Creek Kids Care -- Opportunities to Serve

Newsletter: December 5, 2008

It is important to understand how much your own happiness is linked to that of others. There is no individual happiness totally independent of others. - The 14th Dalai Lama

For those of you who haven't been a part of Creek Kids for long, or are just receiving this CKC newsletter for the first time, Creek Kids Care supports the efforts of two non-profit organizations. The first is Fresh Start Walnut Creek, a respite and resource center for community members who are poor and/or homeless. The second is JF Kapnek Trust. Through JF Kapnek, Creek Kids Care is fully funding one preschool for Zimbabwe children who have been orphaned due to AIDS. We are raising money for year two of the preschool.

Fall and Winter are Creek Kids Care's most productive times. There are plenty of opportunities to get your kids involved in giving back -- both locally and internationally.

CKC's HOLIDAY BOUTIQUE -- Saturday, December 1st, 1-4p.m. at Hillside Covenant Church in Walnut Creek

Creek Kids Care is kicking off December with a Holiday Boutique where we will sell the stationery we make, the touchstone magnets, and the knitted items created by Creek Moms and Friends. Like the Gallery we put on last fall, this will be an opportunity for kids and community members to get the big picture of what we do and why. These "selling occasions" are so much fun for the kids who have been painting, assembling and knitting throughout the year. It's a time for Creek Kids to talk about Creek Kids Care and to be acknowledged for their generosity and creativity. Working the boutique will be more fun that just coming to shop. Please sign your kids up to serve. We'll need lots of help.

PLEASE HELP make the Holiday Boutique happen!

Before the Boutique:

holiday baking
purchase beverages/cups/napkins
donate two bouquets of flowers for tables
make signs to direct customers through Hillside Covenant
make a few signs for neighborhood advertisement
help assemble cards -- check out assembly dates!

At the Boutique we will need Creek Kids who will:

work cash register
explain projects
supervise tables of cards, etc.

We'd also LOVE to have any Creek Kids play holiday music -- any musicians out there?

Ideally, we need about 10-13 kids for each hour of the boutique. We'd benefit from having one or two adults for each hour of the boutique as well.

If you would like to sign up to help, please contact Julie Miles at jmiles@srvhs.org

Thank you to the wonderful Katie Smith and Hillside Covenant for making this event happen!

HOME-BAKED GOODIES FOR FRESH START

It’s almost Thanksgiving and we are gearing up to make home-baked goodies for Fresh Start which we will deliver on that day around 11am. RSVP to Cat if you would like to bake an extra pie, cake or batch of cookies for Fresh Start. Then, plan to bring them to Cat’s house on Wednesday night after 5pm or Thanksgiving day between 9-11am.

If you would like to caravan over with Cat to deliver the goodies to Fresh Start on Thanksgiving Day, please e-mail her to arrange to be part of the delivery crew.

e-mail: coachcat@jps.net or
leave a message at 925.939.4554

Call to older Creek Kids for help with JF Kapnek

Every year, the JF Kapnek Trust ships a freight container filled with school supplies overseas to the Zimbabwe preschools. The trust is looking for young adults (8^th grade and up) to help catalog, pack and organize these supplies. The container ships in late February so we are hoping that some of our older kids would be willing to commit to two or three sessions in order to get the supplies ready. Julie Miles will head up the project so please email her (jmiles@srvhs.org) if you are interested in helping. Once we get a group rounded up we’ll decide on a few dates that work for everyone.

It will be a Warmer and Healthier Winter at Fresh Start because of you!

For the fourth year in a row, Creek Kids have purchased and delivered tents and sleeping bags for our community members who don’t have homes. Our delivery day was Thursday, October 25th. Before loading up trucks and cars, all Creek Kids met to decorate the boxes with their warm wishes. We caravanned to Fresh Start where we were greeted by Fresh Start director, board members, volunteers and members. Creek Kids were treated to cookies and sparkling cider. It was a lovely welcome!

Thank you to all the kids and parents who participated. This year, the ongoing work of art parties and assembly days resulted in the purchase of 40 sleeping bags and 20 tents for our Fresh Start friends.

A brief calendar of CKC events:

Assembly Party for Creek Kids 4th grade and up
Friday, November 16, 3:45-5:15 p.m.
Parkmead School, Room 10
RSVP creekkidscare@sbcglobal.net

Baked Goodies for Fresh Start Thanksgiving
Call or email Catherine Freemire to participate
coachcat@jps.net or 939-4554

Assembly Party for Creek Kids 4th grade and up
Monday November 26, 3:45-5:15 p.m.
Parkmead Room 10
RSVP: creekkidscare@sbcglobal.net

CKC Holiday Boutique
Saturday, December 1st, 1 – 4 p.m.
Kids' Connection Room
Hillside Covenant Church, Walnut Creek
email Julies Miles to participate: jmiles@srvhs.org

Scarves for a Cause
Contribute knitted or crocheted items
to raise funds for Fresh Start and JFKapnek
due end of November
contact Catherine Freemire to participate
coachcat@jps.net or 939-4554