May's Project- Spring Yard Clean Up at the Women's Center

A short video presentation was shared with the VLC volunteers about the work  that the Women's Center does in our community before we  began the Spring Yard Clean Up on the grounds.  It was a powerful presentation that I think made us all feel  happy to be able to make things just a little nicer for the women and children that are staying at the Women's Center while  they get back on their feet.  A special thanks to the VLC volunteers who shared their morning weeding, planting, and mulching the beds around the Women's Center and the transitional homes.  I suspect that the volunteers had the same work waiting for them in their own yards, so it was very kind of them all to set aside the time and give a hand!  Everything looked so much nicer than when we had arrived.  



Aprils Family of the Month

Our April family was a mom and dad expecting a baby girl in May.  It was like Christmas on the front porch for the past 3 weeks....and soon became Babies R Us in the living room as you shared everything a new mom could possibly need for a little girl!  People went on shopping sprees in the infant department and purchase new baby clothing, diapers, lotions and potions and dropped them off to share.  A beautiful gently used crib, glider, changing table, and basinett.  A car seat, stroller, baby swing, mobile, bumpers, sheets, blankets, bibs, monitors, baby bottle, pack n play, kicking mat, play mat, exersaucer....the list goes on and on!

The family and caseworker were overwhelmed.  The caseworker shared that it was the most incredible Baby Shower ever!  She also shared "this is the most deserving couple ever...."

Those who emailed with any duplicate baby supplies decided to share their donations with a 2nd mom who was also expecting in May....so 2 families ended up being helped due to the amazing generosity of so many...

Aprils Project- Drive for the Homeless Shelters

Thanks to the amazing volunteers who shared two hours of time and staffed the Pewaukee Wal-Mart, and the Delafield Sentry on an incredibly cold and rainy Saturday!  The 25 volunteers did an amazing job!  6 cars full of food and toiletries were collected along with $450.00 in cash donations, all of which were shared with the Hebron House Homeless Shelters.  Individuals, families, teens, young children and their parents all pitched in passing out lists of most needed food and toiletries to customers as they entered....and collecting their bags full of donations as they left!  You are AMAZING.... 

When a Pick Up Truck is not quite big enough....

When A Pick Up Truck is not quite big enough.... use a Dump Truck!   A special thank you to the VLC behind the scenes volunteers!  Volunteers who have big SUV's, pick up trucks, dump trucks and trailers and who are willing to pick donations up occassionally and get them to the VLC storage locker in downtown Hartland for us.  If you have a pick up and are willing to help on occassion....let us know and we will add your name to the volunteer list!  

March's Project-Drive for Baby Items for Safe Babies Healthy Families

You signed up early and we were were able to set up and staff 3 locations for this drive. 37 volunteers each sharing 2 hours of time...totaling 82 hours of volunteerism. Store customers thanking VLC volunteers working the drive....VLC volunteers thanking VLC after they worked the drive, saying they had fun, and that the 2 hours of time so rewarding.6 SUV's full of baby supplies and gear. Almost 10,000 diapers! Fromwipes, formula, potions and lotions to babyclothing, car seat, pack n play, and stroller to $500.00 in cash!

From the Assistant Director: I just had to send my personal thank you for the amazing success the Volunteers of Lake Country had againthis year with the baby shower for us. I do believe it was the most that was ever collected! The diapers filled our "diaper" room at our donation center and the other items also filled the  shelves. It is a sight to behold. Thanks again for all that you do all year long but a special thanks for your special relationship with

Safe Babies Healthy Families.

From a caseworker:

Thank you to the VLC who organizedand worked at the "Baby Shower" event for Safe Babies

 Healthy Families. The amount of items collected is just amazing. Our families will greatly

benefit from all of these donations. Thank you for your continuing support in helping

us break the cycle of child abuse, neglect and poverty.

 

Deliveries to the March Families!

Mom, Dad and 3 Children: Dad was out of work for 6 months and the family's home was foreclosed on. The caseworker emailed us their list of needs and living room furniture was on it....the next day we received an email from a couple who had a beautiful living room set to share! The caseworker shared that this family had grandmas table but needed 6 chairs....the next day another wonderful couple emailed that they had 6 dining chairs but no table! Some things are just meant to be..

The 2nd March Family

Mom and 4 teen daughters: 4 teen girls sharing 1 small bedroom. What was shared with this family was 3 of the most beautiful beds ever! A white iron bunk, a white trundle bed with matching dresser and a 4 poster bed for mom! When we left, mom and one of her daughters were lying on moms bed giggling with joy at how lucky they are! The Beds, sheets, comforters, towels, dishes, silverware, pots and pans, and a kitchen set.

The 3rd March Family of the Month

A mom and her children, victims of domestic violence living in a transitional home at the Women's Center. Their wish was for a dining table and 6 chairs came in too late for the last newsletter but we were able to share it in the Living Lake Country Sunday Paper.   A  family contacted VLC with a  dining set to share,  and their  neighbor volunteered to repaint and reupholster it!  She completed the project in 2 weeks time, and we delivered it to their apartment last week.  It was beautful, and the family was very grateful to be able to sit down for meals and games together! 

Later in March we were contacted by 2 more caseworkers, and VLC shared 3 twin beds with one family for their 3 children, and a twin bed with a single adult that did not have one....

A Special Thanks to Some Special VLC Friends!

A very special thanks to Mike Bickler the owner of Stonewood Storage, who has donated a storage locker to VLC for the Family of the Month project every month for the past 3 years!  In March, when we collecting for 2 families who needed everything, and your generousity poured in, and we ran out of space, allowed us to move into the locker next door for a bit until we could deliver!   



Thanks as well to the LCUCC church who sent a team of volunteers to build new shelving to house the VLC Childrens Free Library at the Hope Center.  VLC is giving over 1,000 books to children EVERY month thanks to your donations!

 

 

 

Thanks to Amy at Lake Country Living, who has found room the first Sunday of every month for the past 3 + years to share our information and needs in the Newspaper so we can reach out to new volunteers...to new garages...to new basements!!

 A Thanks to the Arrowhead Key Club whose volunteers have pitched in to help at so many of the past VLC Drives!

And finally....A Thanks to YOU! 

*To the 35-40 people....who sign up to help with the Project of the Month. 

*To the 10-30 people who contact us with donations of furniture and household items to share with families.         Sharing incredibly beautiful things with courageous families who are starting all over after abuse, violence, abandonment, job loss, home and apartment loss etc...

*To another half dozen people who have pick up trucks, SUV's, or trailers and pick up bigger items at a donors homes and get them to the locker for us.

*To yet another 10-20 people who drop off requested items each month. Gently used items clean, bagged, or boxed, marked and ready to share, and to those who shop sales and purchase new towels, comforters etc....items that make families feel so special...

February's Project- 3 Food Drives for 3 Food Pantries!

THE SMILING FACES OF VLC VOLUNTEERS!
Early sign ups made this Drive an incredible success!
The first store was fully staffed by late November....
the 2nd by December, and the final one in  January!
 Thanks to 40 volunteers who each shared 2 hours of
time...families, individuals, AHS Key Club, GS Troop
2040!  80 hours in total!  SUV's full of food donations
were dropped at the 3 area Food Pantries, along with
donations for the Lake Area Free Clinic!  We received
emails afterward  from those who participated who
shared they really enjoyed the time, and were
amazed at the donations! The pantries and the clinic
send their thanks once again for filling their shelves
and helping them to serve families in our community.

Delivery to a Special February Family!

When the caseworker contacted us with this story.... we knew we had to make this happen.   A mom and 8 year  old son, who lost her husband, his dad to the war.  It was a story that broke our hearts.  Mom has dreamt of getting a computer/printer for her son, so that he could enjoy the learning web sites his teacher was recommending to her students like the rest of his classmates.   We met the caseworker at their apartment to set it up for them.  They were a wonderful family...so little to ask....but such a huge thing to save for these days!  Thank you to the donors who made this match possible.  They were both so excited, and so grateful...

  

Delivery to Februarys Family of the Month!

Februarys Family:  A mom, dad, and 3 children living in a 1 bedroom apartment. They have a kitchen, that we shared this kitchen table and desk,  a living room which was big enough for mom and dad's bed (also is used as their couch) a dresser with a TV, and an incredibly small bedroom where the 3 children sleep.  We set up the bunk bed,  and the room was not wide enough for a twin frame for their sons twin bed frame.  Instead  his twin mattress leans against the wall by day, and at night he drops it to the floor.   The kitchen floor was vinyl and in terrible shape. The landlord could not replace it... but dad is handy and wanted to make it nicer for his family, so the caseworker asked if perhaps someone in
VLC might have left overtiles? We shared it in the Feb. Newsletter....but not luck.   Then a VLC family stepped forward and dropped off a $300.00 Home Depot GC to give this family  so supplies can be purchased!   The family was truly over-whelmed!  Dad will be tiling the kitchen this month, and is hoping the landlord will give him a break in the  rent for his efforts!   Such generosity!

Delivery to Another January Client



Last month a caseworker shared a story of a 16 year old teen, a great student, who lived with her parents (both deaf)  She was expecting a baby and in need of a dresser.  A special VLC volunteer touched by her situation contacted us and offered to throw a shower for her.  Due to confidentiality and privacy issues it could not be arranged...so instead this volunteer found, purchased and shared this beautiful dresser/changing table from Craigs List!  She was a young lady well beyond her years....and so grateful for the kindness of this stranger!  The generosity of time and treasure is always amazing....

Sharing with January's Families

A special thank you to our friends at Colder's Furniture who recently contacted us with
a new couch and loveseat to share!  A volunteer with a trailer agreed to pick them up 
and get them to the VLC locker.  The day prior to the pickup, a caseworker from Safe Babies/ Healthy Families emailed with a need for a couch and loveseat for Linden Cherish House, a home for teenage single mothers and children who are considered homeless.  It felt like the match was meant to be.  The pickup volunteer agreed to deliver the couch and loveseat directly to Cherish House that evening, and on a very cold and snowy night, he and his son pulled his trailer thru snowy streets...we shoveled a walkway, and with great determination, pushed both very heavy pieces through 2 doorways that were too small (without taking off the doors!) and into the living room! 

January's Project- Sorting Books for the VLC Childrens Free Library

A special thank you to the VLC Volunteers who signed up and helped with the January
Project, sorting 8,000 books that were donated to the VLC Children's Free Library from
a school that closed.  Volunteers worked to sort the books for children from kinder-
garten to 5th grade for our library and re-boxed all of the books for older children,
along with reference books.  New homes were found for them at several Waukesha
Schools along with Lad Lake.  Your help was greatly appreciated and our present
stockpile should easily carry us well into spring! 

Volunteers Of Lake Country established this library 1.5 years ago. Studies have shown
that there is a direct correlation between the number of books in a child's home to
their success in school, and with your commitment we have continued to maintain
this library at the Hope Center. Thanks to your support, to the book drives you have 
held in your schools, churches and subdivisions, your personal book donations from
home and to your shopping at rummage sales in the summer and collecting your
neighbors leftovers after their rummage sales,  we estimate VLC has given over 1,000
books away to children every month....20,000 books in total!  

VLC Make Wishes come true for their December Family

We  accepted a family from Hebron Homeless Shelter in December.  They told us

that the mom was so full of joy that they had no idea the obstacles she was

working so hard to overcome after losing much of what she had due to the mold

in their basement apartment.  A 'if I won the lottery wish list!' was shared in the

VLC Newsletter on Dec. 3rd, and you shared every  item requested by Dec. 12th!   

A living room couch, chairs, tables, lamps, beds for the 2 daughters, comforters,

sheets, bookshelves, books, encyclopedias, pots and pans, slow cooker, coffee

pot, toaster, bake ware, towels, cleaning supplies, grocery gift cards,  a washer

and dryer along with puzzles,  games, a karaoke machine, sewing machine, dress

form, desk, computer and printer.  Mom was in tears...YOUR generosity  and your

compassion is incredible...searching for the items needed, contacting us and dropping them off in a weeks' time during the busiest month of the year.                                               A Note from the Client:    I want to thank you sooo much for all that VLC did for me and for my family.  My daughter loves her sewing machine and is working on her first  few “designs” I hope she gets to them soon so I can post them for the world to see.  We do a puzzle every night together as a family and my son has started reading the encyclopedias.  He said he wants to be smart and know everything so he can answer all my questions.  You have no idea what your organization has done for me.  You  have made my home a real home some place where it’s warm and safe. We had a truly wonderful Christmas.  I really thank you so very much.  I felt like it was a scene out of Extreme Home Make Over!  From couches, tables and lamps to beds, from linens to towels, and dishes to pots and pans.  Your organization is a blessing and God Bless each and every one of you!   We will never forget you ever.

Christmas Wishes come true for 225 Children!

VLC's November/December Project was to sponsor a   child in  need for Christmas.  It was a commitment of your time and treasure.  You contacted the mom for the child's wish list, shopped, committing to spending $60.00-$100.00 on each child and delivering the gifts to their home.  Individuals, families, businesses and your groups (AHS swim team being one of them!)  brought the joy of Christmas to 225 children this year...up 38%  from last year!  This Project represents over $20,000.00 of giving by VLC individuals and families in one month's time!  Please email to let us know how your experience was...and if you thought about those children on Christmas morning, and wondered you, their secret Santa did!  Thank you again for making a difference in the lives of children...

Thanks to Kids Who Care!

A special thanks to the Kids Who Care who received a grant and made over twenty  'Home Sweet Home' baskets filled with goodies for VLC to share each month with our Families of the Month!  Kids Who Care is a group founded by our very good friends at the  Oconomowoc Junior Women's Club. 

The first November Family

We delivered to a famiy with a 6 & 4 year old sisters and a 10 year old brother.  They needed beds, sheets and comforters for the children.  The girls share this room, and the excitement as we put the beds together, and they saw their matching comforters was so much fun!  The 10 year old brother was so excited when we set his bed up in the other room, to find that we did not pull out a pink and purple comforter for him! 
They  were the  sweetest family, the children were all so excited, and parents so
grateful.