January comes each year.
High School Exams come each year.
And after exams comes..... wait for it....
CARE PACKAGE TIME!! WHOOT
It's been some years since we started doing this ministry, and I wanted to know when we started, so after going back to my old blog posts, I discovered it began way back in January 2015
(but the first post was Feb 2016).
So we've been doing this for 10 years now. WOW!
That first year we prepared 30 packages for the Ottawa Campus Chaplaincy. Calvin Congregants donated items that I asked for and on the evening of preparation we prepared hand-made cards, wrapped the boxes, and coloured the wrapping paper.
Whew, what was I thinking : )!!
In 2016 we did 60 packages.
2017 - 114 packages
2018 - 144 packages
2019 - 174 packages
2020 - 175 packages - and we stopped wrapping the boxes with paper, and just taped them. : ) Saved a lot of time! Also, I just asked for donations of funds vs stuff. It's actually easier. :)
2021 - 97 packages made by my family during COVID for the youth and young adults of Calvin CRC
2022 - 125 packages again made by my family during COVID and distributed to youth and young adults of Calvin CRC.
2023 - back to regular packages for Ottawa Campus Chaplaincy and those in school from Calvin CRC. 175 of them.
2024 - 175 packages once again.
Pics are below but before you get to that some fun facts.
Contents of each box was:
- New Testament Bibles - Book of John 1 / box
- Mr. Noodle 1 / box
- Highlighters - 1 / box
- Microwave popcorn 2 / box
- Gum packets 1 per box
- Oatmeal packages 3 / box
- Small tissue packets 1 / box
- Granola Bars - 2 / box
- Hot Chocolate 2 / box
- Fruitsations 2 / box
- Earl Grey Tea packets 3 / box
- Small post-it notes - 1 /box
- Rice Crispy Square - 1 / box
- Mini Ritz cheese 1/ box
- Cheddar Cheese Goldfish 1/box
- Nestle full-sized chocolate bars 1 / box
- Werther's originals 2 / box
- Celebration Mini Chocolate Chips - 1 / box
- Paper mate pens - 1 / box
- Swiss milk chocolate start with 5 / box
- $5 Tim's cards - 1 / box
- Hand Made Card 1 / box
The total number of pieces purchased and put into the boxes was 6500 - give or take a couple of hundred more : )
Total donated amount
This year generous donors gave $3,175 which allowed all the above items to be purchased. I was able to spend it all, going over by only $6.08 : )
Parcels will be given out to:
• 5 to Redeemer U students away
• 5 to persons just needing a pick me up
• 9 to people attending Calvin and are students
• 10 in reserve in case someone needs one : )
• 146 to U of Ottawa Students via Ottawa Campus Chaplaincy.
Thanks to all from Calvin who donated items or funds to make this possible.
So, once again, here's all the before-work:
The trek to Costco to get the goods.
Also to Food Basics to get some items as well as Staples.
Then I put them by my office to await packing.
Ordering the boxes from Staples.
Getting the Bibles.
And taping the boxes so they could be stuffed.
This year I did that to save some time.
Oh and to Tim's to get the 175 gift cards.
Good thing they do them in batches.
I'd be there for hours if they didn't : )
This year I also decided to have the cards prepared on the front and a short contact info blurb on the inside.
Then those making the cards would have more time to write something nice rather than decorate, though many did a great job at both.
Thanks Megan for making the front of the card.
And the night arrived.
A good mix of youth and young adults and a mentor.
Whoot!!
We got the boxes put into the long room
And Megan and Miranda headed up the card prep portion.
It takes time to do things 175 times.
As some were getting the boxes ready,
others got the stuff from near my office.
Ryne is trying to hold up the wall?
Sam, that pile is almost as tall as you are :)
Almost done. : )
The cardmakers are in full swing.
Some very nice cards were made.
Boxes lined up and ready for stuff.
Scott and Leanne headed up the putting stuff into boxes portion.
It takes surprisingly long to place 175 items into the boxes. : )
Phil opening them all up.
That too took some time.
Scott giving directions.
And the group following them
(mostly) : )
More getting assignments.
And more.
Organized chaos :)
The boxes start to fill.
Ryne felt he needed to make this a competition of speed : )
Oh Ryne, Ryne, Ryne : )
And yes, we needed to pack down the empty boxes.
Elijah starting things off.
Others joined him eventually.
The boxes getting fuller.
Lots of cardboard to flatten.
The boxes are pretty much done.
They were very full this year so we had everyone move things around to make sure they would close.
Notice the right side, is not adjusted yet, and the left side is adjusted.
After the gift cards and cards were put in Theo and I closed the boxes.
The packing tape wasn't very cooperative with the tape gun was it Theo : )
Lots of time was spent fixing the tape gun.
Whoot.
The finished product and group shot.
As the final act of kindness, the boxes were brought upstairs to my office area for me to soon hand out here and bring to Ryan for the Ottawa Campus Chaplaincy.
Oh, and the next day I noticed how those who put the boxes here did a marvelous job making them look like brickwork.
Nice work, whomever you were : )
Finally, some videos of the group working hard.
Videos
Everyone placing items in.
and more items.
Ryne speed dumping items into the boxes.
repacking the boxes.
They were so quiet : )
Soooooooo another one in the books.
THANKS AGAIN all of you who donated towards this cause.
THANKS to the youth and young adults who showed up to make this happen again as well.
Time to bless those whom God has prepared to be blessed.
Whoot!!!
And no, we didn't do the 225 I suggested last year.
Maybe next year : )
