We have had an amazing reception to our sponsoring of a family with the Noble Packages effort that I wanted to give you an update.

We were able to fund the family with 5 kids (I’m still buying things for them, though - we are planning to go tomorrow to get the chairs they need for their table so they can all eat together!). I’m also getting food and cleaning supplies as I can. We have to pack it all up into boxes, so it does involve a bit of work - as you can expect when you volunteer for such a thing. I’ve ordered the device for the the 11 year old so they can keep up with her fluctuating blood sugar levels. I will get gift certificates for a shoe store so the teenage girls can pick out their own boots (hopefully under the direction of their mother). I will also need to get a bunch of school supplies so they are set with paper and such (they have given us a list of things they use.)

BUT

You all were so generous, however, that I signed up for another family - one with a 25 year-old grandson/74 year-old grandmother family. You all have contributed a lot to this family group including new flatware, a set of dishes, some clothing for grandma including a winter coat - among other things, a television, and 2 tons of coal to help with heating. Then we are getting a laptop for the young man as the one he is using is ancient and doesn’t work well.

In addition to that, I’m getting the grandson a couple of articles of clothing. I will give each of them a quilt and a new pillow and blanket and towels as well. Most of this stuff is ordered and will be arriving in the next few days.

Then—

Because the money kept coming, I signed up for a 60 year-old single man with cancer - though from my understanding, is hopefully getting stronger after surgery. We have gotten him a gas stove (with oven), a washing machine (he has none - washes by hand), 1 ton of coal and some food and cleaning supplies. We’re probably going to buy him a bed and mattress as well. He tends to have friends over for tea often so I bought him a lot of cookies and tea so he can have something to share with his guests (he requested this), and some candy. (Once again, most of these bigger things have been ordered and will be arriving this week.)

I may add to that when we go to a huge shopping center and I can find a bigger variety.

Even though he didn’t ask for any clothing items, I think we’ll get him a pair of nice warm gloves. Almost everyone appreciates those when you have to go outside in the winter.

How it works is that each of the families that I’ve signed up for has a so-called “handler”. This is the person that I have contact with - not the family itself. That may happen in the future - we’ll see.

Two of the three family groups have needed coal, for example, and so I had to send money to a bank account to pay for it. Once the coal supplier has the money, he will deliver the coal. That part is up to the handler - to make sure it goes to the right person. My job is to send the money to the correct account (It’s like an e-check.)!

On Saturday and Sunday - in a few days - we will take our packages to a designated place and meet with the handlers of our various families - and leave the packages there. Each box has to be well numbered/identified and they are asking us to decorate them up so they are pretty. I want to make them look kind of “old fashioned” with brown paper and twine and burlap and maybe a little bit of red ribbon (or green, blue, etc). At least that is how I’m going to do the boxes that hold the food and cleaning supplies. The other things - the personal things and clothes, etc. I’d like to wrap in pretty paper.

Then, on the outside of the box, if the articles are for the kid who is 5, for example, we are to put the age of the person who is it, since we do not have the actual name.

We have a fake name as they didn’t want to put the real names of the person on the internet for all to see. I understand that. I had wondered if that was the case and had considered trying to embroider something for our older girls in the family - but then decided I didn’t know for sure if the names I was given was their actual names. I checked and no, they aren’t. They do it for anonymity of the family/children in their own neighborhoods.

We’re going to leave the chairs in their boxes - and probably the bed. The recipients can put them together! :) LOL

When we get each family group’s things all together - before we get them all wrapped, I’ll take photos so you can see. Then, I’ll take more AFTER we get it all wrapped up. We have to deliver them to various warehouses/schools for delivery to their families. I’m putting on the box that the donor is “The Quilted Twins”. It will be a perfect opportunity to take photos.

So there you are! Here’s the latest update!

Oh…and one more thing. Rachael issued another call as I think I had enough money to provide for another family. So I did. Today. (I’m writing this on Sunday.) I’ll work on it in the next couple of days - but I’ve got to get some things ordered today so we can get these things by Friday.

Have a great day wherever you are reading this! Stay safe!

Be sure to check out what my sis has for you in the store here!

Here’s one of the beauties we have! This beautiful panel is here!