Backpacks

Packing Party – Save the Date!

Since we’re planning to distribute most of the backpacks before Christmas, we plan to have a fun-filled packing party on December 17th at 10 am at HOPE Missions, 213 S Towers St. With enough hands, this won’t take long, so plan to come and enjoy the camaraderie!

Current Inventory of Items Provided

1. 300 baby powder – Tammie Collins, Anderson Free Clinic
2. 300 backpacks – see above. 12 of 12 provided!
3. 300 Bibles – Nate Knox, LOT Project. Kids from New Covenant to write notes in front! 🙂
4. 300 Blankets – Sunny Wells procured 503 blankets and 1000 sheets; Rejuvenate Church provided many as well.
5. 1200 Bus tickets (4 each): Jim Boyer (Family Promise/Grace Episcopal)
6. 300 deodorant – Tammie Collins, Anderson Free Clinic
7. 300 chapstick – Carol Loyd, Anderson Free Clinic has 300 committed; Pati Brosche, Clean Start as well
8. 300 rolls of duct tape – Pati Brosche, Clean Start 
9. 300 energy bars – Carla Overly, St John’s UMC
10. 300 flashlights (with batteries): First Presbyterian Church (Jenny Pray)
11. 300 pairs of gloves; 42 pairs, Susan Baker + 300 pairs by Carla Overly, St John’s UMC + 50 pairs from Helen Turner, First Presbyterian. We have gloves!! 🙂
12. 300 hot hands, hand warmers (182 on hand: – 40 Chelsea Yost, 80 on hand at HOPE, + Carla Overly, St John’s UMC, Gigi Randall)
13. 300 ibuprofen (individual 2-packs): Alison and Heather
14. 300 ponchos: Honey Denison
15. 300 bars of soap – Tammie Collins, Anderson Free Clinic
16. 300 toboggan, beanie, stocking caps: Artisan Fellowship & Susan Baker
17. 300 ziplock bags – Pati Brosche, Clean Start 
18. 300 zip ties — Carla Overly, St John’s UMC
19. Susan Alatorre: 300 quart-sized ziplocks for building hygiene kits
20. Susan Alatorre: 300 gallon-sized ziplocks for building hygiene kits

List of Items Needed (with quantity)

1. 60 more individual Propel (electrolyte) packs (240 on hand)
2. 143 first aid kits: (100 by Mark Hyndman’s small group and 50 donated by Steve & Sarah Crowder)
3. 288 hygiene kits to build – (12 from Chelsea Yost)
4. 45 Notebooks with a pen. 255 provided by: Olivia Caldwell, Asher House
5. 165 pairs of long socks. 200 short socks received from Ellie Baker, Hunt Meadows Elementary, AD1 from the students’ Socktober sock drive.

Thanks to the following organizations for sponsoring the purchase of backpacks!

We reached our goal!! All 13 cases have been sponsored!!

• 1 case: United Way of Anderson County
• 1 case: Central Presbyterian Church
• 1 case+: Rejuvenate Church
• 1 case: Josh Colburn, Upstate Warrior Solution
• 2 cases: St John’s United Methodist Church
• 1 case+: Artisan Fellowship
• 2 cases: Anderson First Baptist Church
• 1 case: Boulevard Baptist Church
• 1 case: HOPE Missions
• 1 case: NewSpring Church
• 1 case West Point Home

Community Effort

So far, those involved in this effort include representatives from 16 agencies, including AIM, Anderson Emergency Soup Kitchen, Anderson Free Clinic, Asher House, Clean Start, Community Resource Guide, Family Promise, FAVOR Upstate, Grace Episcopal, HOPE Missions, NewSpring Church, Rejuvenate Church, South Main Chapel & Mercy Center, St Johns Clothes Closet, The LOT Project, United Way, and Upstate Warrior Solution.