Central Arizona Shelter Services- Food Drive

Each year we've picked an act of kindness centered around food, as it was such an essential source of strength and support for us while we we staying in antepartum, living in the NICU and after we returned home without Noah.  So many people signed up to bring us meals, that it sustained us not only in our tummies, but also in our heart and mind.  

This year we are partnering again with Campbell's Crew Cares to host a food and personal items supplies drive for the Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS):  Specifically the Vista Colina Emergency Family Shelter.  Here are a few important facts related to homelessness in Phoenix and more broadly in the United States:

• More than 57,000 veterans experience homelessness on any given night in America.
• Approximately half of the homeless population in Arizona is comprised of families with children.
• On any given night in Phoenix, as many as 22,000 people experience homelessness.
• 15% of Central Arizona Shelter Services clients are young adults:

Here is how the Vista Colina Emergency  Family Shelter works to help...

Vista Colina Emergency Family Shelter    

Founded in 1991, Vista Colina shelters homeless families in an apartment-style complex for up to 120 days. They have 12 one bedroom and 18 two bedroom units specifically for adults with children under 18. They serve approximately 700 people in the shelter each year.

At Vista Colina, each family works with their case manager to develop and implement a unique case plan to address their specific needs including employment, budgeting, savings as well as other steps toward self-sufficiency. Families must save 80% of their income for permanent housing in preparation for leaving the shelter. Working together, case managers guide clients in applying for the medical benefits and social services for which they are eligible and ensure children are enrolled in school.

The Vista Colina Emergency Family Shelter also provides food, hygiene supplies, and clothing. Their Child Development Program includes an infant nursery, an accredited preschool program, and after school activities for older children. By giving families a safe, stable and supportive environment, parents can focus on building life skills, securing income and rebuilding their lives.

This year to help support the CASS we will be organizing a personal items and non-perishable food drive to donate to this organization.  Beginning today through Friday, October 4th we will be collecting any of the items listed below:

Non-perishable Food Items:

• Boxed cereals
• Canned vegetables, fruit and soup
• Dry beans
• Rice
• Instant potatoes
• Macaroni and Cheese
• Canned Meat (Tuna, Chicken or Beef)
• Peanut butter
• Spaghetti sauce
• Pasta/Noodles
• Shelf-Stable Milk
• Paper Towels
• Cooking Spray
• Trash-bags
• Gallon Ziploc bags
• Baby formula

Personal Items Collected as well:

• New or Gently used clothes (Toddler and Children's (especially boys) Clothing, Men's and Women's Clothes, Shoes)
• New Underwear and Socks (all sizes)
• Hairbrushes
• Body Lotions
• Baby wipes
• Deodorant
• Shampoo/Conditioner
• Sunscreen/Chap-stick
• Baby items (Bottles, pacifiers, teething rings, strollers)

Please consider helping us collect items to donate to this important community resource.  We will be collecting items at our home (please message us for the address) or at Lubin and Enoch PC, located at 349 N 4th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85003 from today through Thursday, October 4th.  (Thank you Lubin & Enoch!)

On Friday, October 5th we will be taking the items collected and partnering with Campbell's Crew Cares to go shopping for some remaining items.  Campbell's Crew Cares has pledged their support of Noah's Kindness Project in several generous ways.  They have raised money to help us be able to shop for items the shelter desperately needs to address the problem of homelessness for many parents with young children.  If you are not local and unable to donate supplies but would like to contribute to our cause, please consider donating to Campbell's Crew Cares.  Click the donate button at the top right hand corner of the page and select "Noah's Kindness Project" in the special instructions to the seller.  

We hope again you'll join us.  I can't imagine not having a home to come to each night or a bed to tuck my children into each night.  The simple things we take for granted, the simple things we can do to help those who need it most. 

Thank you for your support!

Until next time,
Angie and Jarrett

Phoenix Children's Hospital 5K

This year we are bringing back the activity of participating in a ruin/walk race.  This has been one of our favorite events in the past,  the kids like it so much, and it's fun to have a friendly competition of who is going to beat  whom.  And while having fun is a benefit, the main reason why we wanted to do this is because we can help others.  

This year the race we decided to participate in Phoenix Children's Hospital Race called the PCH5K.  It will be on the morning of  Saturday, October 6th  and we have created a team we will be helping to raise money for the kids!  The money that we are raising will be going to specifically benefits the Hope Fund at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. The Hope Fund helps launch critical new programs, purchase essential equipment, conduct cutting edge research, provide charitable care and much more. The results of these donations help improve the quality of life of the children and their families, along with providing education and research of current illnesses and future treatments.

We are lucky to have Phoenix Children's Hospital as a resource for expert medical advice, pediatric specialties and experts in all different areas.  We have been to PCH with our three older kiddos to see specialists and most recently Isabelle had her eye surgery at PCH.  We are thankful for them and while our children haven't had to be hospitalized or face the more serious, heart-wrenching health challenges many children and families have, we know families who have and want to try to help in whatever way we can.  

Here are some of the statistics about how PCH impacts our community and our state (and even broader).

ABOUT PHOENIX CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
Phoenix Children’s Hospital is Arizona’s only children’s hospital that is ranked in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals, ranking in all 10 categories. Phoenix Children’s is one of only 23 pediatric hospitals to receive a 10 out of 10 ranking, placing us among the elite children’s hospitals in the nation. Phoenix Children’s provides world-class inpatient, outpatient, trauma, emergency and urgent care to children and families in Arizona and throughout the Southwest. As one of the largest children’s hospitals in the country, Phoenix Children’s provides care across more than 75 pediatric specialties. The Hospital is poised for continued growth in quality patient care, research and medical education.

PCH FACTS AT A GLANCE:

• 86,500 Emergency Visits
• 310,000 Outpatient Appointments
• 17,256 Surgical Cases (Isabelle was just one this year)
• 2,647 Trauma Cases 
• 52,994 Urgent Care Visits 
• 1 IN 4 children in Arizona will have received care from a Phoenix Children’s provider.
• Within five years, 433 Licensed beds
• Donations support 6 CENTERS of excellence:
• Donations support The Children’s Heart Center, Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children's Hospital, The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Center for Pediatric Orthopedics
•  ACS-verified Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center and The Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

PCH MISSION

We provide hope, healing, and the best health care for children and their families.
Over 60 programs at Phoenix Children’s Hospital are fully or partially funded by philanthropy. It takes $2.1 Million per day to operation Phoenix Children’s Hospital. That comes out to nearly $35,000,000 in charitable medical services.

JOIN NOAH'S KINDNESS PROJECT TEAM:
If you'd like to join us and be a part of the Noah's Kindness Project team please follow these instructions:

Please visit: The PCH5K race Noah's Kindness Project Team Page and then click the Join Team link in the upper right hand side of the page.  We have set a goal to raise $500 for our team.  

Schedule & Location

DATE:		Saturday, October 6, 2018
LOCATION:		1 E Washington St. Phoenix, AZ 85004 (CityScape area in Downtown Phoenix)
DISTANCE:		Standard 5K (3.1 miles)
SCHEDULE:  (tentative)	6:30am	Registration/Festival Opens
	7:30am	5K Start
	8:30am	Kids' Dash start
	9:30am	Post-Race celebration
	10:30am	End

 How much is registration?

• 5K Run/Walk - Adult - $40.00
  Age 13 and above

• 5K Run/Walk - Youth - $20.00
  Ages 4 - 12 (ages 3 and younger are free)

• Kids' Dash - $15.00 (free with purchase of a 5K youth entry)
  Ages 12 and under

How you can participate:

• Register for the race and join our Noah's Kindness Project team!
• Even if don't live here in Phoenix but would like to still participate, there are a few ways you can be a part of this activity.
• You can be a virtual walker/runner and still register as a part of our Noah's Kindness Project team.  Even virtual participants get a runners swag bag!  
• You can donate to our Noah's Kindness Project team through our team page and click the donate link to submit your donation online.  If you’d rather make a donation by check, please make your check payable to the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation and write Noah's Kindness Project in the memo section so our team is connected to your generous donation. Mail the check directly to the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation
Attn: PCH5K
2929 E. Camelback Rd. Suite 122
Phoenix, AZ 85016

 Please remember your gift is tax deductible. And, if you are an Arizona resident you could receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit up to $400 for an individual and $800 for joint filing on your 2018 state income taxes.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Please consider joining our team!  We know it will be a really fun way to start off the day!  

Let us know if you have any questions!


Link to Noah's Kindness Project Phoenix Children's Hospital 5K Team page:  
http://action.phoenixchildrens.com/site/TR/DistancefortheDifference/General?team_id=6196&pg=team&fr_id=1530

Heavenly Slumber Bags: A loving gift to comfort in grief.

After Noah passed, Jarrett, his parents, my parents and I sat quietly in a room and each took turns holding him.  It was for our parents the only time they got to hold their tiniest grandson.  I remember excusing myself from the room to use the bathroom, I felt sick to my stomach the entire time, and when I came back into the room I remember seeing my dad staring at the floor, my mom holding Noah, Jarrett's mom wiping her eyes and Jarrett's dad quietly looking downward.  As hard and heart-wrenching as it was to lose our son, in that moment, I remember the weight of grief in feeling so sad for our parents and thinking how difficult this situation had to have been for them too.

I've often wondered what they were feeling in those days and in the weeks/months after we lost Noah. How do you grieve the loss of your own grandchild while having to remain strong for your own child and their spouse?  The level and complexity of the grief they carried and probably still carry is oh so difficult in its own way.

When we started Noah's Kindness Project and brainstormed ideas of what we could do, one of the earliest plans was to help other families who walk a similar path.  We wanted to do what we could to help others find even the smallest sense of peace in the worst experience one could endure.  And one of the ways we found to try to do that is through the most beautiful, made-with-love gift of a Heavenly Slumber Bag. 

Nana working hard on the many beautiful gifts she shares with families in the NICU in Noah's memory.  

Jarrett's Mom and Dad have been making these gifts for families, like ours who do not get to take their baby home.  These precious gifts are a keepsake given to the baby's family as a way of showing that after all their baby endured in the NICU, they will be wrapped in loving, soft comfort when a mother and father can no longer hold onto them. 

As a part of Noah's Kindness Project this year, we will again be gifting the Heavenly Slumber Bags to the NICU.  Each and every one of those Slumber Bags is made with the love and care from Noah's Nana and Papa, and I asked them this year if they would write about the gift they have created in Noah's member.  As I read their words, I felt a slight glimpse into what they must have felt and thought as we were forced to say goodbye.  Their words are beautiful and touching and oh so meaningful... just like the Heavenly Slumber Bags they share.

In their words... from Noah's Nana and Papa...

Never far from our thoughts

Occupies our minds daily

Always in our hearts – love never ends

Healing -- by helping others allows us to heals our own broken hearts

The heavenly slumber bag was originally made for Noah after he passed. When the first NKP became a reality, I thought I would make twelve angel bags – one for each day of his life. We were praying that these heavenly slumber bags would bring some measure of comfort to a family enveloped in loss and heartbreak. To know others care and can relate since they have endured a similar loss. Angie found some ribbon that was imprinted with the footprints and the words “With Love from Noah James” to be sewn on.

We love the quote from Mother Teresa, “We can do no great things, only small things with great love." As we make items each year for Noah’s Kindness Project, we often think of the day you were born and the joy and happiness we felt. It was instant love for our little warrior, Noah. You were small in size, but strong in spirit and determination. You amazed us in your battle to survive which that strength has enabled us to move forward in your memory. The impact your short time on this earth has had on people from across the world is inspiring to be involved in. We hope it spreads every year so random acts of kindness will become part of our daily lives.

These are such a beautiful gift and we feel so fortunate that Noah's Nana and Papa are talented in their ability to make such a treasured gift for others.  For through our pain we have found comfort and now do our best to share that comfort with other hurting families.

Thank you Nana and Papa for making these beautiful gifts and for sharing your love and kindness with other little babies joining Noah in Heaven.  

Until next time,
Angie

Feed My Starving Children... Encore!

Last year we went to Feed My Starving Children for the first time as a part of Noah's Kindness Project and we had so much fun, and were so moved by the experience, we decided we knew we had to do it again.  

While it is hard to describe the experience, simply put it is very humbling and moving.  Never before did I realize how many people in this world are dying from hunger.  Having food readily available is something I always take for granted.  I can't imagine going hungry like so many of these children and families do on a daily basis.  Here again are some of the startling statistics

Today 6,200 children across the world will die from hunger related causes.

You read that correctly.

According to Feed My Starving Children, by the end of THIS day more than 6,200 children across this world will DIE from hunger related causes.  

We are lucky to be included in those who are fortunate enough to never have  to worry about where our next meal will come and as one of the lucky ones, we feel it is important that we try to do something to help address this problem. 

After the very powerful experience last year, we felt called to go back.   Their process is pretty simple... Volunteers sign up to help pack meals, people donate money to help fund the meal ingredients and meals are donated to FMSC food partners around the world.  Kids are fed and LIVES ARE SAVED!

In our most recent visit (on Noah's birthday our family went back and heard the story about a baby who was on the edge of death because he was starving to death.  Here is that  story...

Baby Judeson’s mother knocked on our food partner’s gate. She was looking for someone who could help save her baby.

“I looked at the child and saw death in his face,” said Sandra, an FMSC food partner. Eight-month-old Judeson weighed only four pounds. His eyes were sunken and his skin was shrinking around his bones.

“We held the baby and prayed over him,” Sandra said.

Judeson was rushed to a hospital. He was severely undernourished and had a bad infection. Doctors said he had just hours to live.

Sandra receives FMSC meals through her ministry Help For Haiti, Inc (HFH). She had FMSC MannaPack™ Potato-W meals and asked the doctors to feed them to Judeson. 

After a few days of medical treatment and FMSC meals, he grew a little stronger. Days later he was released from the hospital! Sandra gave his mother MannaPack Potato-W to feed him at home, as well as MannaPack Rice for her to eat. They both began eating nutritious FMSC meals consistently. As a result, their health soared. Judeson’s mom was able to provide enough breast milk to feed her son again.

Judeson gained several pounds. He learned to stand. 

"We saw a dying baby miraculously develop into a 10-pound happy little boy. We saw the miracle of what MannaPack Potato-W and prayer can do," Sandra said. 

Hearing Baby Jude's story is just one of many that makes my heart ache to think of just how many children are dying simply because they don't have enough food.  When we live here with so much (and so much wasted), I feel guilty not doing anything.  So that's another reason why we are going back.  If we can do ANYTHING to help, I feel truly called.  We ask you to please join us for the afternoon. I promise you it will be an experience you will never forget, and on top of knowing you have done something to help save children's lives, you will have fun too. 

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

1) SIGN UP TO HELP US PACK MEALS: 

So  here is how we plan to help.  We have reserved a group volunteer shift for Saturday afternoon from 2-4 p.m. in Mesa, AZ and we invite those who are available to join us for the Noah's Kindness  Project team.  If you are local and would like to be a part of our team to help pack meals, please sign up here.

2) DONATE TO HELP PURCHASE FOOD

If you are unable to help pack food, or are not local, but still feel called to participate in this act of kindness with  us, you can still help!  Because this group is a  non-profit and they have to purchase the ingredients for the meals, they ask for donations to help offset the cost of the food.  If you would like to donate to help provide meals, please visit their donation link here.  If you so choose, please check the box and mark that you are donating as a part of Noah's Kindness Project.  

3) or Do BOTH!

We hope you'll consider joining us for what will be a very moving and impactful experience.  Children who are 5 years or older are welcome to participate so bring your whole family if you'd like.  Please sign up today. 

Thank you and until next time,

Angie and Jarrett

Pill Bottle Collection

This spring and summer we've seemed to have caught the sick bug and he must like our house because we've had him hanging around for many many months.

With the prescription pill bottles piling up in our medicine cabinet, I opened up the cabinet and had a flashback to an idea our friend Sonya had shared with me about something we could do for Noah's Kindness Project.

It's called Mathew 25 Ministries and it is a non-profit that accepts donations of empty plastic pill bottles to then be used in shipments of medical supplies to areas of need or for shredding and recycling.  To learn more about the program you can visit their pill bottle donation website.   The program fulfills the dual needs of improving medical care in developing countries and caring for our environment.

As I thought about our cabinet I wondered how many other families might have the same collection going on in their closets so we thought maybe we could volunteer to collect the  bottles for others and then ship them off to Mathew's 25 Ministries as  a part of Noah's Kindness Project.  

Here are a list of the acceptable collection items:

• Prescription and over-the-counter pill bottles
• Large and small pill bottles
• Pill Bottles with and without secure caps (child resistant)

If you are unsure if your pill bottle meets the requirements, you are welcome to include it.   If it does not, it  will be included with shipments to be recycled and the cash raised from recycling material is given back to the charity. 

There are some steps  we ask you to take if you want to participate.  We ask that you please remove all labels and any glue residue from the bottles before donating them.  If you would like to wash them before, please do so with very hot water and dish soap. If you'd prefer not, we will make sure to wash all before we donate them too.  

If you would like to donate, we will be collecting bottles starting now until October 5th.

Our home:  Please message us and we can pick up or send you our address 

and

C & D Rentals Office:  503 w Milwaukee St. Suite #2 New Hampton, IA 50659- Please drop in the sealed donation box located in the lobby.

And please remember all  pill bottles MUST be EMPTY.  Thank you in advance!

While we've caught the sick bug this spring, I know that our sickness in no way compares to what others across this world face.  While our efforts might not be huge, they can still make a difference.  Just like Noah, he was small and mighty and through our small and mighty efforts, we can make a difference too.

Thanks for joining us!

Until next time,

Angie

2018 NKP t-shirts!

This year, in keeping with theme of picking shirt colors that are found in the rainbow.  This year we  will have purple shirts... which just so happens to be Noah's Nana's favorite color.  

We are sticking with the same shirt company as last year as so many people told us last year's shirt was their favorite one to date, not only most comfy but the women loved the v-cut and the shirts washed up really nice.  

Men's Shirt

Women's Shirt

Kid's Shirt

The back of the shirts will remain the same as past years.  See below in the same order.

Men's Shirt

Women's Shirt

Kid's Shirt


This year we are going to be  moving up the deadline to order until August 27.  We want to make sure we don't cut it too close in getting the shirts to everyone, especially those who live out of state.  So please mark your calendars and place your order NOW!

The pricing of the shirts will be approximately $10-12 dollars and if you are from out of state please expect a few extra dollars for shipping.  We will help cover some of the cost as well!

While I was a bit hesitant to go with a purple shirt because I wasn't sure how men would feel about purple and then I saw the proof and realized I think they look great! We hope you like them as well!

To  place your order and for more information about sizing please visit: https://goo.gl/forms/spXxzm0mGrzLUkCN2 

 Please remember the deadline to order is August 27!

For those who have ordered a shirt in the past, I hope you find them to be what you expected or more.  I promise this specific shirt is amazing.  They are seriously one of my favorite go-to shirts because they are so comfortable.  If you know me, you know I'm the queen of comfort. What makes wearing my NKP t-shirt even more special is all of the questions, the comments and the "Hey I've seen that shirt before!"  To know what we are able to share the message of kindness with others by wearing our shirt makes me smile thinking of the differences that can be made all year round.

Thank you for your support and please remember to place your orders today!  Please share with others as well!

Until next time,
Angie

2018 Noah's Kindness Project

Please save the date and join us as we help spread kindness and honor Noah's legacy.

I've had lots of time to think about this year's project, already have some things lined up and it should be a lot of fun.   

Stay tuned...  more information to come.

Until next time,
Angie and Jarrett

A reminder of the little guy who help inspire us to share kindness....

Announcing the Celebration of “Noah’s Kindness Project” : Showing Love, Kindness, and Generosity

As many of you may know, our son, Noah James Haskovec, was born to us on June 13, 2015 following a week-long stay in the hospital.  We spent the next twelve days with him in the NICU at the hospital before he passed away on June 25.  Our blogdocuments his short but meaningful life with us here on earth. 

While Noah lived a short time, we truly believe and find consolation in that fact that his life was meaningful and impacted the lives of many others in positive ways.  Throughout our stay at the hospital, our many visits to see him at the NICU every day, and after his passing, we always felt the profound and genuine love, kindness, support, prayers, and caring offered and shown by so many people, including those who had been complete strangers to us and those living in states far away from us.  Noah’s Kindness Project is both an opportunity to remember and honor our son’s memory and to capture, recreate, and promote the kindness, generosity, and love people exhibited toward us during his life.

Noah’s life brought out the best in so many.  While we were at the hospital, friends and family regularly stopped in to visit us and offer their love and support and brought or sent many gifts and care packages in an effort to make sure we had everything we needed and to show they cared.  So many contacted us by every medium imaginable – telephone, email, texts, Facebook, cards and letters, and others – to share a supportive note and to let us know they were thinking about and praying for us that it took us quite a while to get back to everyone.  A few days before Noah was born, some friends organized a meal delivery schedule to ensure that we would not have to be concerned about planning meals for our other children.  The meal deliveries went on for fully six weeks.  More friends and family than we can count offered to watch our other kids and dog for us throughout this time.  Some friends jumped in to take one of our sons to and from baseball practice and games.  People prayed for us – some for the first time in a long time.  We continued to receive a steady stream of letters, cards, flowers/plants, gifts, and other expressions of love and support from friends and family over the next many weeks.  Some gifts were for our other children and were offered to keep them happy and busy during this difficult time.  Once Noah had passed, the kindness, generosity, love, and support continued to flow, including some extremely moving gifts from strangers who read about and followed our experiences on the blog.  People followed our story – Noah’s story – throughout on the blog.  People rejoiced with us during the happy times, prayed for us during the challenging times, and suffered with us when he passed.  We felt lifted up throughout and were extremely touched.  Just when we thought people couldn’t possibly do more or be more generous to us, people did more.  It has been an amazing feeling.  
Each year, on the first Saturday in October, we will celebrate and honor Noah's life and legacy by performing acts of kindness in his honor.  Noah was originally expected to arrive on October 3 and we choose this time of year to give back, and extend a hand of kindness in his memory.  We ask you to please join us in spreading kindness...

Please take some time out of your day to do something nice for someone, to help someone in need or in distress, to volunteer or support a cause important to you, to pray and reflect, or to just make someone’s day unexpectedly better. 

Below are some ideas of the many different ways you can participate in Noah’s Kindness Project. 

• ·         Visit someone in the hospital or a shut-in person
• ·         Call or each out to someone in need or crisis
• ·         Volunteer for a cause important to you. 
• ·         Donate to a different group that helps others
• ·         Donate blood
• ·         Send a care package to someone who doesn’t expect it
• ·         Open a door for someone/help someone carry something
• ·         Generously tip a service person
• ·         Thank  healthcare worker, service person, firefighter, emergency responder for their service
• ·         Pay for someone’s meal or drink
• ·         Clean up a park, the side of the road or neighborhood shared space
• ·         Send an anonymous gift and note to someone in need or struggling
• ·         Give someone a ride to their doctor’s appointment
• ·         Share your talent in a way to make someone’s day better
• ·         Volunteer at an animal shelter

The act of kindness is really up to you.   Our goal is to have as many people as possible participate.  Your act of kindness can be as simple as holding a door or as generous as giving of your time and money to help.  All we ask is that you do it in memory of our son.  We will provide Noah’s Kindness cards that you can print out and leave with your act of kindness.  Our goal is to get as many people involved as possible and to spread kindness across the world. 

To see how far-reaching Noah’s Kindness Project can reach, we ask, once your act(s) of kindness is done, that you report back and post something about your experience.  Please use the hashtag #noahskindnessproject on Twitter, Instagram and join our Facebook group “Noah’s Kindness Project”.  Take pictures, share Noah’s Kindness cards, and encourage everyone you know to participate.  The world needs more love and concern for others.  Noah and his story brought it out in so many.  We ask you to please join us and be a part of Noah’s Kindness Project.