Earlier this week I mentioned having a friend who makes layettes from Lutheran World Relief. I had said I know many of you are garage salers and enjoy helping out worthy projects. I said that if you were inclined, my friend it looking for gowns similar to these with no feet.
I also mentioned that flannel sheets are needed as well.
I had several people write and were curious about the Layettes that my friend puts together for Lutheran World Relief.
These are the items that are included in each kit… The items can be gently used but shouldn’t have stains and shouldn’t need repair. If you would use it on your own child, then it can be used in these kits.
When I am out and about, I always collect things with making these kits in mind. I collect the items and pass them on to my friend.
The things that are hardest to find are diapers and four are needed so she opts to use flannel sheets and makes them into diapers. It doesn’t matter if they are printed or not.
Another hard thing to find is sleepers without feet so my friend often sews baby gowns. It’s a very labor-intensive thing to do.
There are others that like me who look for things that help, but she makes many kits each year so much is needed. What is given to her, she buys herself.
I just thought if any of you are garage salers and want to look, you sure can. I know if I’m looking for something it makes garage saling more fun.
This same friend is super active in several other charity efforts including putting together school kits
and health kits
all for Lutheran World Relief.
Sewing kits can also be made. HERE are the instructions of what is needed for them.
She does boxes for Samaritan’s Purse and makes wheelchair quilts for the Veterans. She is a great lady who I greatly admire. I keep telling her I want to be like her when I grow up.
If anyone wants to help my friend put together kits by donating, that’s great. You can send the goodies to me and I will sort them into boxes for each type of kit and then pass them on to her. That will save her one step of having to do the sorting.
This is my address:
Jo Kramer
111 2nd Ave NE
Waucoma, IA 52171
I know all of you do the same kind of things I do…accidentally buy a soft bristle tooth brush but you don’t like soft bristle so you still have it and wonder what to do with it. If it’s in the original packaging, feel free to send it my way and I’ll get it to Lana. She’ll get it into a kit.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Lutheran World Relief. They originated as a Luthern based organization but they serve and help people of any religious background. No items are given to needy with the expectation that they have to do anything to get it. They don’t have to become Lutheran or do any type of thing like that. If they are in need, LWR will try to help.
They are one of the best rated charitable organizations in that the money that is give really goes to the charity endevours not to the over paid executives.
I come from a line of family that supports Lutheran World Relief. Although I can’t do all the work I once did for them. I can support Lana who is doing a lot of the heavy lifting. She’s truly a force to be reckoned with.
This is a wonderful friend you have. My husband grew up Lutheran. We also support a program called Heart to Heart International out of Olathe Ks. They do wonderful things and Dr Gary Morsch is a personal friend. He is like Lana- amazing ; )
I, too, was connected with Lutheran World Relief. I mainly helped with making the quilts that LWR makes and donates. Our church usually sent close to 200 which isn’t as many as more churches do, but every quilt was appreciated. Our group had a fund raiser and the money was give to help the cost of shipping the quilts. Our church also prepared the school, sewing, and personal care kits. Jo is correct, all money (or items) donated is used directly for those in need. Even when there was a disaster in the states and special offerings were taken, the money was sent directly to a local church in the affected area. I will definitely look for items to send since I moved and no longer am connected to LWR.
We sewed school bags according to LWR preferred size & used donated heavier fabric that was not good for quilts. We printed out a list of school supplies & put a list in each bag. Added a deadline date. Then our congregation could take the bags & buy the supplies then return to church by the deadline. We also set out a collection jar for those who wanted to contribute cash instead of shopping. It was a late Summer project when the back to school supplies were coming into the stores. This was a great success. We moved & last I heard they were still doing this.
Sad to say, 3 40 foot containers of quilts, layettes, and school kits were destroyed in the August 2020 explosion in Beriut, Lebanon. This was a major blow to persons in the area. LWR has one of the highest ratings of aid per dollar in the world. My MIL is chairperson of the LWR quilting group at her church and it is always exciting to hear how many quilts their little group can produce. They are my #1 group to recieve quilting stash and funding. My own church holds a major yard sale each year and we always make a donation to one of the special LWR projects. Several members in their 80s and 90s remember LWR projects from their childhood. It is a good feeling to be part of something that has done so much good in the world for so long.
Actually Deb I believe that those containers were found and they did not lose them after all. We have an active group at our church. I love quilting with the Lutherans.
https://lwr.org/story-hub/more-details-emerge-humanitarian-goods-caught-beirut-explosion-damage
I like giving to Lutheran World Relief. So was looking at websites for diapers and baby gowns. Gerber is having a Memorial Day sale so the baby gowns are much more reasonably priced for a few days. I will get a few on order and maybe some of the other readers will too. I have no affiliation with Gerber. I’m just a quilter who would rather quilt and purchase baby gowns to donate.
https://www.gerberchildrenswear.com/collections/baby-girl-sleepwear/products/4-pack-neutrual-elephants-gown-1114?variant=18590733107315
I also found diapers on Amazon at a reasonable price. https://www.amazon.com/Gerber-Birdseye-3-Ply-Prefold-Diapers/dp/B07TFBLXKS/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=cloth%2Bflat%2Bfold%2Bdiapers&qid=1621996114&sr=8-1&th=1&psc=1
Thanks, Jo for clarifying and giving a more detailed post regarding this. I was one who had questions and you answered them all. I’ll be on the lookout.
Just curious. What do make with the sewing kits?
The sewing kits are sent to third world countries or to people in need so that they can make clothing or whatever else they can make.
From LWR site: ” LWR distributed its first quilts in 1945 to families in war-torn Europe following the Second World War. Within a decade, the ministry was reaching around the globe to villages far removed from the world’s attention. Today, an average of 300,000 quilts are lovingly given worldwide each year.”
LWR was founded to help support German families who were bombed out and desperate for anything after WWII. We never hear much about what happened to the Germans after the war but one of our members was a young girl and they had nothing left. Many Germans had settled in the Northwest USA and other areas of the country and they established LWR to send goods to their relatives and friends left behind.
For the Baby Care Kit, Is that all Newborn Sizes? Thanks to whoever clarifies this. I looked and looked but did not see size…maybe my old eyes overlooked it or I am over-thinking it.
No the sizes can vary in the Baby Care Kit up to 24 months.
https://lwr.org/sites/default/files/2020-12/Baby%20Kit%20Assembly%20Instructions.pdf
Up to 24 months is okay for the size of sleepers. Thanks for asking.
Thank you for clarifying this for me and anyone else that needs it…..Hope I was not the only one feeling dumb!!!! LOL
Our church also collects items for all of the LWR kits as well as making quilts. Since the sleepers are hard to find without feet my mom would cut off the feet and then sew knit ribbing in place of the feet which worked well.
Jo, I ordered 8 baby gowns from Gerber and I am having them drop -shipped to you so I don’t pay postage twice. I paid through pay pal and it looks like our business name is going to show as part of your address–EASTGATE CLASSICS, INC. I couldn’t get rid of that line. This seems like such a worthy cause.
LWR also appreciates cash gifts. I love them. I called and said I would donate monthly but to send me absolutely no promotional materials. Literally, the only mail I get from them is my annual statement!
For crafters, LWR also accepts hand-crocheted/knit blankets, sweaters, etc, for their layettes.
thanks for heads up. The next time I am walking through an Amish store I will look for diapers and sleepers. I have not so in a bit so I might not have any luck. Plus I might be thinking of shops I visit on vacation, not ones in my area.
Jo, do you make any sewing kits from all the fabric donated? I would be willing to put thread with it. I recently sent baby kit items and would like to help with the sewing . I don’t think any of the donors would mine part of the fabric going for this.
I haven’t made any sewing kits so far. It’s hard as many need the larger cuts for backing quilts. I’ll think about that. THANKS for the suggestion.