Santa's surprise...

This was last year when Santa came to Nana and Papa's house. I hope my kids always remember why they do this. For the children, who don't get the choice of being warm or cold.

For any of you who feel strongly about something, do it. Change it. Make it better. Make the difference for someone else. Teach our children they can change the world. They will.

this years flyer...

“For the Warmth of the Children” 2008

Alec (12), Carter (9) and Savannah (6) Johnson started a fundraiser to help collect and donate Gloves, Hats, and Socks for children who are in need for the winter months. They will be given to families in need within the Jordan School District. This year we feel it is especially important to those families who have lost jobs or even homes due to the current economic situation.

We are on our 4th year of this wonderful charity. We are currently asking for donations of new or gently used hats and gloves and new socks only. We’ve had magical experiences every single year and have also exceeded our goals each year. We’re hoping 2008 will be the year that allows more boys and girls to make wonderful winter memories than ever before. Please become a part of the best year yet! Our goal is at least 100 of each!
Thank you so much!

Drop off location – Johnson home

*We will collect until Saturday November 22nd and will deliver on Tuesday, November 25th, so the children can have them for Thanksgiving!

Contact Information:
Robyn Johnson 706-7694
Jeremy Johnson 755-5893
r4kids12@msn.com
forthewarmthofthechildren.blogspot.com


“Great opportunities to help others seldom
come, but small ones surround us daily.”

2007!

This year we started again with a kick off dinner for our family and friends. Alec was the 6th grade senator in 2007, and the school government voted on what charity they wanted to help and 'For the Warmth of the Children' was selected. The entire school was able to help raise hats, gloves, and socks so we did especially great. We did all the usual flyers, e-mails and made 2007 by far the most successful year. We again chose JCIT to donate our items to. They were so grateful and almost completely out of gloves the day we got there. She couldn't believe we had gotten there right after they ran out of gloves. Another prayer answered just in time for Thanksgiving. Good Job Alec!

2006...

We took a small break in 2005 because I had just had Luke and it was a little crazy to try and plan and carry out the fundraiser with a newborn.

2006 started off with a kick-off dinner for our family and friends. We couldn't do this without grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, neighbors, and classmates. Everyone is so supportive. The kids once again handed out flyer's around the neighborhood. They made a goal of 75 of each this year, and once again they reached and surpassed!

This was the year that we found JCIT (Jordan Student Intervention Team). It is a program located at Midvale Elementary. It is a collaborate community plan designed to help families who are facing stressful situations. We were thrilled to find a place where we could help the children in our own community who needed it. Families can go to a little store inside of Midvale Elementary and get the hats, gloves, and socks and other items they need for free. If their store receives more donations than they can handle they are able to share with other school districts. How perfect!

We even decorated a tree for festival of the trees! Dressed with Hat's, Gloves and Stockings!!

2004

This was our first year, and was the most amazing experience! We made up flyers and Alec and Carter went out in the cold snow putting them on the doors in our neighborhood. His school class was also a huge help. We made a big deal of it to our family and friends, and Alec was able to go on the radio on KSL 1160 and talk about his fundraiser, thanks to Aunt Jackie. He was so nervous but did a great job and there was a wonderful women who heard him on the radio and knitted hats, gloves and scarves for the children. Mimi and Papa had a stake Christmas party and they gathered a huge boxful of items for him to take. Our goal that year was 50 of each and I believe we got over 150 of each that year!

We donated all the socks to the Family Promise - Salt Lake (formerly Salt Lake Interfaith Hospitality Network), for their Socks for Santa program. I think that was the first year we had taken him downtown in the not so clean area. It has made a huge impact on his life. He has little memories that really made him sad and thankful. The woman there was especially touched that Alec had done all this work for them and was so thankful to him.

After we dropped those off we went to deliver the hats and gloves to the Rescue Haven shelter for women and children. They almost didn't let us in because Jeremy and Tracy were with us and they were not suppose to let men in. After explaining what we were doing we were able to go in and meet some of the women. They were just getting ready for dinner and a couple of ladies came in and looked into one of the bags we had brought. One of them said to her friend "there are your white gloves!" And the women came over and looked in and said to us "I was just praying this morning for some white gloves!" That was the only white pair in the entire bag.

As we left the shelter and looked back we could see in the window they were praying over their dinner. Alec remember's thinking they were thanking Heavenly Father for him. I know he was a small answer to a prayer.

how it started...

Alec Johnson started this fundraiser when he was in 3rd grade. Every year we would go through Alec's toys and let him choose any that he wanted to donate. We tried to explain to him from the time he could understand that he has been given so much, and that there are children out there who's parent's can't afford to buy them toys. Sometimes there are even children who don't have homes and have to find somewhere different to sleep each night. It's important to us that our children remember how blessed we are, and if we can do anything to help another person, we need to do it.

One day after we had gathered toys, Alec asked me 'how do the 'poor children' play outside when it snows?" He was 8 years old and he was concerned about other children building snow men, going sledding, and all those other winter activities. I told him that there may be some who couldn't play outside in the snow because they didn't have the right clothing. I asked him what he thought we could do to help them. Together we talked about what gets cold first when he was playing at recess. He said his ears (snow hats), his fingers (gloves), and his feet (socks).

And so we started gathering and "For the Warmth of the Children" was started.