sandy relief effort- part 1

The boys and I ventured out to Target yesterday with the amazingly generous donations you all sent in to purchase as much as we could with the $2075 (!!!) we collected so far. First, I’d like to thank all who contributed:

Tiffany & family, Stephanie B, Christine from Fla, Liz M from NM, Genie from Fla, Jen H & family, Christine & Jayson, Kim P, (Christine, Jayson & Kim all donated directly to get the family featured earlier this week some backpacks for the girls and the rest went toward a gift card from Target to the family), Kristen & Raul from CA, Karen C from NC, Jeanne K, Maureen M, Karin C, Katie C, Naura, Matt & Laura from TN, Dr. Dean from Fla, and $50 from bsquared from the 2 sessions I had this past weekend. You guys are all so amazingly generous and awesome and I can’t thank you all enough!!

So with those generous donations, this is what we did:

Spending $1760.39 we bought: 8 cases of diapers in various sizes, a ton of baby formula, bottles, wipes, pacifiers, baby food, toddler snacks and heat & eat meals, baby/toddler spoons. A bunch of cleaning supplies including bleach, pine sol, paper towels, mops and brooms. Batteries of varying sizes. Food including: 4 cases of water, ready to eat soups, tuna, crackers, peanut butter (kept that far away from Timmy’s cart!), ready to eat pastas like chef boyardee. Health and beauty items: soaps, shampoo, deodorants, toothpastes, toothbrushes, pain relievers, chapsticks, body wash, hand sanitizers, women’s sanitary products, and benadryl. Storage and home: 9 big tupperware bins, 8 fuzzy blankets, 8 pillows. And some cat and dog food.

Let me tell you we were quite a sight walking caravan style thru Target with each of us pushing a cart (Jack, Patrick, Timmy and I had 2). The boys told me we were getting a ton of odd looks. I was too busy shopping to notice! The ladies who helped us at checkout and not only bringing everything out to the car, but packing it perfectly so that everything fit (believe me, that was no small feat!) were so fantastic! So big props to Michelle, Lea, Elizabeth and Maurisha!

There was so much stuff packed into every bit of the car that Timmy was just a head. And the bottom pic there was one more cart but I couldn’t fit it in the picture.

We delivered everything to the Rockville Centre Rec Center that has been taking all donations and getting them out to the places around us that were hit hardest. They were so excited about the huge donation, especially the baby items. In fact, the diapers went from the car, to the rec, immediately back out to cars and trucks headed to Long Beach and Island Park. Way to make a difference people!!

I’m left with $314.61 to put toward the next shopping trip later this week or early next week, plus any additional donations that come in including $25 from any shoots I do for the rest of the year. Donations are still being accepted gladly! If you’d like to donate please go to the paypal tab on the left side of the blog and click the “donate” button. Every little bit helps!!