You guys are awesome!
In the last week since we announced our plans to send comfort quilts and disaster relief supplies to Japan, in partnership with Mission of Love, we've been flooded with emails, phone calls, and Facebook queries about the project.
Yes, it is happening. Thank you so much for letting us know that you are on board for this HUGE project!
We've heard from individuals and guilds, and at the same time I've been hearing from friends in Japan and posting news updates on my blog.
I am going to ask you to carefully read the information we have to share, and then sit tight for the next newsletter with further information. We've been flooded with so many queries that we have not been able to respond to all of them.
We will put up a page for the project in the next few days, with all the pertinent details, so you can share the link and info with others if you wish. Watch for this in our Tuesday night/Weds morning "Creative Nudge" newsletter.
* If you have quilts ready to ship, go ahead and send them to MOL at:
Mission of Love Foundation
2054 Hemlock Court
Youngstown, Ohio 44515
U.S.A
.
Please understand that for a grassroots organizations to run a project of this size, there is no person who is going to send you a confirmation of receipt. If you wish to confirm receipt, then you must send the quilt(s) with a tracking number for yourself.
* DO NOT SHIP QUILTS TO eQUILTER –
Ship quilts DIRECTLY to Mission of Love so they are not delayed by multiple shipping.
If you drop off quilts *IN PERSON* at eQuilter in Boulder Colorado, we will be happy to ship them to Mission of Love in Youngstown Ohio.
We don't know yet when the shipment will go, but right now we are looking at shipping out of Youngstown in about one month. (This is only a current estimate!) It will go to an Air Force base on the west coast, then will be flown on a military cargo plane to Japan. We are still working out the details of distribution, and it depends on when the radiation subsides and it is safe to distribute, etc.
If you have questions, PLEASE do not contact Mission of Love because they are working with a small hearty staff of volunteers in their warehouse on a military base, but they are not set up to respond to a flood of email queries.
If you have questions that are not answered in my newsletters, on my blog, or on the project page that will go up in the next week, contact eQuilter Customer Service via email at:
[email protected]
Now I would like to share a letter that I received today from Kathy at MOL, inviting us all to join with her to send a shipment of disaster relief supplies and quilts:
March 19, 2011
Dearest Luana,
Here I am again asking of your help to share our compassion and love to those of Japan. There are no words that we can convey to the great loss that the country of Japan has endured last week. This loss will continue for decades and we all ask just how we can help. In the past, we have partnered with eQuilter.com to hand deliver 3000 quilts to the survivors of 911 in New York. We hand delivered quilts to the survivors of Katrina, in which the recipients literally fell in my arms after receiving them. Our Haitian orphans now have a quilt to call there own, because of you and your friends of eQuilter.com. Why not have your friends make quilts for our friends of Japan? My Native American friends taught me that to give a quilt is to show the utmost respect, honor and admiration to a person.
Luana, I intend to send an airlift of medical, educational, and basic needs to the people of Japan. I would like to add quilts with this airlift that will be thru the Denton Program. Mission of Love is the largest user of the Denton Program in the country. Check out our web site, www.missionoflove.org and view some of our work that has been done by all volunteers for the past twenty two years. Know that this is not only my Mission of Love but it is everyone's mission in life to have compassion and love in their hearts for our fellowmen. What a great opportunity to make a difference in such a loving way.
You have continued throughout the years to support our Mission of Love via eQuilter.com. Know that because of you, our work of love has continued, with no grants or government funding. We, together have helped the people who really need our hand. Thank you so much! Know that this is not my job, but my life to continue being a facilitator on just how one can be of service.
Please consider this worthy mission of love to help heal the children and people of Japan.
Sincerely,
Kathleen M. Price
Mission of Love Founder/Director
[email protected]
*********
Yes Kathy, on behalf of our customers and friends who wish to help the people of Japan, we accept this challenge and will join you on this relief project.
The commander of a west coast Air Force base has agreed to help us ship the relief supplies and quilts to Japan, but there are still many expenses related to this project. eQuilter will invest in much of the expenses, but it will still not be enough if we want to add more crucial medical supplies to the shipment.
If you cannot send a quilt but would like to help, please go to www.missionoflove.org and make a donation so we can add the most urgently needed medical supplies.
If you live outside of the US and wish to donate a quilt, you are welcome to participate, but please send your quilts immediately, or look for a local relief project that may get your donations there even faster. Donating funds to MOL online is another way to support this effort.
Remember also that when you place an order, if your 2% contribution goes to Mission of Love, it will help to fund this project.
I express my most humble gratitude for all of you who wish to go on this journey together. Thank you for joining us to send our love and support to the victims of this devastating event in Japan.
