PCF Team Giving Back

Good morning everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, and spent lots of quality time with family, and ate tons of good food! During the holidays, everyone is wrapped up in the gift-giving spirit; we shop for hours on end for those “perfect” gifts for our loved ones. During this time of the year, we are all kinder, gentler, and more open with our wallets; we spend more money than we usually would, and give much more freely of ourselves, gifts, and our time.

But what happens when the tree comes down, and all the pretty wrapping paper is placed into the trash bin? What happens with those individuals who did not get their “wished for” items, because they received no Christmas present at all; or if they did receive a Christmas surprise, it was a black eye, a broken bone, a stab wound, or got shot? I personally know and volunteer with many people, for whom this is the kind of Christmas they had!

At the PCF Team, we are dedicated to helping make this world a better place, one person at a time. We are very in tuned with the needs of the world, and like to give back more than we have received. We try to come together, as a team, and make a difference in other peoples’ lives, by way of charity! Let me tell you a little bit about what we have going on right now, and we would love for you to get involved and join our efforts as well! 

I live in a very small country town, and my mother raised me to have morals, and to always put other before myself. Due to this, I do a great deal of volunteer work. One place that I volunteer several times a week is the local battered women’s shelter. This is an area close to my heart, as I was married to an abusive man for 7 very long years. He was an addict, and beat me on a regular basis. It was not until he hit my mother and my then 2 year-old daughter, that I summoned the strength, courage, and conviction to leave him, and to never look back. My child and I lived in constant fear; this is the reality of many women and children in the U.S. today.

The PCF team has joined with me in trying to make a difference at our local battered women’s shelter, and we are also donating items to a local homeless shelter as well, for families that have small children, or for elderly residents there. These moms and children have been beat, raped, stabbed, shot, and more! In many instances, they fled with nothing but the clothes on their backs; they were not concerned about things; they only wanted to live! Many members have donated items so generously….donations have included:
* Hand-made scarves
* Hand-made hats
* Hand-made sweaters
* Money for coloring books, crayons, toothbrushes, and toothpaste
* Crocheted Afghans
*Hand-made hair accessories
* Gloves

And many items are still arriving!

These mothers and children have cried, as they received the parcel that is just for them! They have never known love and compassion before, but only fear and violence. Showing them that someone does care, and that they do deserve to be treated with love and dignity, is often all it takes to give them the courage to stay away from the abuser! Our team is proud to be making a difference in the lives of these women and children; however there is only so much we can do alone! We would love for you help!

If you would like to help out with this wonderful cause, and make a difference, here are the types of things we still need:

*Hats

*Gloves

*Scarves

*Fingerless gloves

*Clothing (all sizes)

*Shoes

*Socks

*Underclothes

*Blankets (all shapes, types, and sizes)

*Baby bottles

*Sippy cups

*Toddler cups

*Toothbrushes

*Toothpaste

*Soap

*Shampoo

*Lotion

*Deodorant

*Hair items for girls

*Coloring books and crayons

*All types of school supplies (paper, pens, pencils, folders, binders, book bags..etc.)

*Toys or lovies for the kids to hold onto at night to feel safe…they have nothing)

*Perfume for women/girls

*Jewelry for women/girls

AND SO MUCH MORE! These people have nothing!!

Items can be used, new, or handmade. Think about the items you have made that did not quite turn out the way you had hoped (this happens to me all the time, lol), or items that you have had listed for a long time but they never sold, seasonal items…these things would be treasures and are very much needed for these individuals. If you have something you would like to donate, would like to make something to donate, would like to make a monetary donations for items to be bought, or would like to purchase item(s) from one of our team members to be sent out to the charity, please contact Audrey @ Buffalo Creek Crafts (www.buffalocreekcrafts.etsy.com), or Nichole @ CiaraBaby (Ciara & Company Bowtique- www.ciarababy.etsy.com). We would love your help, and these women and children would be so grateful, and they are very deserving!

Thank you for taking the time to read this…in the amount of time it took to read this, at least 25 women, children… and even sometimes men, have been hit, beaten, raped, shot, or stabbed… due to domestic violence! Domestic violence takes the lives of many every year, and robs children of their innocence and joy for life! Help us make a difference in the lives of those that were strong enough to leave!

Blessing and hugs to you and your family! ♥

Nichole, Audrey, and the entire Promoting Creative Friends Team.