CONTRIBUTE
THROUGH
COMBINED FEDERAL CAMPAIGN (AGENCY #90520)
MARYLAND CHARITY CAMPAIGN (AGENCY #1284)
CENTRAL MARYLAND CFC (AGENCY #67578)
BOOKS, BEARS & BONNETS, INC.
9513 Kentstone Drive
Bethesda, MD 20817
Mailing Address:
Books, Bears and Bonnets, Inc.
c/o Merrily Ansell
3246 Sussex Way
Vero Beach, FL 32966
Telephone:
301-602-7581 mailto:merrily@booksbearsbonnets.org
WE NEED VOLUNTEERS!
WE NEED DONATIONS!
|
Want to volunteer or donate, |
| Our Centerpiece Program |
|
Remembrance Gifts |
|
TAX
CREDITS: CALL
NOW |
|
Participating Hospitals: |
|
Business
And Foundation Sponsors Include:
|
|
TAX
CREDITS: CALL
NOW |
|
Donate |
BITS
O’ NEWS
Volume
8 Issue 1 Spring/Summer 2007
Visit our website
: www.booksbearsbonnets.org(Our webmaster is Tom Ruple, who volunteers his time and
expertise
to
BOOKS, BEARS & BONNETS, INC.
Thank you, Tom!)
Want more copies of our newsletter, just drop us a note, call us at 301-530-0420 or fax us at 301-530-0632. You can also e-mail us from our website or at merrily@booksbearsbonnets.org
Letters, We Get Letters!
"This was the most thoughtful expression of love and kindness. May you and your organization always be blessed. It really made me smile! I must give the bear a personal name, and I will wear the hat throughout my treatment."
"Thank you so much for your wonderful welcome gifts. Your kindness and compassion for me and the other kids that stay at The Children's Inn is a true gift from the heart. I will always remember how much you made my stay here a very special one. Zach"
"It warms my heart to know that there are so many loving, caring people in the world. I could never make this journey without them!! Thank you for brightening my day and taking some of my fears away."
"The contents are awesome! I deeply appreciate the gesture. The novel and crossword puzzles will keep me occupied anywhere I go! Even at the park during my morning walk."
Accomplishments to date. . . .
- Celebrated
our 7th anniversary on February 1, 2007. Thanks to everyone who
made that possible!!
- NEED
CENTERPIECES? Our "Celebrate Life Centerpieces" have
been used at Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, weddings, birthday parties and other
festive events. Why not use them at your next gathering of
family/friends.
- Added The
Virginia Hospital Center, Arlington, VA, Children's Hospital of
Atlanta (AFLAC Cancer Center & Blood Disorder Service) and
Scottish Rite in Atlanta to our growing list of participating
hospitals, bringing our hospital partnerships to 24 (including 2
centers in New Jersey, 2 in Atlanta; 1 in Philadelphia and 2 in New
York). Thanks to the Steigerwald, Reich, Gordon, Needle, Menzies
and Hulsey families and all our volunteers for making our expansion
reality.
- Initiated
our "BearCause We Care™" coloring program for students of
all ages.
- Added a
monthly donation program to ease the donation process ($10 a month
sponsors 5 gift boxes and provides enormous joy and smiles to each
recipient!)
- Distributed
thousands of gift boxes (more than 12,000) since our inception
(February 2000) each containing a book to ease the mind, a stuffed
animal to warm the heart, a hat to cover the effects of treatment, a
packet of seeds to symbolize new beginnings, a note card and bookmark
artfully created by school children, age-appropriate magazines and
puzzle books, a deck of playing cards, and other delightful items.
- State of
Maryland Tax Credits available (details available by calling
301-530-0420.
- Approved
by the Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital
Area (Agency
#7125),
the
Combined Federal
Campaign
of Central Maryland
(Agency #3092),
and
the Maryland Charity
Campaign
(Agency #1284)
as a
participating charity for their employee payroll deduction program.
- Our boxes
have been used as centerpieces at parties and family celebrations
(Call 301-530-0420 for information.)
- Continued
our "Gift Box Sponsorship Program" and "Gift for a
Friend" program in which friends and family donate to sponsor
a box for someone they love or for another person undergoing
treatment. Send on to someone you know who is fighting or
recovering from a serious illness! (Call 301-530-0420 for details)
- Applauded
our teen volunteers for (a) developing hospital partnerships in PA, NJ, and
NY, (b) organizing book fairs/collecting books and (c) creating cards and bookmarks to be included in our gift
boxes.
- Donations "In Memory Of" and "In
Honor Of" friends and family. (Honoring and remembering
those you love with a donation in their name.) Acknowledgment cards
are always sent to the person or family.
- Expanded
our "StudentNotes"
program: Partnering with students in local schools (both public and
private) and Boy /Girl/ Brownie Scout Troops to design artful notes
and bookmarks that are currently being included in
our gift boxes.
- Awarded our 8th Annual Emily S. Ansell Memorial Book Scholarship ($500) and presented our 8th $100 "Stress Buster" Gift Certificate to students at the David A. Clarke School of Law, Washington, D.C.
Awards: 7 Honors In 6 Years
- Lauren
Hulsey: Marriott Spirit To Serve Award for volunteerism and
community service
- Grandma
Mamie Wyckoff: Washington Redskins Community Volunteer Award for
crafting tooth fairy pillows
- Rachel
Steigerwald: Kohl's "Kohl's Kids Who Care" Award (Teen
Category)
- Merrily Ansell: (1) Myrtle Wreath Award for uncompromising service to the Washington, DC cancer community; (2) Maryland Governor's Award for Service and Volunteerism (Unsung Hero); (3) Hecht's All-Star Volunteer, First Prize Honor ; (4) The Innovations Award; Washington Hospital Center.
Message from our Chairperson
I recently read a back issue of "Real Simple Magazine" (Oct. 2003) and was touched by the following quote that Dr. Paul M. Steinberg of New York City's Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion came across a few years ago . I thought it most fitting to include it in this newsletter:
"If
you want to happy for an hour, take a nap. If you want to be happy for
a day, go fishing. If you want to be happy for a month, go on a
honeymoon. If you want to be happy for a year, inherit a
fortune. If you want to be happy for a lifetime, help other people.
I believe these words say it all. Thanks to all our donor, volunteers, sponsors, and everyone in our "circle of friends" for filling so many lives with happiness.
Merrily A.
Ansell
Wish List
- Sponsors
of our books, hats, or bears for one year;
- Business
to hold fundraisers for us and have their employees volunteer during
the work week;
- Speakers to join our "speakers' bureau" and represent us at events and charity fares.