This last family I took on when I still had just over $2000 left and yet I couldn’t think of anything to buy for the big family. I started reading the needs that people had, and realized once again, that there were other very needy families out there - and we could help them.

In short, this was a lady, 59, and her son, 34. He had had an epileptic seizure while working about two years ago and fell off a roof and since then he has been unable to do his building work, leaving them in a bad way financially. However, he has been having rehab for the ensuing time, and he hopes to get back to work in 2022. With work, he will be able to help his mom and function again without additional help.

They live far away from any big city, near the woods and out a bumpy dirt road. We took their presents to them on Sunday afternoon after driving out there in the early afternoon.

She was there, but her son was not. We delivered the presents and then watched her/helped her open the presents.

We got this family a table/chairs, an oven/range, microwave, vacuum cleaner, food and cleaning supplies, all the bedding needed including quilts for each - and some various clothing items and gardening things for her. For the son I did get things I thought a person who likes to build would like. Each got new shoes. I knew they didn’t have a car, so I did not get them gift cards because I thought they might not use them as they were far from any store that offered them. Thankfully the pair of tennis shoes I bought her fit just fine. She didn’t try on the hiking boots type of shoes - as she already had the others on. She loved the slippers.

This lady was a more typical ‘in the village” lady living in a village house. I did not use the bathroom while there, but one of the people with us did, and he said that there was no running water in the bathroom, but rather, just a bucket of water near the toilet for making the toilet flush.

These people needed a table and four chairs - so we found a second-hand one in gorgeous shape PLUS a myriad other things. Since the lady loves working in her garden, I enjoyed getting her some gardening things including some boots, pretty garden utensils and a whole set of magazines called “My garden” - four binders full which will give her hours and hours of reading and browsing pleasure. Her house was quite small - at least the part we saw. During the winter they block off part of it so that it is easier to keep warm where they sleep.

This place was well over an hour from our house but we packed up the boxes after church on Sunday morning and drove there as quickly as we could - we had a LOT of stuff to try to fit in our vehicles plus trailer - as my husband and I each drove and Robert and Ewa drove plus we had a trailer. We had the last two families’ gifts - so a LOT of boxes! We did make it however, without adding a second trailer. The weather wasn’t the best so we didn’t want to use that other trailer as it was an open one. The men managed to get all the boxes for both families (#6,7) in these vehicles.

The lady enjoyed checking out every item! It was fun to see her reactions. In return, she gave Ewa and me each a plant she had in her kitchen.

Thank you again, everyone who helped!

We were able to help 7 families - including coal for three families, food and cleaning supplies for all and all kinds of things needed for household living and to improve the quality of life by providing some long term items that will actually help families. We helped a total of 23 people - 12 about an hour away from us but the other 11 in the Otwock region.

You all gave almost $19,000 towards this project! We spent almost all of it - and what is remaining I will put towards next year’s project. I had less than $200 left, I believe we got these people good quality items that will help them long term - not just “the big day” of delivery.

Thank you again! Now it’s time for me to move on, put all these records away and press forward with some of my other goals.

Have a great day wherever you are reading this! Thanks for coming along with me on my quilting/sewing journey!

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

Here’s one of the beauties we have!