Thursday, December 13, 2007

Holiday project 'Grand Finale' is this weekend -- Weather advisory!

SPECIAL NOTICE -
IF THERE IS ICE OR SNOW - OUR DRIVE WAY IS IMPOSSIBLE TO NAVIGATE!! PLEASE DON'T RISK A FALL TRYING TO CLIMB OUR DRIVEWAY ORYARD IF THERE IS SNOW or ICE or SLEET or FREEZING RAIN So, if the weather is bad :
Please stay home and be safe and warm!!!
I will try to send out an email notice EACH day if the weather
is icy here (we can have ice and snow when Reston, Sterling & Fairfax are having rain)
If you want to weather map us, use zip code 20175.

GIFT DONATIONS: We still need donations of candy, sugar free candy, dried fruits, and teas (think Costco). We also need more warm gloves and hats. We need snack bags and "loot bags" to wrap up goodies. We could use some nice soaps and toiletries for the elders, including travel sizes. Small toys, games, cards, etc. We still need several large shipping boxes. (18 X 24, 24 X 24 or similar sizes)

Gift donations may be dropped off at the front door of Angel
Hill House at the above address 24/7, there is a donation box by
the front door on the covered porch. (no need to knock)
Please leave your name with your donations.
We will be accepting donations thru Saturday,
December 15. Well, OK........ Sunday, the 16th.......

Our final gift wrapping and box packing 'parties' will be
Friday, and Saturday 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM and Sunday 2:00 PM to 6:00 (ish) PM.
Sunday is the big crescendo of filling the shipping boxes,
weighing and marking them and getting them all ready
for UPS to pick up and wisk away to North Dakota on the wings
of Angels and Santa Claus!
We will of course have snacks and refreshments on hand.
You are welcome to bring your favorites snacks as well.
PLEASE DO NOT FEEL OBLIGATED TO STAY FOR THE
ENTIRE EVENING OR AFTERNOON.
COME BY FOR AN HOUR, OR WHATEVER AMOUNT
OF TIME YOU ARE ABLE TO DONATE.
If bad weather prevents finishing up this weekend, we will work
Monday and Tuesday afternoons and evenings to finish up.

SHIPPING DONATIONS VIA CASH, CHECK, OR ONLINE VIA PAYPAL USING CHECK OR CREDIT CARD ARE VERY NEEDED AND WELCOME.

I WILL BE PUTTING THE SHIPPING ON MY CREDIT CARD, SO IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO DONATE RIGHT NOW, DONATIONS CAN STILL BE GIVEN THRU THE END OF THE YEAR TO HELP COVER THE SHIPPING COSTS. EVERY SINGLE PENNY WILL BE NEEDED AND VERY APPRECIATED!

Happy Holidays!

About the Standing Rock Reservation

Lately several people have asked me for more information about what
we are doing for the Standing Rock Reservation, and I realized
that while I have told the story many times over the years, not
everyone has heard all of what we are doing and why, so I wanted to give you a little background about our
8th Annual Holiday Project, and
who we are helping.

Who: The Children and Elders of The Standing Rock Reservation
What: The Standing Rock Reservation is one of the smallest, poorest, and
most remote of all the Sioux/Lakota reservations
Where: Cannon Ball North Dakota, about 50 miles outside of Bismark, ND
How: Thru the Church of The Tipi Wakan (House of Blessings) and Rev.
Boots Marsh and his wife Jackie Partin
Why: ? The 'why' is not a one reason, but multitudes of reasons, people,
and lives that we touch.

* * * * * * * *
Before the first Christmas project we did with Standing Rock, I had asked what the children might want, we got back a list asking for socks, underwear, shampoo, toothpaste and similar basic necessities. There was only one 'toy' request, and that was for a jigsaw puzzle.

This list was not put together by adults, but by children, asking for what they wanted to get for Christmas. I cried when I read the long list of requests for such simple things, like a bar of soap, that we tend to take for granted.

Over the years of talking with Pastor Boots, I have learned other
heartbreaking stories. Of the grandmother that took in her two
teenage granddaughters to live with her and they had one sweater
between the three of them to share for the cold brutal winter temperatures
in North Dakota. Of hand me down clothes worn until they are thread
bare. Of hand me down shoes with the toes cut out so they can still be
worn after the child has outgrown them. Children wearing clothes that
they have long outgrown, holding the waist of their jeans together with
a piece of rope, because they don't have proper size clothes.
Families crowded together in small homes because of the high incidence of house
fires due to numerous house fires that are caused from heating homes by burning wood in oil drums to heat the house. Elders in their 70's, 80's, and 90's
with no bed or no blanket, wearing everything they own to keep warm and
sleeping on the bare floor or a mat on the floor.

The list of reasons goes on and on. It is hard to imagine in this day and
age in America, that we have fellow human beings and citizens living in
conditions that could be considered appalling even by third world standards.

There are no large communities or cities near the Standing Rock Reservation,
and no social infrastructure to help this small community.
Mary Thunder has gathered people from around the US to help support
Rev. Boots and Jackie and their work on this tiny reservation. We are helping
them to make a difference in a community with 80% unemployment, where hope
is hard to come by.
People of Standing Rock now see Church of Tipi Wakan as a community
friend, neighbor and resource. When the reservation's supply of water ran
dry, Tipi Wakan helped get water for the reservation. They are helping the
elders, the children, and everyone of every age. Teens that have been in
gangs have come to help out at the church.

When you consider what a donation of $10, $20, $50, $100 can do, and how
it can help, it is a very small thing that can make a big impact to a person
and to a community.

Please consider supporting this project. This is our last week of
collecting donations and supplies as we have begun wrapping gifts,
and next week with finish up with packing the boxes and preparing
them for UPS shipping. While $750 for UPS sounds like a lot of
money, it is less than $5 per child/elder for what we are shipping out.
Divided up that way, you can see it is really not so high as it may seem.
We are also sending out candy, sugar free candy, organic nuts, dried
fruits, coffee and teas. We also have a large supply of heavy fleece
blankets being sent out again this year. Lots of warm clothing, sweaters,
Jackets, pants, and of course Santa's favorites, toys, games, craft kits and
supplies.
When we put our numerous helping hands together, we make the work
light and joyous, and we send that energy, along with our gifts, out to
Tipi Wakan.

To do an online donation via PayPal, you do NOT need an existing
PayPal account. Just go online to http://www.paypal.com/, click on the
"send money" link and follow the instructions. The receiver will be
email address: sherrysherry2@aol.com This is the email address
used for The Peace Chapel paypal account.
As always, donations will be accepted at the front door on the
covered porch of Angel Hill House 24/7 (no need to knock), but
PLEASE leave your name with your donation.
The Peace Chapel
Angel Hill House
129 Governors Drive
Leesburg, VA 20175
(purple mailbox)

If you are shipping your gifts and clothing directly to
Tipi Wakan in ND, the address is:
Church of The Tipi Wakan
7149 B South Big Lake Rd
Cannon Ball, ND 58528
Please reference The Peace Chapel so they know you
are part of our project. And please drop me an email and let me know what you have sent.

Thank you so much for your love and support
during this holiday Season,
Blessings,
Sherry & Altazar

"The Joy in Giving, is the LIGHT that it spreads! The
ripples of light will touch many shores, and many souls."Rev. Sherry Sherry


125 children AGES: newborn to 18
40 eldersVisit the website at:
http://www.sherrysherry.com/ for a listing of ages/gendersand donation suggestions




125 children - newborn to 18
40 eldersVisit the website at:
http://www.sherrysherry.com/ for a listing of ages/gendersand suggestions
Under Community Projects


HAPPY HOLIDAYS
CELEBRATE THE
HOLIDAYS
WITH
SPECIAL PRICES
ON
CRYSTALS
INCENSE
CEREMONIAL ITEMS
JEWELRY
& LOTS MORE
20% OFF ALL REGULAR PRICED ITEMS
10% OFF MARKED DOWN ITEMS
10% OFF INCENSE, HOLDERS, SAGE, FEATHERS, & SMUDGE SHELLS

December 1 - 15

Pay by cash, check or credit card
(credit card on your paypal acct)
at The Peace Chapel
Angel Hill House
Shop at any of our events or
contact Sherry to set a private shopping time


Holiday Project
Looking for creative ways
to donate to the holiday project?
Besides shopping online and taking
advantage of free or low cost shipping
directly to the Church in North Dakota
from the stores online and EbayHere is something new-

NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW
YOU CAN DONATE TO
THE PROJECT ONLINE
using PAYPAL
Paypal accepts online checks
and credit cards
Donate to: The Peace Chapel
online via Paypal
use email address: sherrysherry2@aol.com
is the Paypal account address
In the comment section
designate: donation to the Holiday Project
It will register to the Paypal accountfor The Peace ChapelYou do NOT need an existing Paypal account to use paypal to send donations.

WRAPPING GIFTS
& PACKING BOXES
DECEMBER 14, 15, 16
at Angel Hill House
Friday and Saturday evenings 7 - 9:30 PM
Sunday afternoon 2 - 6 PM
We will have refreshments and snacks
feel free to bring your favorites also! Please be sure to check the weather for LeesburgIn case of ice or snow!


Additional shopping hints:I have been to Rite Aid / Eckards and they have
Great deals on toys, manicure kits and Russel Stovers /Whitman candies, etc. Check the weekly sale specialsTarget has a lot of 50% and 75% off clothing! Look for long sleeves, jackets, pants similar type clothing for their colder climate

Hygiene supplies are always neededdeodorant, band aids, aspirin, soaps, etc. Humble Request:Please consider adding a shipping donation to all donations that you drop offIt will be a tremendous help, and
greatly appreciated

AS ALWAYS
DONATIONS THAT YOU ARE NOT SHIPPING
DIRECTLY TO NORTH DAKOTA
CAN BE
DROPPED OFF
24/7
AT
ANGEL HILL HOUSE
AT THE FRONT DOOR
ON THE COVERED PORCH
(no need to knock)
PLEASE LEAVE YOUR NAME
WITH YOUR
DONATIONS

Angel Hill House
129 Governors Drive
(Purple mail box)Leesburg, VA 20175

Direct Shipping:
Church of the Tipi WakanRev. Boots Marsh
7149 B South Big Lake RoadStanding Rock ReservationCannon Ball, ND 58528Please reference:
The Peace ChapelLeesburg, VA

gentle reminder:
no N'used clothing except jackets, coats and
heavy sweaters are being accepted for the
Holiday Project. If you have other n'used
clothing donations to send out, please ship them
directly to the church in ND. They may be
shipped out year round to Standing Rock as can
hygiene supplies.

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