Newsletter: January 10, 2007

That which you want to be eventually, be every day, and by and by the quality of your deeds will seep down into your soul. -- Frank Crane

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The absolute best news we have to share is that our dear Julie Miles has landed in the new year with a clean bill of health. As you know, our 37 year old partner underwent chemotherapy treatment over the last few months for breast cancer. We are doing psychic cartwheels in response to her surgery results: there are no cancerous (or even precancerous) cells in the tissue surrounding the area where her tumor once was. While radiation has just begun, Julie feels like she has the wind at her back. Chemo was ugly and it's over and it worked. Deep breath.

Throughout this fall and winter, Julie stayed at the helm of Creek Kids Care, handling our books, the online orders, assembly events, the kids and even occasional snack duty. We were ever so grateful for her presence and time and for the way she modeled good humor, determination and faith in the face of her illness to us and all our children.

A look back at 2006

This was a year of great accomplishment for Creek Kids Care. 2006 is our third fall in operation, and there was something solid and easy about this time around.

With the success of our first art gallery in September, we entered the fall with money in our pockets and a plan to share it, lots of motivation and pride on the kids' part, some surprising publicity and an eye to branch out a bit.

Our Warm Winters project for Fresh Start went off without a hitch. We were able to purchase 40 tents, 40 sleeping bags and 30 something tarps to keep our community members without homes drier and healthier this winter. On election day, Emmalee Berryman Maciel and her mom Dona showed up in their pick up (we love moms who drive trucks) to decorate boxes and boxes to be delivered to Fresh Start that afternoon. They were joined by Emma and Abby Freemire, Isabelle and Geneva Donohoe, Tess, Alex, Jack and Graham Rossi, Lauren and Grace Gardner, Eva and Simon Krueger, Kate Didion, Kate Stephens, Bitta Kahangi, Sian and Hannah Phillips, Lacey Reese, Christine Donohoe and Susana Gardner

The boxes were decorated with messages of the kids' love and support as you can see:

Here are the kids ready to unload the boxes and bring them into the BEST place to belong if you're going to live outside: Fresh Start. It was Fresh Start's Director, Susan Prather's birthday; the birthday sign the kids are holding was made for her.

Thanksgiving at Fresh Start

This is the third year that Cat has organized baking for Fresh Start's Thanksgiving. Thank you so much to the families who participated: the Angus family, the Fragens, the Rossis, the Kahangis, the Krooks, the Stephens, the Bevans, the Reeses, the Freemires and the Weiner-Lights.

Cat reports: "We delivered cookies, biscotti, pies, cakes, brownies and breads. Wow! Everything looked yummy. We caravanned over with the Bevans and the Weiner-Lights. All the kids carried in goodies to the smiles of the Fresh Start members and Susan and Bill. It was lovely. Their tables were already set with daisy placemats, ready for the 60-person sit down dinner."

There is something so much more satisfying about eating a big feast when you know you've reached out to help others. Paradoxically, giving leads to such a sense of gratitude.

Card and Touchstone Sales

This season, we sold more stationery (both our original art cards and our printed "favorites" (which can be ordered from the website) and our touchstone magnets than we ever have. The obvious key was having more kids making more cards. We had well-attended assembly parties throughout the fall.

Active Creek Kids who run the assembly include: Caitlyn Fieldhouse, Sian and Hannah Phillips, Juliana McCormick, Katie Fragen, Emily Albaugh, Alex and Tess Rossi, Kate and Meg Stephens, Isabelle Donohoe, Maya Asregadoo, Jackie Kuyat, Natalie Lund, Eva and Simon Krueger, Abby and Emma Freemire, Kelly and Katie Mallon, Ali and Erin Wolff, Maggie Ridenhour, Sophie Weingarten, Maggie Head, Erin Weckel, Adrienne Burgin, Marcelle McLaslin, Emmy Hurley, Michaela Baker, Maya Young, Emma and Abby Freemire. (It is more than possible I missed someone. Apologies if I did.) There were LOTS of new faces this fall. It's been great to fold some new assemblers into the mix.

In addition, we had some outside help which we always welcome. Kathleen McGough led assembly at her Hillside Covenant's middle school group. They did an incredible job and got much more done than we anticipated. Also, Julie Krug, the esteemed leader of the WCI Teens Around the World Class, lent us 10 of her students to assemble away.

Collaboration between Teens Around the World, a class of totally committed and bright middle school activists, and Creek Kids Care is just beginning. Joining forces is a logical and exciting venture.

By the way, we still have some cards in stock, so if you need a pack or two for thank you notes, let us know (via email or via the website). Again, if you're local, it's easier and less expensive to pick them up from us rather than having us mail them to you.

The Scarf Project

Knitters have crawled out of the woodwork with knitting needles in hand to join Cat in Creek Kids Care's new Scarf Project. It's been inspiring to see the response. The result from the last few months of knitting is over 50 scarves knit for the members of Fresh Start. They were absolutely beautiful and varied in yarn and style. We really did want to keep a few for ourselves, but resisted since we didn't want to set a bad example for the kids who were wrapping them.

Knitters include: May Newton (who wins our most-scarves-knitted award), Gita Kahangi, Michelle Dow, Cat and Julie, Ellen Bierle-Keller and her mother-in-law, Julie Halpin, Kathy Ito, Anna Hanson, Alison Trules, Susana Gardner, Chris Naff, Sara Runco, Susan Light, Fran Goldie-Marcus, Lisa Angus, Kathryn Winogura and Ava Law. (Knitters: stand by for the next knitting party, date to be announced in February.)

The kids gather around the scarves before getting down to wrapping.

We had an excellent time making cards and wrapping up the scarves for the members (and the board members) of Fresh Start. The kids took a break from their work and snacked on cookies (brought by Caroline and Renee Alexander), tangerines and some hot chocolate. It was such fun. Kids who participated were: Sarah Miles, Madeline Bakar, Kate Stephens, Caroline Alexander, Abby Freemire, Eva and Simon Krueger, Sian and Hannah Phillips, Erin Weckel, Maggie Head, and Emily Albaugh.

A little holiday publicity

That afternoon, we were surprised to hear that a photographer from the Contra Costa Times was on his way over to take some pictures of the kids in action. The thrill of having a color photo and story featured on the front page two days later was tempered only by the fact that not all kids present were included in the photo. [Read Article in Contra Costa Times]

Creek Kids gather around their merchandise for the CC Times photographer.

We've received such great publicity this year. It makes us feel that the earth is spinning more sturdily on its axis knowing that our kids are being recognized for their kindness. In our book, compassion wins out any day over good report cards and soccer goals.

The year ahead

With conviction and total enthusiasm, the Creek Kids will work in 2007 to support our homeless community members at Fresh Start, Walnut Creek (www.freshstartwc.org) . In addition, we will raise the money necessary to fully fund the 2008 school year for "our" preschool in Zimbabwe. This preschool, and so many others like it are created and maintained through the amazing work of the J.F. Kapnek Trust (www.jfkapnektrust.org) . We encourage all of you to check out each of these organizations' websites. Cat, Julie, the Creek Kids and I are inspired by the total dedication and tenacity of those who make these organizations run.

Cat, Julie and I are planning to meet next week to do planning for this year's upcoming events, so stay tuned. First on our list will be to fill the order for 300 touchstone magnets due to be mailed on February 1st. We'll send out a notice as soon as we decide on our dates.

Thank you

For the three of us, the Creek Kids and the work we do with them continue to be a great source of joy and meaning. Working with your children is inspiring and exciting to us. It's also pretty wonderful to see how this group is weaving itself into the fabric of our community.

We thank you all for your continued support, warmth and enthusiasm, the carpooling, paper cutting, late night assembling – all you have done and will do to keep this organization humming.

We wish you a new year of joy, health, and love.

Warmly,

Laura, Julie and Cat