 lb: 20 3-5lb: 35 6-8lb: 55 9-11lb: 16 We also donated 24 red blanket sleepers that were made during the October Work Group.  Now, join us in marveling at the utter cuteness produced by our volunteers. These striped hats were made by Elsa Narvaz (left) and Jennifer T (right). Here is a close-up of the cute booties paired with Elsa’s hat.  These were made by Carla Lyons and include tiny jingle bells.  Too cute! Jenna Rosner sent us a large variety of creative holiday hats.  Do you see the adorable reindeer in the back? Next on the list are Snowman Hats!  These were made by Jennifer T (left) and Joni Lakin (right).  One of these was chosen by a nurse in the PICU for a baby boy.  Can you imagine how sweet this will be on him?! Details!  Details!  These hats are precious.  Look closely at the intricate designs and you’ll see Christmas Trees and a Snowflake.  These hats were donated by Joni Lakin (left) and Sheri Null (right) Gotta love this santa hat and striped hat with a bow by Emily Thomas and Carol Minnis. This looks like a Christmas card in the making… (donated by Barb Goode) We hope this donation brought much joy to the families NICU and PICU.  Thank you to all of the volunteers who made it possible. Happy Holidays! The Preemie Project Events & Announcements, General Blogging 2009-12-23T06:01:35-06:00 http://thepreemieproject.com/blog/comments/bakers_needed/ http://thepreemieproject.com/blog/comments/bakers_needed/#When:19:40:57Z Bakers are needed for our last bake sale of 2009! When? Monday 12/7/2009 8am-4pm Where? Old Capitol Mall, Iowa City IA. How can I help? Bake items for the sale, price the night before, work the day of the sale.  Pricing will begin at 6pm on Sunday 12/6.  Contact to sign-up to bake, price or work the sale.Information for Bakers Please package your items “ready to sell”.  For example, cookies/brownies can be packaged in baggies of 2-6 and tied nicely with ribbon, plate of 6-12 cookies/brownies, etc. Drop-off times include: Sat. 12/5 Noon-5pm Sun. 12/6 Noon-7pm Saturday and Sunday drop-off and 2607 Flagstone Ct, Coralville, IA. 52241.  Email for directions. Items may also be delivered the morning of the sale to the Old Capitol Mall on Monday 12/7 from 7-9am Events & Announcements, General Blogging, Volunteer Opportunities 2009-11-29T19:40:57-06:00 http://thepreemieproject.com/blog/comments/happy_holidays/ http://thepreemieproject.com/blog/comments/happy_holidays/#When:23:57:57Z The Preemie Project started out this holiday season with our annual Holiday Craft Sale at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.  This year our goal was to raise $4,150 in our two day sale.  The items from this sale were made and donated by TPP volunteers.  You can view pictures from our sale here.  Thank you to the Gamma Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau International for donating cashmere scarves to sell at our sale.  They raised ~$1,000 for our sleeper sack program.  We appreciate the support! We also wish to thank Earth Home Candles for bringing a display of candles and donating 25% of the proceeds to TPP.  They also donated a gift basket for silent auction with a retail value of $30.  Their soy candles are locally poured and smell heavenly!  They will also be donating 25% of online purchases to The Preemie Project this holiday season.  Just put “The Preemie Project” in the comments section.  We hope you will visit Earth Home Candles for your Christmas gifts! As you can already tell, this was a busy sale.  Here is a look at the shoppers on the morning of day one.   Every year this sale gets better.  We receive more creative donations from a greater number of volunteers.  We also improve on our inventory display.  Volunteers arrive at the UIHC at 6am to unload 3-4 carloads of items and set-up for the sale.  We then spend the next two hours attractively arranging items on 18 tables.  This year we had so much that we had to hold some items back until the others sold!  Nancy Fisher, ‘08 Fundraising MVP, brings a string and clothes pins to hang cute items along the wall.  Nancy’s hat tree is also a great display item. Each year certain items tend to be more popular than others.  Here are a few from this year… “Ear Flap” hats for babies, toddlers and adults (newborn size pictured here). Fingerless Gloves and Mittens (adults) Blanket Buddies (pictured below), Taggie Blankets, Bibs and Burp Cloths Other popular items included hats, scarves, mittens, dishcloths, potholders, baked potato bags, baby blankets, handmade gift cards, christmas ornaments and decorations just to name a few.  With all of these wonderful items we raised a grand total of $4,946.60.  We were extremely happy to surpass our goal for another year.  Thank you to everyone who supported this event! Those who donated craft items: Marlys Harriott, Nancy Miller, Cherie Warner, Carol O’Neill, Marcia Tschopp, Amy Welt, Darlene Welsh, Leslie Gentry, Sheri Null, Judy Carpenter, Elsa Narvaz, Deb Nollen-Richter, Karen Jacobson, Cindy Dayton, Brie Roth, Lana Johnson, Susan Bess, S. Erdmann, Donna Tompkins, Sherri Parson, Sherry Christoffer, Joni Lakin, Chris Miller, Ruth Dawson, Shannon Pauly, Carla Lyons, Michele Hogue, Nancy Fisher, Audrey Knox, Mary Anne Sheets, Amana General Store, Jane Homan Gracer, Susan Smith, Linda Aker, and Earth Home Candles Those who volunteered during pricing and the sale: Mary Anne Sheets, Linda Aker, Sheri Null, Michele Hogue, Marcia Tschopp, Nancy Fisher, Kim Horras, Audrey Knox, Elsa Narvaz, Susan Smith and Ruth Dawson. General Blogging 2009-11-28T23:57:57-06:00 http://thepreemieproject.com/blog/comments/make_your_holiday_shopping_count_this_year/ http://thepreemieproject.com/blog/comments/make_your_holiday_shopping_count_this_year/#When:14:00:37Z This holiday season, you can raise money for TPP by purchasing your gifts from GoodShop. GoodShop is a new online shopping mall which will donate up to 30% of your purchase to TPP!  Hundreds of great stores including Amazon, Target, Gap, Best Buy, ebay, Macy’s and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop and every time you place an order, you’ll be supporting TPP. GoodShop is FUN and EASY to use!  TPP supporters have already raised $75 from July through October.  We need YOUR help to make this fundraising campaign a success.  Please join us and track our earnings here.  How does it work?!  Here’s the scoop:1. Visit our GoodShop Page. 2. Make sure the “Preemie Project (Coralville, IA)“ shows up under the “Who Do You Support” search bar. 3. Enter the store you wish to purchase from under “Search for Store Name” 4. Once you’re on the store’s GoodShop page it will display the percentage of your purchase that will go to TPP.  If you scroll down you might also find great coupons! 5. **Click “GoodShop This Store”**  This is the key step for this to work. 6. Make your purchases as usual and a percentage of your purchase will go back to TPP! Remember, it’s for the babies! Events & Announcements, General Blogging, Volunteer Opportunities 2009-11-23T14:00:37-06:00 http://thepreemieproject.com/blog/comments/michigan_chapter2/ http://thepreemieproject.com/blog/comments/michigan_chapter2/#When:15:51:59Z Cherie & I are planning ahead for our Christmas donations.  Please have your items in the mail by December 11th to give plenty of time to make it through the holiday mail.  This will also give Cherie time to sort the items.Remember when making the tiny hats(up to 5lbs)booties need to be made also.  The Henry Ford Hospital uses both hats & booties.  We take the tiny preemie hats and booties to them. We have a lot of the tiny hats with no booties.  If there is someone who loves to make booties, but not hats we would love to have someone do this for us!  Please let me know. Providence Park Hospital uses hats only, in the larger sizes. Both hospitals love the blankets! Any questions, please let me know. General Blogging, Michigan Chapter 2009-11-22T15:51:59-06:00 http://thepreemieproject.com/blog/comments/prematurity_awareness_month/ http://thepreemieproject.com/blog/comments/prematurity_awareness_month/#When:00:19:07Z November is Prematurity Awareness Month.  On November 17, 2009, BloggersUnite and the March of Dimes will be holding the Fight for Preemies. The day will be dedicated to raising awareness of the crisis of premature birth.  In support of this program, we are encouraging others to get involved by:   * Signing up to participate in the Fight for Preemies.   * Learning more about premature birth.   * Putting a badge on your blog during November, Prematurity Awareness Month®   * On November 17, blog for a baby you love and to help others. Even the tiniest voices need a champion. Please help us raise awareness about this important issue. General Blogging 2009-11-02T00:19:07-06:00