Food Drive 2011 - Part 1

Today we did Phase I of Operation Amen House Food Drive.  It consisted of putting out 300+ bags around the neighborhood.  We had a lot of GREAT help to make things move quickly and efficiently.

Here are pictures from Phase I-a
We had to break Phase I into two parts.  We ran out of prepared bags and had to regroup and do the remaining bags after Matt got home.

Ryan and Brinley

Brinley and Ryan

Brinley with friends "Merinda & Lauren"

Brinley and Merinda

Brinley and Merinda

Ethan, Allie, Maddie (standing), Ryan and Merinda

Here are pictures from Phase I-b

Brinley

Our friend "Tyson"

Ashton

Our friend "Jaden"

The Smith and Clayburn helpers of Phase I-b

Phase II is Saturday - gathering the goods! - More pics to come!

Day of Service 2010

For the past few days our family has participated in the "Day(s) of Service - 2010" . . . First we had the boys put 225 bags/flyers around the neighborhood. They did this Thurs/Fri. Today we hooked up with another family in the neighborhood (who had also put out bags - 150+) and gathered all the donations. All the kids (ages 3 to 12) did AWESOME! Look at some of the pictures from today's events HERE.

Service Day Part I (In the Beginning)

For Stake Service Day our ward decided to organize a food drive for the local food pantry, The Amen House. They asked each family in the ward to help participate. Our assignment was to deliver bags with flyers attached to a number of houses in our neighborhood. A few days later we were asked to go around to the same houses and pick up the filled bags. The boys had such a wonderful time participating in this service project. It was a great experience. We even received help from the neighborhood kids in helping deliver the bags/flyers.

Here are a couple of pictures of the boys delivering the bags.

Service Day Part II (The Collection)

Today was the day we were to go pick up the donated bags of food/toiletries. We began on our street only to be met by another family in the Ward. They obviously wake up much earlier than we do on Saturdays and had already completed their assigned streets. The kids had so much fun doing this service project. Once our streets were completed, we drove over to the other side of the neighborhood and met up with one more family from the ward. With all 3 families working together we were able to knock it out lightning fast. It was really fun watching all the children working together to get the job done.

Once we gathered all the food we drove it all over to the church where they separated it into different categories and got it ready to deliver to the food pantry.

Thanks to all who participated - whether by helping organize the routes, print the flyers, deliver the bags, picking up the bags, donating the goods in the bags, sorting, etc. It was much appreciated.

"To serve others willingly and unselfishly should be one of our greatest virtues. It is not even a matter of choice. It is an obligation, a sacred command.... "Therefore, let us serve one another with brotherly love, never tiring of the demands upon us, being patient and persevering and generous."
-Ezra Taft Benson (Thirteen President of the Church)