giving away world vision kits for lent

A tradition during the season of Lent is to give something up, while also adding a new practice or doing something to help others, commonly called almsgiving. I love this tradition, and although I don't do something big every year, one of my favorite things to do during Lent is to raise money for World Vision.

It's been three years (I can't believe how fast time goes by!) since I did this, and I decided it's been too long. In the past, the fundraising as build Ebola and AIDS Caregiver Kits, and this time it will be all about International Hygiene Kits.

So here's how this works:

From now until Easter, I'm giving up 100% of the profits from my Etsy shop, as well as my Threadless shop.
All of that money goes to purchase supplies (via World Vision) for the kits.
The supplies come to my house, get assembled into kits, then sent back to World Vision who distributes them.

Here's what I need:

The minimum number of kits to assemble is 50. That's $800. In the past, that's not been a terribly difficult number to reach, but it's definitely more than I would typically sell during this time period. So I need your support through orders in my shop. I need you to help me spread the word. And I'd also love prayer that this goal gets met.

Of course, I'd be THRILLED if we could build more than 50 kits. I know it can happen!

For my part, I'll also be trying to get a few new items released. I'm currently working on a unicorn design, plus some sushi friends! And...I just added a new design to my Threadless shop.



Don't you wish there was such a thing as a heart-shaped embroidery hoop? I certainly do. So I drew one. And I put it on zipper pouches, t-shirts, phone cases and mugs. Find this and more in my Threadless shop.

Full disclosure: My Helping Hearts design on Threadless always benefits Preemptive Love, and therefore doesn't contribute to the World Vision Kits project.

Want to see other designs on Threadless? Other items on Etsy? I'll do my best to add new items!

So what do you say? Are you up for lending a hand with this project? I hope so!

Shop Wild Olive on Etsy

Shop Wild Olive on Threadless

in print // handmade from the heart

In May of 2015, I stood on my front porch to send a thank you to all of those who made a purchase from my shop or blog during a very special fundraising campaign. The effort collected $3600 for World Vision's Caregiver Kits, and I still get emotional thinking about it.

Soon after, I received an email from someone at World Vision, asking if they could talk with me about the project. And now, just over a year later, they published an article in their magazine about it. (I might have put some makeup on if I had known the pic would be published and sent to 500,000 people!)

You guys. I don't know what to say.

Another thank you is in order. And also, I have to say that God does amazing things when you say yes to Him. Even in this broken world, He brings healing through us.

My part in this was so small and it was so easy. If you have a shop, consider how a month or even just a week of profits could help change the world. I know that I'm already thinking about the next time I'll be doing this. Because our hurting world needs a bit more love and generosity.

caregiver kits // we did it!

In February I told you about how I wanted to help World Vision build Caregiver Kits for those work working Ebola patients. They have an urgent need for these kits, and yet I wasn't sure that we would be able to meet the minimum number of kits required for a supply drop off.

You can read more about it here and here, but the news today is that we did it, the kits are packed, and have been sent off to be distributed! THANK YOU!!!



Last week this truck pulled up in front of my house. And they dropped off a pallet that looked like this...



It was so big that it didn't fit in the picture. Seriously, it was taller than me!





We unwrapped the pallet and checked each box to make sure that everything was here, and that it was all in good condition. One of the boxes was a little crunched, so I was worried, but everything was as it should be.



The front porch was full, and yes, people stared. A parent of one of my sister's students asked her what was going on. My brother's friend stopped by and listened to us tell him about the project.

My whole family has taken every opportunity to tell people about what happens when a bunch of people pitch in with orders and gifts and generosity and prayer.




Typically when people pack Caregiver Kits they are doing it as part of a big event. Churches and businesses often do this. The set up they recommend is a 24-foot row of tables, and that just doesn't work in a house. Not in our house anyway!

So we set up around our kitchen island.

Every person in my family helped. There were eight of us, and while each of us packed some of the kits, a few of us also had other special jobs: taping boxes, checking kits, refilling supplies, and hand writing notes. You can see one through the bag here:





When they were all packed up, they made a nice stack of boxes in the living room (this picture isn't even all of them...there were 20 in total!). We all gathered around, and we prayed for the people who would receive the kits. We prayed for the caregivers and the patients. And we will continue to pray. If you're someone who believes in prayer, would you join us?

Thank you once again to every person who jumped in to be part of what God was doing here. I thank you, and so does World Vision.

printable // rainbow raindrop card

I love and collect stationery items, rarely use them, and then can never seem to find them when I need them. Printables are a great solution for that, right? Let's hope that I remember that I can print these rainbow cards the next time I need one.

If you're like me, this handy little PDF may be just what you need. You can fold them and write inside, or cut it to use as a flat (because there's plenty of room to write on the front!). They'll fit in A4 "invitation" envelopes.

Plus, who doesn't need more rainbow order in their life?

DOWNLOAD THE RAINBOW CARD.

Speaking of rainbows, these brightly colored Ink Joy pens are awesome. I bought them as an Amazon add-on once, and now I'm hooked on them! They come in several styles, so go get some pens. You won't regret it. (I'm not compensated for this...not even an affiliate link...I just love them!)



This is what the inside of the cards look like. Blank. Coming up, my family will be assembling the 120 Caregiver Kits that the Wild Olive community helped purchase. Each one gets a handwritten note.

That got me thinking. Would you like to send a message of encouragement or blessing in one of these Caregiver Kits? Blank cards wouldn't be so blank any more.

I'm happy to transfer the message from a comment here or an email (send to molliejohanson at gmail dot com) onto a card (I haven't decided if I'll be using the rainbows or not), and then send it along. If you weren't able to participate in the fundraising, this is also a great way to still be involved. I know that each one of these notes is going to mean a lot to the recipients.

If you would like to actually send a handwritten note for me to drop into one of the kits, again, just send me an email and we'll work that out. Hopefully kits will be going together the first week of May!

Questions? I'll do my best to answer in the comments!

caregiver kits // a very huge thank you

I didn't think I could do it. I wasn't even sure that we could do it. But I knew that if God wanted to, I knew that HE could do it. And He did.

Since February 18, the start of Lent, 100% of the profits from my shop and blog sales have been going toward building Ebola Caregiver Kits. The kits include disinfectant, soap, medications, protective gear, and more. The need for these kits is urgent, and I felt that this was something important to work on.

The goal was $1500. That's the minimum number of kits I could order supplies for, and that makes 50 kits.

Well over 100 people made purchases during this time. They bought embroidery patterns, recipe cards, club memberships and Ultimate DIY Bundles. And after I subtract the fees from all of those (Etsy and Paypal still get their cut!), the total we raised was...

$1795! Goal met!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to every single person who helped make this happen!

But it's even better than that. Because an amazing, awesome, generous family emailed me to let me know that they are matching the entire amount. I can't think about it without crying. So a very special thank you to them.

I'll be rounding up the amount to have it come out evenly, which means that this week I'll be ordering supplies to make 120 Caregiver Kits, and assembling them with my family soon after. 120! That's more than twice what I thought would be difficult to do.

All glory to God, with much thanks to everyone who helped with an order and who spread the word. Be watching for an update on this when everything shows up and these kits come together.

If you'd like to contribute directly to World Vision's Caregiver Kits project, you can do so here. I know that every bit helps them help others.

caregiver kits // a plan for lent

Remove and replace. This is a practice that is commonly done during Lent, the 40 days leading to Easter. And today marks the start. Do you follow this practice? What are you removing from your life? What are you replacing it with?

A few years ago I felt a clear calling for what I should do, and the same calling was placed on my heart again this year. I was thinking about people who are doing God's work, and World Vision Caregivers came to mind. These people go out and care for those who are suffering from disease or hunger. And they love them.

I want to support that and play a part in the Caregiver Kits ministry.

So how does that connect with remove and replace? Well, I'm "giving up" the profits from my business and then building the kits that these workers need. Now through Easter, the profits from all Wild Olive purchases will go toward packing 50 Ebola Caregiver Kits (the most urgent need right now).

50 kits will cost $1500, and I'm not gonna lie, this feels like an impossible goal to meet. 40 days to reach $1500 in profits is NOT normal for my shop and blog. But I truly believe that God is gonna do something great.

My part in this is simply saying "yes" to God. Your part is considering a purchase between now and Easter. Everything else is God, bringing hope and supplies to those suffering from Ebola.

If you would like to donate, without making a purchase, you can do so directly with World Vision. (Note, these gifts won't count toward the 50 kit minimum that I need to meet.)

Think about it. Pray about it. And let's see what might just happen in the next 40 days!

UPDATE: The Drury family has generously offered to MATCH every dollar raised, up to $1500. That means that every purchase goes twice as far, and we'll be making double the number of much-needed Caregiver Kits! Thank you so much!

giving caregiver kits for lent

A few years ago, I attended an Ash Wednesday service that stirred my heart to give something up, and do something special, for Lent. It was clear to me that I could be a part of some amazing things God is doing and invite others to participate too.

So I gave up the profits from my shop and put them towards building World Vision Caregiver Kits.

Since the first time I did this (or more accurately, since WE did this), fundraising for Caregiver Kits has become a nearly annual tradition, though not always during the Lenten season. Today, we start the drive once more.



For those unfamiliar, Caregiver Kits contain a selection of items used for giving basic medical care to those primarily suffering from HIV/AIDS. They are given to volunteer workers in Africa, Asia and Latin America, who provide care, love and a message of hope. At this time, World Vision is only able to fulfill about 10% of requests for the kits. Clearly, the need is great.

The cost for the supplies is $22 per kit, and the minimum number of kits to build is 50. It feels like a big commitment, but I'd love to do even more than 50. Will you help me help others?

To make this happen, now through Easter, 100% of the profits from my Etsy and Kitschy Digitals shops will go toward Caregiver Kits. If you've been thinking of purchasing something, this is the time to do it.

As time progresses, I'll keep an updated count of kits we can supply with the profits. Once the funds are raised, I'll place the order for supplies, and World Vision will have palettes of medical supplies shipped to my house, where everything will be packaged up and we'll add handwritten notes to the Caregivers. And of course I'll share the experience with you here on my blog.

I'm so looking forward to seeing what we can do together!

PS: you can also give directly to World Vision's Caregiver Kits project on their website.

encouraging caregivers

I haven't talked about it for a month, but work on Caregiver Kits has been happening in the background. You'll remember that at the end of May, sponsorship and shop profits went towards this amazing ministry, and they were matched by World Vision. Here's what that means:

These are supplies for putting together 100 kits! They were delivered to my house today, and tomorrow we're putting them all together. Wow! Thank you to everyone who helped!

Now I have another opportunity for you to help. With each kit and refill, a note is included. They are hand written, and are a means to encourage and bless the caregivers who receive these kits and go out to work with AIDS patients.

They are short, but they mean so much to the caregivers. I'm told that they keep the notes with them, praying for those who wrote them!

Here's my question. Do you have anything that you would like to say and share with a caregiver? Would you like to encourage them along with me? Leave a comment, and I'll write them out and include your notes in the kits.

Thank you for being a blessing to many!

an urgent need

Last night, I got an email that broke my heart. But let me go back just a bit...

If you've been here for a while, you've heard about my passion for the ministry of World Vision. One of the projects that has been especially important to me is their Caregiver Kits. Through my shop and blog sponsorship, in the past, we've raised money to pack a total of 75 of these life-giving kits. Whenever we do it, I am touched by people's generosity, not to mention the caregivers who give so much of their own lives to help others.

Back to the email. The supply of kits is extremely low, and World Vision is seeking people to get more kits put together. They are even matching donations, so for every kit built, they'll send supplies for a second kit. The moment I read that, I knew we needed to do something.

So, until the end of May, 100% of my shop profits and 100% of sponsorship ad funds will go to making World Vision Caregiver Kits. 100%! If you've been thinking of making a purchase, now's the time to do it.

There are a lot of things planned for the blog between now and the end of the month, but added into all of that will be updated on this project. I'm so excited to see what we can do in this short time! Thanks so much for your help in supporting this amazing cause!

Visit the Shop
Learn about Sponsorship

the supplies have arrived...

Hey! Look at these boxes! Do you know what they are? Caregiver Kits supplies! Do you know who bought them? My customers, sponsors, friends and supporters!

That's right, supplies for making 30 Caregiver Kits arrived at my house today, and they are all stacked up in the kitchen. We aren't going to assemble them just yet though, because we want to bring them to show the kids at church who are learning about serving others right now. We're going to let them help put these together a bit. So not only will the kits bless those who need the supplies, but they will give kids an opportunity to serve God and others.

Yay! These kits make me so excited, and I am SO THANKFUL to and for every single person that contributed this year. I'll still be back with one more update on these kits when they are complete, plus I do promise the rest of the soft kit that I've been making!

a caregiver kit for kids - part 1...

As you probably know by now, World Vision's Caregiver Kits get me excited. And as a reminder, 100% of profits from my shop and all sponsorship for October go towards making these kits. (Hint, hint...)

But today I have the first of a few posts that show how you can make a Caregiver Kit that your kids can play with, and act out giving care to those who need a bit of help. There are a lot of items in a Caregiver Kit, and not all are easy to make out of felt, so I've chosen a few that we'll make, a few real items that can be used, and we'll leave out a couple (so I don't go crazy trying to figure them out!). We're starting with...



Medicine and Anti-Fungal Cream!

To make these, download the pattern. You'll also need some felt, floss/thread, and stuffing.

The medicine is a combination of things in the Kit. It can be Tylenol, Re-hydration Salts, or Water Purification Tablets. Take your pick.



Cut 2 pieces for the front and back of the packet, and 2 "pills". Sew the pills to the front of one piece of felt.



Sew the front and back pieces together, leaving an opening for stuffing. (I used two cotton balls, as I didn't have stuffing on hand...it actually works well because you can feel the two cotton balls, sort of like pills!)



And, stitch it all closed!

Now, the Anti-Fungal Cream is trickier. But it's worth it because when people ask you what you're making, you can mess with their head a little by telling them "Anti-Fungal Cream". They'll think you're kidding.



Okay, so cut out all of the pieces, as instructed in the pattern. I went with a matching cap and decorative strip. Sew the side of the cap into a ring, then sew the top of the cap to this ring.



Do a running stitch around the open end, place a bit of stuffing inside the cap, then gather it closed.



Sew the gathered side of the cap to the middle of the top/sides piece.



Stitch the decorative strip onto one of the front/back pieces.



This is the tricky part. Sew the top/sides piece to the front/back pieces. I used a whip stitch for this, and sort of made my way up and around, then back again.



Leave a spot open for stuffing, then fill it, but don't put too much at the flat end. Sew it closed.

Now you've got the first pieces. More will be coming soon, including the case to hold everything!

making caregiver kits...

Someone expressed their excitement about hearing more about Caregiver Kits, and of course, I'm happy to oblige!

Caregiver Kits is one of many amazing projects that is done by World Vision. The idea is simple, but far-reaching. Around the world, in many of the poorest countries, there are millions of people suffering from HIV or AIDS. These people often receive no care, making their condition worse. Theirs is a life without hope. Caregiver Kits equip people who are bringing hope.


(all photos are from one of the previous times that we assembled kits)

Each Caregiver Kit contains basic medical supplies which are given to a Caregiver. These specially trained family members and volunteers treat AIDS victims, while preventing the spread of infection. They also provide emotional and spiritual support.



Kits include latex gloves, cotton balls, soap, medications, petroleum jelly, a flashlight, and more. World Vision allows for purchasing items and putting together individual kits and sending them in, or you can buy supplies in bulk and assemble them. This is what I do when raising money.



After October is done, and I know how many Kits we're putting together, I call and order everything. Then when the supplies arrive, my family and I assemble them and ship them off. I especially love when my young siblings help, because I think it's important for even little ones to do service projects.

Which brings up an idea I had. How would you like to make a Caregiver Kit that your kids (or a child you know) could play with? So that they could "act out" caring for others? If this sounds like something you might enjoy, I'll post tutorials throughout the month for making a soft play Caregiver Kit. It'll be fun!



Now about today's start of the fund raising project. The day isn't over yet, and already we have 1+ kits funded! Thank you to those who jumped right in! I have confidence that this will be growing, so if you would like to support the project, you can make a purchase from the shop, or sponsor the blog anytime in October. And be sure to watch the counter in the right sidebar to see the progress we're making!

25 in a month...

If you've been around for a while, you know that I have a passion for the work of World Vision. They do sooooo much good, and they help in so many ways. The Girls in Crisis fund, is a new project I've worked on (see the exclusive pattern info in the right side bar), but one of my favorite things is Caregiver Kits.

Last year, we did two rounds of fundraising, and made a total of 45 Caregiver Kits. This time, it will be for a shorter amount of time, but we can still do something big...



This is a collaborative effort for the month of October, so I need your help to reach this goal! There are two ways to do this:

1) Buy something. During October, 100% of profits from my shop go towards Caregiver Kits. Tomorrow I'll be sharing new items that will be coming this week.

2) Sponsor the blog. All October sponsorship payments go toward Caregiver Kits. This means that I'll accept as many new sponsors are as interested (the number will be limited following this effort). Contact me for more info.

I'm very excited about this, and know that with our help, God will do amazing things to help those in need of care! And come Friday, watch the sidebar for a progress report. The fun starts on Friday!