Newsletter

Another fabulous day in Lawrence County! I've always been of the opinion that Lawrence County is a great place to live, and Bedford is a great community, and after yesterday's turnout at the Packing Party--I'm even more convinced! If you were not there--I'm sorry you missed it!!!! We had about 30 people on hand to pack boxes! It took us approximately 50 minutes to pack 69 boxes FULL to overflowing with homemade cookies and candies! Mike Lewis, who wrote an article in the Sunday paper about the Packing Party, said it best: "And the cookies came in. They were bagged and piled on tables, overflowing at times. And each person who arrived to volunteer seemed to be toting more treats." I cannot begin to thank everyone who had a part in making this packing party such a success, but I would like to mention a few: Kim Morris and the staff at the Girls' Club went above and beyond in supplying facilities and whatever was needed for the party; Becky Bailey, who typed out the address labels and customs forms for each and every box sent out and who recruited MANY volunteers to bake cookies and candy; Wayne and Mary Umphress for helping out Friday evening and all day Saturday; the individuals, families, clubs and organizations who brought in thousands of cookies and candies; the many people who helped wrap cookies on Friday night or Saturday morning; and the volunteers who came in and helped in the packing process on Saturday morning! I know I should mention each and every volunteer by name and give them their due, but that would be impossible, so please know that I do appreciate you, and I do remember the time you spent helping out, and I do realize all the work you put in to making this year's packing party a success, and also keep in mind the real reason we do th is--so that during the Christmas Season, even though our young men and women from the area will not be home, they will have a little bit of home with them. God Bless Our Service Members every day--and especially during the holidays, when they need it most! Larry Arnold has sent me the following info about the Christmas Parade. We had such a great time at the Packing Party--let the fun continue!!!


CHRISTMAS PARADE NOTES
November 21, 2009
Decorating will take place at Limestone Capitol Automotive. Located next to the UAW Hall on H street. Bob Evans will allow us to use his business to decorate and we can start on Friday before the Parade and have access on Saturday to finish the float. We will take the float back to the garage and disassemble after the parade and on Sunday afternoon.
We can use my truck to pull the float and we can decorate it as well. There are some new decorations for the truck. We will need a generator for the truck. I do have access to one but it is very noisy. I do have the fire extinguisher as required. We have plenty of lights and extension cords. A good sound system would help.
We do have access to the trailer we used last year, the Sallades will allow us to use it again.
We need decorating ideas and the trailer will make a good platform for many different ideas.
We can decorate it up like a house and set a tree in it along with an electric stove I have to make it seem like a home.
If anyone has any ideas and would like to help please contact me at the following numbers:
Home: 275‐8273, cell 278‐6875 or by e‐mail at larryarnold@tricountybldrs.com
If you want to march in the parade please let me know. I have a signup sheet and will add your name to the list.
We do have our entry submitted and approved by the parade committee and we are looking forward to working with everyone on this.

Since the Packing Party on Saturday we have a tentative theme for the float, subject to change and if someone has a better idea.
We will divide the trailer in to 2 sections, first section a soldier sleeping in his tent with a cloud type spread above him and the dream of a hometown Christmas, this would be the second half of the float with the family and the soldier around the fire at home. We thought a good title would be “I’m Dreaming of a Hometown Christmas.” Let me know your thoughts on this and don’t be afraid to be honest, if someone has a better idea this is not like my child and step up and speak up.
We will have a meeting of any interested parade participants at my house Sunday November 29, 2009 at 2:00. My address is 2022 12th Street Bedford. We are by the entrance to Oak Manor and just off John Williams Blvd and U St. The name is on a stone in front of the house and the number is on the mailbox. Call for directions.Larry Arnold

REMEMBER that we will meet every second Friday of each month (December 11th is the next one!) at 6 pm at the Cloverleaf Restaurant for our Monthly HHAFFA Dinner. No reservations required--just show up, enjoy a good meal with great company!!!

On that note--Good Night!
God Bless Our Troops and their families back home!
Nancy Peabody

Newsletter

Good afternoon! Can you believe we are half way through November?????

Here are a few reminders:

PACKING PARTY INFO:--If you are baking cookies or making candy, please deliver them to the Girls' Club on Friday, Nov 20th from 3 pm to 7 pm (best!!!) or on Saturday morning by 9 am. We are going to wrap the cookies individually or in pairs with Saran Wrap. We will then put a dozen (variety) of cookies in a Ziploc bag. We want to put 2 dozen cookies and a pound of candy in each box! If you would like to prewrap the cookies before you deliver them--that would be great--otherwise we will wrap them in Saran Wrap when you get there!--We will begin to party on Saturday (21st) at 9 am at the Girls' Club! We will begin by wrapping cookies and bagging candy. After we get everything ready to pack, we will pack approximately 60 boxes. We will include cookies, candy, snowman (in camo) ornaments, and other goodies. We will also include--in each box--cards from schoolchildren and a note from the people who packed the boxes and baked cookies and made candy! --If you have any questions, please email or call me, Nancy Peabody, at 275-0366! See you Friday (when you deliver your cookies), and/or Saturday morning (when you help pack boxes!!!)

Larry Arnold needs your help! He is in the middle of planning HHAFFA's Christmas entry in the Bedford Christmas Parade to be held in the evening of December 5th! He needs help in planning and decorating. Please email him at larryarnold@tricountybldrs.com to volunteer!


XEROX IS DOING SOMETHING COOL--still!!!If you go to this web site, www.LetsSayThanks.com you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq.
You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member of the armed services. How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one!!!

It is FREE and it only takes a second. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these?

Whether you are for or against the war, our soldiers over there need to know we are behind them. This takes just 10 seconds and it's a wonderful way to say thank you.

Please take the time and please take the time to pass it on for others to do. We can never say enough thank you's.



Get your aprons on and Bake! Bake!! Bake!!! See you this weekend!!!
God Bless Our Troops and their families back home!
Nancy

Newsletter

*****CHRISTMAS PACKING PARTY*****

Mark Saturday, November 21st on your calendars!! We will be packing approximately 55 boxes at the Girls' Club at 9 am to send to all active duty service members who will be away from home for Christmas, and we need your help! First, we need updated addresses. Second, we need homebaked cookies and candies by the dozens!! Get your family, your Sunday School class, your civic organization together and bake, bake, bake!!!!!!!! You may deliver your cookies and candies to the Girls' Club on Friday, November 20th until 7 pm (best!!) or bring them to the Girls' Club on Saturday morning by 9 am! We hope to pack 2 dozen cookies in each box, so 55 boxes x 2 dozen cookies, means we will need 110 dozen cookies (1320 cookies!!!)!!!!! So, PLEASE, BAKE, BAKE, BAKE!!!!!!!!!

More info----We have a few names on our list of addresses with Ft Hood and area addresses, and as far as we know, none were directly involved in the craziness of last week, but I'm sure it truly has touched their daily lives! If you are looking for loved ones on Fort Hood you can visit the Red Cross Safe and Well List. In order to complete a search you will need to know the phone number or address of your loved one.




--State Sen. Jim Merritt (R-Indianapolis) today encouraged residents to join Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman's holiday season mail campaign for troops called "Hoosier Cheer for Our Heroes.""When you make your holiday card list this year, please remember Indiana servicemen and women who will be spending the holidays away from their homes and families," Merritt said.Skillman' s office is collecting cards and will send them to Indiana troops around the world. Those who want to participate should send ca rds and letters (but no money or gifts) to Skillman's Statehouse office by Wednesday, Nov. 18, to the following address:

Office of the Lieutenant Governor
Statehouse 200 West Washington St.,
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2797

Merritt said Skillman's office received about 20,000 cards for troops last year and officials hope to top that this year."During a season of giving, it's important for us to remember those who are putting action behind our hopes for 'peace on earth,'" Merritt said. "I am thankful for our troops and hope many residents will take the time to express their appreciation to them through the lieutenant governor's wonderful program."


--Are you aware of Heroes Tree at Bedford and Mitchell libraries? Provide photo card of veteran and it will be put on their tree. Call library for more information.

--Don't forget about the HHAFFA Monthly Dinner at the Cloverleaf on Friday, November 13th at 6 pm!

--The Christmas Parade is fast approaching and Larry Arnold needs your help! Please contact him at larryarnold@tricountybldrs.com to volunteer help in planning and decorating this year's entry!

Now go put your feet up! Conserve your energy!! Christmas, and all its activities, is fast approaching!!! (Do you realize the packing party is only 2 weeks from today, the parade is 4 weeks from today and Christmas Day is 7 weeks-minus 1 day-from today?????) eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!!

God Bless Our Troops and their families back home!
Nancy Peabody

Prayers

Our prayers are out there for all the lives lost in the Ft. Hood shootings. May God bring peace to those families who lost loved ones and to the shooter's family as they will also be going through some difficult times. May God grant quick healings for all those injured also. God's blessing to all those who are suffering in any way due to the shootings.

Ft. Hood Shootings

This is from the Indiana Red Cross Services to Armed Forces Manager. I thought I would forward it for your information. I don't know how many of you have service members stationed at Ft. Hood, but please be assured that all of us were praying that those who were, were safe.
Betsy

If you are looking for loved ones on Fort Hood you can visit the Red Cross Safe and Well List. In order to complete a search you will need to know the phone number or address of your loved one.

If you are on the post, we encourage you to register on Safe and Well so others know you are safe. If you have spoken to loved ones on Fort Hood, you can register them on Safe and Well by visiting www.redcross.org. Safe and Well does not provide a specific location of those who have registered and all personal information is kept confidential.

We do have personnel who work on the post at Fort Hood. We have been in contact with those staff members and they are safe. The Army has not requested any Red Cross help at this point, but we do stand ready if needed.

The Red Cross has provided additional blood products to local hospitals near Fort Hood.


As always, Happy to Serve,
Kara M. Mitchell
State Manager, Service to the Armed Forces
American Red Cross, NHQ
317-684-4354 (w)
317-459-6838 (c)
317-684-4328 (f)
MitchellK@usa.redcross.org
Kmitchell@redcross-indy.org

Updates

Greetings! I had good intentions of sending this out last night, but we didn't get home until late last night, so here it is tonight . . .

I would like to say a BIG Thank You to all who attended the Quarterly Meeting last Monday evening and stepped up to take leadership roles--that is exactly what this organization needs!

Larry Arnold is now our Parade Chairman and is in the midst of planning and organizing our entry in this year's Bedford Christmas Parade. The theme of this year's parade is "Christmas in Our Hometown" and Larry would appreciate ideas for the entry as well as lots of help planning and decorating, so if you would like to volunteer ideas or labor, please contact Larry at larryarnold@tricountybldrs.com

Tom Boscher is now in charge of Monthly HHAFFA Dinners and has set the second Friday of every month as THE NIGHT! No RSVP required! Just show up at the Cloverleaf Restaurant at 6 pm prepared for good food and good fellowship. So set aside Friday, November 13th--see you at the Cloverleaf at 6 pm!

We still need someone to step up and take over the MOMS/Spouses Support Group. Let me know if we have any volunteers!

During the Quarterly Meeting, we discussed our annual Christmas Packing Party. We have decided to send a box of homemade goodies to any active duty service member who will be away from home for Christmas! We will need Christmas cookies and candies by the dozens! If your church group, organization, or family would be willing to help, please let me know!

Also, we need updated addresses!!!! Please make sure we have your loved one's current address, especially if they will be away from home at Christmas. It is sad to find out too late that someone did not receive a Care package, because we did not have their name and address, and it is also depressing when a box is returned because that person is no longer at the address we have on file. So, PLEASE make sure we have a current address for your loved one!!

Rest up! Christmas is coming!

God Bless Our Troops and their families back home!
Nancy Peabody