NEWBORNS IN NEED
Mesa Arizona Chapter
August 2004                 Volume 4 Issue 8

www.newbornsinneed.org

We received two thank you letters recently.  Sandra Munoz, Coordinator of Volunteer Services at Maricopa County Hospital:  “Caring for the community is the mission of Maricopa Integrated Health System. It is truly a grand gesture on the part of your organization to extend out to give to our patients.  We are grateful for your donations of the layettes. We use these items frequently for our patients who find themselves limited in resources. We appreciate any donations that come our way! Thank you so much! People like you make a difference!”

Baby Rick’s parents wrote, “Thank you very much” for the knit hat, bib, IV gown and incubator blanket.  He was born in a hospital that receives items from other sewing groups but they did not have clothing small enough to fit baby Rick.

We were happy to receive packages this month from two volunteers who are in our area in the winter but out-of-town now.   We appreciate their dedication to helping relieve needs of the babies in our area.

This month we also benefited from the efforts of two youth groups.  Mesa AZ South Stake Young Women made knitted hats on looms and blanket-stitched around burp cloths while at their summer camp. The Young Women in Harmony Ward stuffed large positioning aids during a service night.

Look What We Accomplished

In July, we received 570 items, and donated 621 finished items with a total of 605 volunteer hours. Donations were given to Los Niños Hospital, Lou Ann Gunn, and Mesa Family Health Center.  Our donation included thirty newborn layettes, six patriotic preemie layettes and one patriotic newborn kit, gently used clothing, baby formula, blankets, disposable diapers, toys, and miscellaneous baby items.

Since February 2001, we have received 36,377 items and given 26,528.7 volunteer hours of service. Our chapter has donated 33,919 finished items to area hospitals and other agencies serving babies in need.

Drop Off Locations

If you can’t make it to our monthly work meeting we now have three locations for you to drop off your donations.  Please call for directions.

Northwest Phoenix, Danielle (602) 843-9339
Southeast Phoenix, Frances (480) 706-4317
East Valley, Shirleen (480) 892-5986

Work Meeting

• Patterns from National Newborns in Need
• Show and Tell

Our next work meeting will be at JoAnn Fabrics, 965 S. Gilbert Road, Mesa, AZ from 10 a.m. to noon on Friday, September 3rd, 2004. We will have pattern sets from the home office of Newborns in Need as well as patterns available on their web site. We will also tie ribbon on sets of diapers and on soap & washcloths for our newborn kits.

Continuing Needs

We need blankets or quilts for the bereavement layettes as well as burial clothing in newborn sizes. More clothing for boys is needed than for girls. Each month we need newborn-size disposable diapers and small bars of Ivory soap to go in our newborn kits.  Hospital gowns, IV gowns, butterfly t-shits are always needed for our preemie layettes.  Burp cloths, hats and booties are needed for both preemie layettes and newborn kits.

Cash donations are very much appreciated to help us with postage and purchasing diapers, soap, or other supplies that aren’t donated.  Make checks payable to: Newborns in Need/Mesa AZ Chapter.  Contact: Shirleen Daniels, Chapter President  (480) 892-5986.

Fund Raisers

Newborns in Need Celebrates Life!  Precious Feet Lapel Pins are available for $3.00 each. We also have 3 Lee Middleton dolls for sale:  2 Precious in His Sight boys, 21” for $169.00 each, and a Precious in Blue girl, for $149.00. These baby dolls are high quality collector dolls and world renowned for their incredible likeness to real babies.  All profit from the sale of these dolls or pins goes to support sick or needy babies by providing funds to purchase supplies to make baby outfits and blankets, or help us purchase needed items for babies.

With your continuing help, we will make a difference in the lives of many children!!