A Request for Help
 

We got back this weekend to a message from a friend of mine who lives in Washington State (Port Orchard). Her house burned down last Thursday (and this is the second time in 10 years!). Everything is lost excepting for the walls: even the plumbing and electrical will need to be redone. This is my personal greatest fear.

I was trying to figure out how I could help, being so far away. They have three kids (13, and I think 2 and 4). When I spoke with her last night, she said the biggest help they need is time (watching the kids, getting groceries, etc.). Obviously, I cannot help there, but I also realized that they need a home. Not just the house and furniture, but the every day stuff. The first thing that came to mind was clothes. So I asked her what sizes were for everyone and here is what I got:

Dad: 3X shirts, 42" pants
Mom: 1X shirts or pants
13 year-old: misses 9 or medium; juniors 11 or large (hopefully that makes sense)
4 YO: size 8
2 YO: 3T or 4T

If you have any clothes in this size that you would be able to donate, please let me know and I will figure out how to get it from you (so I can send to them). Also, if you have any toys to donate for the age ranges, those would be appreciated too. I know that I recently bought David Koenig's Mouse Tales book for the 13 YO (after they recently came down for a DL visit) and she loved that: if anyone has an extra copy of that or other similar Disney books, that might be good as well.

I thank everyone in advance for their assistance and thoughts. Also, if you have any other ideas, please feel free to share.

And if anyone up in that area has some available time that you might be able to lend, let me know.

I'll kick in $20 towards a LoT gift card (I'd suggest Target or Walmart)... Just let me know where to send it...

I'll kick in, too. (And I'd suggest something like a Visa gift card, so they can pay contractors with it if they need to, etc.)

I'm more than willing to do the same. Keep in mind that VISA and AMEX gift cards add on a fee at the time of purchase in addition to the $$ amount you buy. It's a niggling amount, but still annoying enough for me not to want to purchase them.

Just sayin.

B and I will look through our things. We'll be in SoCal next weekend while everyone's camping. If it's okay with LSPE, we'll leave our donations with her!

(Of course it's OK!)

If everyone wants to veer away from the credit companies' cards, I'm down with that. I just think it can be really helpful sometimes to be able to buy from stores you like best.

Maddy's closet needs a good cleanout. Are the kids boys or girls?

Also - my experience with VISA gift cards is that merchants cannot take them for partial payment. so, when you get down to small amounts, you end up foregoing what's left on the card (unless you personally add to the card.) I don't know why this is, but I had a generic gift card that I couldn't use anywhere, where as I've never had trouble with a merchant accepting partial payment on from their own gift card.

I've contacted my sisters who have kids to see what they can get togeather. I can pass it along at the Dramatic Reading.

I'd find out what stores are near them. I know Maddy's cousins live in Blythe and the only local shopping is KMart. It wouldn't be helpful to get a Target giftcard if the nearest one is 200 miles away or something.

And yea the Visa cards have "issues". You can't do as Pru said the parial payments like you can with in store gift cards (or at least most cashiers can't seem to firgure it out).