Fundraising for Foster Kids - BAKE SALE Saturday [Archive] - Sonoma County Moms

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karen-clark
05-26-2008, 09:35 PM
Hi everyone!

I am a member of the Rohnert Park – Cotati Mother’s Club and we have been working diligently to raise funds and clothing for foster children who are pulled from their homes with just the clothes on their backs. We are sponsoring the Redwood Empire Foster Parents Association in what we are calling our “Big Give” - similar to Oprah’s efforts but on a smaller scale! Several of us have committed to doing everything within our power to help these unfortunate children in their time of need, and we are asking for help!

We just completed a pajama drive and now we are working on a fundraising effort to bring in cash to pay for “extras” for these children who rarely get the chance to lead ‘normal’ lives due to their situations. Our own children get to go to camp, have music lessons, join scouts etc. but for many of these children that is just a dream. We would like to help them out by raising funds for these things.

To do this we are having a bake sale this coming Saturday in Rohnert Park at the 49er Pet parking lot (COME!) and we are reaching out to businesses who would like to either donate matching funds for the amount we raise Saturday, or to donate money in any amount toward our efforts. In exchange, not only will you get to feel great about helping these children, but those of us on the committee will be singing your praises to the other club members by way of our yahoogroup and newsletter. We will also provide an official thank you letter from REFPA for your records, as they are a non-profit organization.

Can you help? If so, please email me your commitment (of any amount) and a way for us to get that from you. Below is our official request letter. Thank you so much!!

ALSO Come out to the bake sale Saturday! It's at the 49er Pet on Southwest in Rohnert Park. All proceeds go to this cause - plus you can enjoy a rummage sale for Relay for Life at the same location!
Karen Clark




Rohnert Park-Cotati Mothers’ Club’s Big Give
(Inspired by Oprah’s Big Give)
P.O. Box 1571
Rohnert Park, CA 94927-1571 www.rpcmc.com

May 26, 2008
Dear Community Member,
The Rohnert Park Cotati Mothers Club (RPCMC) is currently working on a community outreach program to help youth in foster care within Sonoma County. We would like to solicit your help on behalf of its youngest, most vulnerable residents.

As a club of community-based moms, we are committed to softening the abrupt transition most children face when entering the foster care system. On Saturday, May 31, we will be holding a bake sale from 8am until 1pm at the Relay for Life rummage sale in the parking lot at 49er Pet. Funds raised will be donated to the Redwood Empire Foster Parent Association (REFPA) scholarship fund. These funds will allow foster children to participate in extracurricular activities that foster families cannot otherwise afford, such as organized sports, summer camps, and music lessons.

We are asking for your participation to donate matching funds to the money we raise at our bake sale. This would allow our efforts to be truly exponential. Your donation would be tax-deductible and a receipt would be provided for tax purposes. If you are not able to match funds, a check in any amount would be greatly appreciated. Please make your check payable to REFPA. You may contact me and I will arrange for a club member to pick up the check from you this week.

REFPA is a non-profit organization consisting of foster parents, community members, and Sonoma County social workers. When first researching how our club could best help foster children, we were stunned to realize many of these children arrive at their foster homes accompanied by a police officer and have nothing but the clothes on their back. REFPA provides each child with a duffle bag filled with used clothing, toiletries and a few toys/books.

RPCMC members just completed a very successful new pajama/undergarment drive for the kids. Our members donated 152 pairs of pajamas, 120 packages of socks and 86 packages of underwear. REFPA typically helps 50 foster kids a month, so this meets about three months of their needs. We are currently holding a gently used clothing, toy and book drive to provide further items for the duffle bags.
Will you please help of our efforts to better the lives of these children?

Sincerely,

Karen Clark
RPCMC Member
(707) 588-9290
karen@funfelt.com

Coordinator: Beth Craven
RPCMC Member
(707) 704-4035

stephaniemsw
05-26-2008, 09:38 PM
Ooooh! I LOVE bake sales! Nothing like buying delicious desserts and knowing it is going towards a good cause!

karen-clark
05-26-2008, 09:39 PM
Every bake sale the RPCMC has ever done has been phenomenal!! They get SERIOUS and have some awesome baked goods, not just little things you can eat but also whole cakes and pies and all kinds of stuff. Plus we will have Starbucks there as well! I forgot to add that part! I will be working it so come say Hi!!

Brookepanda
05-26-2008, 11:29 PM
I'll be out ther volunteering at the bake sale :) if anyone wants to come say hi!

Lorah
05-27-2008, 08:24 AM
What a GREAT cause! My family provided fister care for several years! It was very rewarding! I think if I'm feeling up to it we would LOVE to come offer our support!

Thanks for posting this Karen!

Brooke, how awesome you are volunteering!

erin anne
05-27-2008, 09:05 AM
What are the times of the bake sale? I will try to make it.

Lorah
05-27-2008, 09:07 AM
I think its in the morning....but I'm not sure of the times myself either. :dunno

lmfike
05-27-2008, 10:30 AM
Here's the times from the email we got this morning about the bake sale

Date: Saturday, May 31st
Time: 8:00 am - 1:00 pm
Place: 49er Pet Parking Lot

wyattsmama
05-27-2008, 10:35 AM
i'll be doing fittings for my cheerleaders :( i want some yummy baked goods...

Adriana
05-27-2008, 10:43 AM
:stuffface Some baked goods sound so yummy right now!

karen-clark
05-27-2008, 11:38 AM
Yes it is 8am to 1pm and did I mention we will have Starbuck's too? :) I will be there working it too Brooke! Yeehaw! Come say hi everyone!

Lorah
05-27-2008, 03:28 PM
Yes it is 8am to 1pm and did I mention we will have Starbuck's too? :) I will be there working it too Brooke! Yeehaw! Come say hi everyone!

:giggle you said "yeehaw!" :giggle

karen-clark
05-27-2008, 07:04 PM
Well, we ARE gonna be at 49er Pet! Yeppers!

Brookepanda
05-30-2008, 10:25 AM
:bump
this is tomorrow :D
I hope to see lots of you mamas there! :thumb

Lorah
05-30-2008, 10:55 AM
Oh ya, today is Friday. :giggle I keep forgetting what day it is. :bag

Lorah
05-31-2008, 08:45 AM
HELP!

I don't remember where 49er pet is located in RP!

I think it is near where U and I sushi use to be though.... Down the street from Mountian Shadows Middle School, right? Sort of in that strip mall area near A section? Near Rotten Robbies Gas station... I use to live behind there when I first moved up here. BUt I wanted to be sure that is where to go.

Is this right?

tcolera
05-31-2008, 08:47 AM
I went to Mocha Mams this morning for coffee and saw the bake sale, it was hard not to stop, but I am really trying to lose weight. I hope you guys raise lots of money!!!

tcolera
05-31-2008, 08:48 AM
HELP!

I don't remember where 49er pet is located in RP!

I think it is near where U and I sushi use to be though.... Down the street from Mountian Shadows Middle School, right? Sort of in that strip mall area near A section? Near Rotten Robbies Gas station... I use to live behind there when I first moved up here. BUt I wanted to be sure that is where to go.

Is this right?

That is right Lorah, have somthing yummy for me too ok??

KaisaG
05-31-2008, 06:59 PM
Dammit I forgot / missed it :mecry

Lorah
05-31-2008, 09:11 PM
I ended up making it, for a few short minutes, but was able to get a book and a fisher price push popper that Mav couldn't live without. I also got some almond biscotti that was very good with my coffee :)

It was really nice to meet Karen in person finally! I hope you ladies met your goal! :fingerscrossed

karen-clark
05-31-2008, 09:36 PM
THANK YOU everyone who showed up! It was great! We sold $320 in baked goods, have a company who is matching $200 of it and had another donor give $50 so we raised $570! We are thrilled!!!!

Tammy - I am dieting too and didn't touch a thing all day. It was hard though! Everything looked so good!

Lorah
06-01-2008, 09:12 AM
THANK YOU everyone who showed up! It was great! We sold $320 in baked goods, have a company who is matching $200 of it and had another donor give $50 so we raised $570! We are thrilled!!!!

Tammy - I am dieting too and didn't touch a thing all day. It was hard though! Everything looked so good!

:woohoo OMG that is WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!! You really did well!

karen-clark
06-01-2008, 11:10 AM
Toward the end some foster moms from REFPA came by and were telling us what they go through. These are the moms who pick the kids up at the police station at 3am and the kids have nothing - a tshirt and wet diaper! They have to take them out to walmart the next day to get clothes since they never know who they will get or when. They only have them for a short time until they are placed in a home. They are the little kids under 6, the older ones go to Valley of the Moon or somewhere else. It is so heartbreaking. One lady who stopped by said she had 203 foster children in her care over her lifetime. I felt like such a slacker and whiner!! It feels really good to help these people!

wyattsmama
06-01-2008, 01:26 PM
that just made me cry. the wet diaper thing. it makes me so sad. nick and i have decided that when we're done having biological children we would like to become foster parents and take the kids that have trouble being placed into our home because there is just too much of it out there :(

tcolera
06-01-2008, 01:33 PM
That is so amazing!! Songrats on doing such and amazing thing and congrats to the mams who give their home and their life to all these children.:)

Brookepanda
06-01-2008, 01:58 PM
It was a great day...great event....and a good cause :)