Clip With Purpose

Samaritan’s Purse Response to Oklahoma Tornadoes

Mary — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:18:43 +0000

Our hearts are heavy with the loss and destruction of the storms and tornadoes that swept through the Oklahoma City area Sunday and Monday.

This blog focuses on the ministry of Operation Christmas Child, but our parent organization is Samaritan’s Purse. Operation Christmas Child is only one of it’s many ministries. The story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37) gives a clear picture of God’s desire for us to help those in desperate need wherever we find them. Samaritan’s Purse provides assistance in order to earn a hearing for the Gospel, the Good News of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

Right now Samaritan’s Purse US Disaster Relief is responding to the destruction in Oklahoma. Staff members are on the ground in the affected area, and more are on their way. Two Disaster Relief Units were deployed from their North Carolina headquarters before dawn on Tuesday. One will be based in Moore, and the other in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Samaritan’s Purse is also responding to tornadoes that hit Hood County in Texas last week. Volunteers began helping in Granbury on Monday, the first day they were allowed into the affected area.

Samaritan’s Purse Disaster Relief Trucks Depart for Oklahoma Video

“Our prayers are with all of those who are suffering…” Samaritan’s Purse President, Franklin Graham said. “We are going to stand by them and do everything we can to help them recover physically, emotionally and spiritually.”

Please pray for those affected.

To help the victims of tornadoes in Oklahoma:

Visit Samaritan’s Purse Disaster Relief to learn more and donate online.
You, your family, your church group, etc. can register to volunteer to help with the clean up. (Meals and sleeping quarters will be provided. Local volunteers are also welcome. Volunteers need to bring an air mattress or cot, sleeping bag or sheets, towels, and personal hygiene items.)
Volunteers should be prepared for manual labor to include home repair, construction and/or clean up. Volunteers must be 14 years or older. For volunteers who are 14 & 15 they must serve alongside their parent or legal guardian. For volunteers 16 & 17, they may serve with an adult chaperone, however they must bring the volunteer waiver signed by their parent/legal guardian and notarized.
You can text SP to 80888 to make a $10 donation to Samaritan’s Purse Disaster Response efforts. The text donation may not work on some carriers, especially smaller local ones. You can donate through this link – it will work on your mobile phone: Donate Online

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Operation Sew Love Craft Group – Colorado Springs, Colorado!

Mary — Sun, 19 May 2013 22:41:12 +0000

Do you have an Operation Christmas Child Crafting Group?

What a great way to make items for shoe boxes and make friends as well!

There are many local crafting groups popping up all around the country. This keeps the costs down and fill up shoe boxes with beautiful and useful items. Each crafted item is sure to be treasured!

This is the First in a Series hoping to highlight the fun, but hard work of those local groups. If you have a group like this, please let me know! We might feature it in a post and get the word out so more people can join!! Or maybe this might inspire you to START a group!

Last year Donna looked into her closet full of material scraps and thought to herself,

“I could make a lot of kids’ backpacks and other fun stuff out of all of this!”

(From left, Nancy, Marie, Melissa, Holly with Donna, seated)

“At first I was going to make 20 backpacks, then 50, then 100. Finally I decided to make one for each of the 700 Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes that two of my friends packed. I named our group: “Operation Sew Love”. We meet monthly and have about 5-15 people come out to each meeting. We recently had our 4^th sewing day this year and have almost 250 backpacks done with a goal of 800 this year!

Since I have all the material (a number of people have been donating fabric and trim), I cut out the backpacks to save time. We personalize each with trim/lace/pockets. They are very simple and inexpensive to make (each backpack costs less than .50, and you can complete the sewing in about 30 minutes). I have found most of the macramé cord on eBay, thrift stores or Hobby Lobby.

They all have a label that says Jesus Loves You or something similar. I have read so many of the children’s stories that say no one ever told them they were loved.”

Her friend Melissa (who is the local volunteer Operation Christmas Child Media Coordinator) wrote a great article about Donna in their local paper. ” A quilt group saw the article and I am going to show them how to make them for us. I am humbled to see how this project has snowballed and so excited to see how it will bless hundreds of children.”

What a great way to keep expanding the project!

Anyone interested in being a part of Operation Sew Love in Colorado Springs, Colorado, you are invited to contact Melissa at 719-338-2300.

“We have the best time creating unique backpacks & everyone wants to know when our next sewing day is!”

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Target: Free Flip Flops (UPDATE) (Plus 30 Cent Flip Flops)

Mary — Sun, 19 May 2013 05:23:25 +0000

If you haven’t yet printed out your Target $2 off flip flops, you missed it! EDIT: THE COUPON IS NOW GONE, HOPE YOU PRINTED OUT YOURS! Starting today, they have their $2.50 flip flops on sale for $2, making these free with coupon. I still have one yet to use!

ALSO this is the LAST day that the “RED” dot items will be available for 70% off in the Target Dollar Spot. Yesterday we were able to score 175 pairs of flip flops from just 1 store that had been reduced to 30 cents each. 175 pairs for $52.50….not bad! Actually I think these Dollar Spot flip flops are nicer than their $2.50 flip flops! But I still am going for that free pair

People have reported getting activity kits, board books, bracelets, socks and other items as well. It is the last day of the sale, so it is hard to say if they will have much selection.

We had some great conversations about Operation Christmas Child with fellow shoppers, as well as Target employees once they saw our 3 carts full! We even gave them brochures and my card. As we keep saying….it’s all about making relationships

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Staples – Free Ream of Copy Paper after Easy Rebate

Mary — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:23:59 +0000

Free ream of copy paper from Staples. Use the coupon in the store and send for the Easy Rebate. I find the rebates so much easier than the Rewards Program. After purchase, just fill in your information online and they send you a check – and it comes rather quickly!

Print out your coupon.

Good until 5/19.

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The $10 Shoe Box Challenge – By Candice

Mary — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:58:29 +0000

Jessica often shared with us pics and info on her personal Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes she packed for the $10 Shoe Box Challenge. (You can see all the posts HERE.) The “challenge” is to use $10 INCLUDING the $7 Shipping, which would mean you must be able to get all the items to pack into the box for the remaining $3.

We haven’t had a Challenge with pics in almost a year.

Candice wrote and offered to take on the task!

My name is Candice and I live in Oklahoma. This is my first year packing shoeboxes, and I decided to challenge myself pack a $10 shoebox. My husband and I had our first son in December. Having a little boy has made me think often about how truly fortunate we are. God has been so generous to us. We’re excited to love on some special little boys and girls through these shoeboxes. It’s so fun to imagine the joy of a little boy just a bit older than our little fella opening this box:

This box is for a 2-4 year old little boy.

Toothbrush – $0.07 – Oral care deal at Target, using coupons and rolling gift cards got 28 toothbrushes and 17 tubes toothpaste for $3.04, or $0.07 each.

Toothpaste – $0.07 – Same as above.

Bar Soap – $0.03 – Three pack for free after coupon doubled at Homeland. Just paid tax.

Comb – $0.09 – Dozen pack from Dollar Tree.

Hat & Gloves – $0.60 – 90% off winter clearance from Dollar General.

Erasers – $0.10 – Dozen erasers clearance at Target for $0.50.

Crayons – $0.16 – 48 pack from Dollar Tree.

Pencil Sharpener – $0.09 – Dozen pack from Dollar Tree.

Flashlight – $0.58 – Dozen pack from Oriental Trading.

Pencil Case – $0.05 – Walmart clearance.

Animal Shaped Easter Eggs – $0.40 – Easter clearance from Hobby Lobby.

FREEBIES

Washcloth – Bought some full sized towels at JCP, free after $10/$10 coupon. Cut them into washcloth size and backed with flannel I had on hand.

Tote Bag – Upcycled a work out shirt into a small tote bag that I thought was perfect size for little hands.

Tennis Ball – Cost covered by overage from other coupons at Walmart.

Grow-in-water Alligator – Walmart clearance, cost covered by overage from other coupons.

Pen – Free promotional pen from our bank.

Paper Notepad – Re-gift.

Batteries – Free from CVS after $3/$10 coupon and $3ECB from money making transaction.

Plastic Measuring Spoons – I bought a pack of these because I wanted the TBSP, but didn’t need the rest.

Stuffed Bear Woobie – Re-gift from my son’s baby shower.

Paper Scraps – From my scrapbooking stash.

Small Booklet – Free at church on Mothers’ Day.

Toy Horses – We bought a dozen pack for our house, but swiped two to put into this shoebox.

Total So Far: $2.24

I’d still like to add some pencils, candy, and maybe even a toy car.

I think she did a GREAT job! I’ve been “challenged” to gather up my items and pack a box now to check out it’s total cost. Maybe there will be more “Challenge” posts!

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Target Dollar Spot – EDITED – RED Dots 50% off (will go to 70% later this week)

Mary — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:10:00 +0000

Thanks to a sharp-eyed reader, we’ve learned that at TARGET’s DOLLAR SPOT— RED DOT items are 50% off.

She found flip flops for 50 cents! (For some reason the solid ones were on sale, and the patterned ones had a different color dot! and were NOT on sale.)

Every Target has a different selection, and only some stores post timely signs. Just grab an item and price check to make sure.

EDITED: THEY ARE NOW 70% OFF – 30 Cents Each. Usually everything will be salvaged by next Monday morning.

Thank you Audra!

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Free This Week at Your Local Stores

Mary — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:58:30 +0000

There are a few more coupon deals this week.

With coupons, these items could be FREE.

Hopefully some of them are located near you!

MENARDS

100% Cotton Hand Towel $4.00

Submit for $5 Rebate

Price as low as FREE + $1 Money maker!

Mechanical Pencils 2pk $2.00

Submit for Rebate

Price as low as FREE

DOLLAR TREE (this is in addition to the deals posted yesterday!)

Werther’s Original Candy $1.00

$1/1 Werther’s Original Sugar Free Candy printable (from facebook, have to “like” their page)

$1/2 Werther’s Original Caramels, exp. 6/30/13 (SS 04/21/13 R)

Price as low as FREE

Gain Fabric Enhancer Sheets $1.00 (NOT for packing in the shoeboxes! I put these in the large bags I store my stuffed animals – keeps them smelling fresh.)

$0.20/1 Gain Detergent or Gain Fabric Enhancer or Era Detergent, exp. 5/31/13 (RP 04/14/13 R)

$1/1 Gain Detergent or Fabric Enhancer, Era Detergent or Tide Powder, exp. 5/31/13 (RP 04/14/13 R)

$0.40/1 Gain Detergent or Fabric Enhancer or Era Detergent, exp. 5/31/13 (RP 04/14/13)

Price as low as FREE

Scotch Magic Tape One-Handed Dispenser $1.00 (Either include this in the shoe box, or use for wrapping your shoe box!)

$1/1 Scotch Magic Tape One-Handed Dispenser printable

Price as low as FREE

SHAWS

Colgate Toothpaste or Plus Toothbrush – $1.00

$1/2 Colgate Adult or Kids Manual Toothbrush, exp. 5/18/13 (SS 04/28/13 R)

$0.50/1 Colgate Toothpate, exp. 5/25/13 (SS 05/12/13 R)

$0.35/1 Colgate Toothpaste, exp. 5/25/13 (SS 05/12/13)

$0.35/1 Colgate Adult or Kids Manual Toothbrush, exp. 5/18/13 (SS 04/28/13)

$0.50/1 Colgate Adult or Kids Manual Toothbrush, exp. 5/18/13 (SS 04/28/13 R)

Price as low as FREE

Thank you MojoSavings!

(For further Dollar Tree Deals, check yesterday’s post: HERE

and the Walgreens Coupons Match-Ups: HERE

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Dollar Tree Deals (from ShoeBoxes of Love)

Mary — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:45:06 +0000

Rhonda has a great blog over at “ShoeBoxes of Love” Make sure to check it out! Just like us, she hopes her blog “inspires people to pack shoe boxes, pray, and share the news about Operation Christmas Child with others in your life.”

Her recent post has coupon match-ups for use at Dollar Tree. Did you know they now accept Manufacturer’s Coupons?? (Check out Dollar Tree’s website for details.)

Colgate Kids Manual Toothbrush $1.00

Use $0.35/1 Colgate Adult or Kids Manual Toothbrush, exp. 5/18/13 (SS 04/28/13)
Or $0.50/1 Colgate Adult or Kids Manual Toothbrush, exp. 5/18/13 (SS 04/28/13 R)
Final Price: as low as $0.50

Band-Aid Flexible Band Aids $1.00

Use $0.75/2 Band-Aid Brand Adhesive Bandages Product, exp. 5/24/13 (RP 04/07/13 #2)
Or $0.50/1 Band-Aid Quilt Product printable
Or $0.75/2 Band-Aid Product printable
Final Price: as low as 0.50

Aquafresh Extreme Clean Toothpaste $1.00

Use $1/1 Aquafresh Extreme Clean, exp. 6/14/13 (RP 04/14/13)
Or $0.50/1 Aquafresh Extreme Clean Whitening Action Toothpaste printable
Final Price: as low as FREE

Colgate Toothpaste $1.00

Use $0.50/1 Colgate Toothpaste, exp. 5/25/13 (SS 05/12/13 R)
Final Price: as low as $0.50

Thank you Rhonda!

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Olive’s Pencil Cases

Mary — Sun, 12 May 2013 22:45:16 +0000

I follow a Facebook Group “Crafting for ShoeBoxes” . Everyone shares the latest things they are working on. Olive made a bunch of great pencil cases and was kind enough to not only give us the directions, but photograph each step of the way! She said I could share it all with you! (You can click on each picture to enlarge it to see any sewing details you need.)

Olive’s Pencil Cases

I try to use a firm curtain or upholstery fabric, otherwise I line cotton with some thin Pellon and backing fabrics so that the pencil cases are not floppy. The dimensions are not set in concrete as I make the pencil cases depending on what fabric or materials I have. I like this method because you can use a smaller zip than the fabric and there is no zip material in the seam allowance. Doing the zip this way means that the opening is down a bit from the top, which I find works well.

Cut two pieces of fabric -
One 6 ½ inches by 12 inches
One 8 ½ inches by 12 inches

Pick a zip about 7-9 inches long for this size. I even used a smaller one and it still gives a good opening to get the pencils etc inside. (I recycle zips as long as they are in good condition, as I often use second hand wool or ultra suede clothing in my soft toys, for faces and hair etc) (FROM MARY—I have seen packages of zippers at different “dollar” stores, several for $1) Cut two tabs for either end of the zip, about 1 ½ inch by 5 inches each, then iron each in half.

Overlock or zigzag one long end of each piece of fabric, then iron this edge over with about a ¾ – 1 inch hem

Sew one tab onto each end of the zip using a zip foot, with the folded edge of the fabric facing inwards

Place one ironed edge on the zip, center it and pin it in place – I like to have some zip showing. Sew close to the edge of fabric using a zip foot. (This way you don’t have to sew a basting seam in)

Do the same with the other piece of fabric

Trim the sides if the tabs are too long at this stage

Open the zip about 2-3 inches. With right sides facing, match up the other edges

Sew all around the three sides, then overlock or zigzag the raw edges. Open up the zip and turn the pencil case so the right sides are now facing out and press. I like to sew a top stitch along the top edges close to the edge to hold it in place.

Everyone thought this method could easily be used to make a purse, wash bag, make-up bag, a sewing purse or even a little handbag if you add straps.

Thank You OLIVE for Sharing This With Us!!!

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Happy Mother’s Day

Mary — Sun, 12 May 2013 15:05:22 +0000

An Operation Christmas Child shoe box gift encourages not just the child, but often their mothers as well.

“By our house, there was lots of shooting at night and tanks and helicopters nearby. We didn’t have a place to hide so we just hid on the floor in my mom’s room by the bed. My mom would lay on the floor with us and read to us from the Bible and then we didn’t feel so scared because different stories in the Bible show how Jesus can protect us, and if we are hurt He can heal us. But I kept wondering why everyone in the world didn’t care about us or what happened to us.

When we got these gifts, I was so happy because I got many nice things. My mom said it showed that people in the world care about us and are thinking of us. And also Jesus cares about us all the time and wants us to be happy and feel safe wherever we are.” – Young shoe box recipient

And another story:

“Thank you for the wonderful gifts. It was so nice to receive them from such a far away country. The gifts brought with them joy that lingers with us for a long time. My name is Alyona and am fourteen years old. I have a younger sister and brother; they are six years and two years old.

I would like to express how happy me and my family were to receive your gifts. Additionally we have another great reason to rejoice. Recently my mother opened up her heart to receive the Lord as her Savior. Now we have true happiness and have a happy family.” - Shoe box recipient in Belarus

Happy Mother’s Day!

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