2015 - The first family.
In 2012 & 2013, during a long period of health problems, Kristie Evans began purchasing large amounts of Lego for our family project - mostly from local community Yard Sale sites across Facebook as well as local Yard Sales and flea markets. Since then, we have bought Lego and Lego-related items from hundreds of families within a 3-hour drive of our home.
Most of the time, we purchase bins, bags and boxes filled with loose, mixed Lego bricks. As we buy so much bulk Lego- we found ourselves with hundreds of pounds of off-brand building blocks, as well as quite a bit of other small, random toys, like action figures, toy cars and more. As we can only use Lego-brand bricks for our ongoing projects- we have no use for all the off-brand building blocks, or the other toys we inevitably collect. At Christmas time, 2015, we were looking for a way to put all of those toys and about 70 lbs of building blocks, to good use
A main focus of our family's Lego Project is raising awareness for the genetic condition that affects both Kristie and Kaedin (Mom & son). As a result, we have always aimed to have a large social-media presence, and we are very active on Facebook, Instagram and our personal blog - in early December 2015, Kristie had the idea to use our family's large social media audience to give all these "extra" items away to anyone who could use them. She shared a post, offering to make buckets of building blocks, and to give them to area families who may be struggling to purchase gifts for their children at Christmas time.
As the holiday approached, we were very surprised to not have any contact about the building blocks - we *knew* that many families were struggling- we saw many posting to local area Yard Sale sites on Facebook, pleading for gifts for their children - and that's how it began.
Three days before Christmas, a mother of four reached out - she explained that her husband had been injured at his job (driving an ambulance) after a serious car accident seven months earlier, and that she had nothing to give her four children. She explained that her youngest was 9, her oldest 16- and that three of the four children had intellectual disabilities and learning disorders, but that the children understood that this Christmas, their family was not going to be able to celebrate, but she had seen my post and thought that the kids would enjoy receiving a bin of building bricks to share.
As Kristie read over the letter, she was heartbroken thinking about these children not having a Christmas. On a whim- she decided to ask the mother if she minded if our family brought some other gifts for the kids, in addition to the building bricks and asked her for a wish list and if there was anything they really needed. The mother said that she was very grateful for any help, and Kristie organized a time to drop off the gifts on Christmas Eve night. In the meantime, Kristie shared information about the ages and needs/wants of the kids on the local Yard Sale groups she belonged to- asking if anyone in the community had a gift or item they would like to contribute.
It didn't take long before members of the South Jersey yard sale groups rallied to help the family: Kristie drove to the homes of more than 60 people in two days, picking up gifts and wrapping paper to deliver to the family. Soon, the entire living room of our own home was completely filled with gifts for the family.
Most of the time, we purchase bins, bags and boxes filled with loose, mixed Lego bricks. As we buy so much bulk Lego- we found ourselves with hundreds of pounds of off-brand building blocks, as well as quite a bit of other small, random toys, like action figures, toy cars and more. As we can only use Lego-brand bricks for our ongoing projects- we have no use for all the off-brand building blocks, or the other toys we inevitably collect. At Christmas time, 2015, we were looking for a way to put all of those toys and about 70 lbs of building blocks, to good use
A main focus of our family's Lego Project is raising awareness for the genetic condition that affects both Kristie and Kaedin (Mom & son). As a result, we have always aimed to have a large social-media presence, and we are very active on Facebook, Instagram and our personal blog - in early December 2015, Kristie had the idea to use our family's large social media audience to give all these "extra" items away to anyone who could use them. She shared a post, offering to make buckets of building blocks, and to give them to area families who may be struggling to purchase gifts for their children at Christmas time.
As the holiday approached, we were very surprised to not have any contact about the building blocks - we *knew* that many families were struggling- we saw many posting to local area Yard Sale sites on Facebook, pleading for gifts for their children - and that's how it began.
Three days before Christmas, a mother of four reached out - she explained that her husband had been injured at his job (driving an ambulance) after a serious car accident seven months earlier, and that she had nothing to give her four children. She explained that her youngest was 9, her oldest 16- and that three of the four children had intellectual disabilities and learning disorders, but that the children understood that this Christmas, their family was not going to be able to celebrate, but she had seen my post and thought that the kids would enjoy receiving a bin of building bricks to share.
As Kristie read over the letter, she was heartbroken thinking about these children not having a Christmas. On a whim- she decided to ask the mother if she minded if our family brought some other gifts for the kids, in addition to the building bricks and asked her for a wish list and if there was anything they really needed. The mother said that she was very grateful for any help, and Kristie organized a time to drop off the gifts on Christmas Eve night. In the meantime, Kristie shared information about the ages and needs/wants of the kids on the local Yard Sale groups she belonged to- asking if anyone in the community had a gift or item they would like to contribute.
It didn't take long before members of the South Jersey yard sale groups rallied to help the family: Kristie drove to the homes of more than 60 people in two days, picking up gifts and wrapping paper to deliver to the family. Soon, the entire living room of our own home was completely filled with gifts for the family.
(Check out these photos from that first year's collection! This was all for one family of 6!)
Instead of showing up with a couple buckets of building blocks... Just by contacting locals who buy & sell on the local yard sale groups, we were able to gather enough donations to bring an amazing Christmas for the entire family.
On Christmas Eve we dropped off food, toys, clothing, new Winter coats- what ended up being *An entire TRUCK FILLED with gifts for all six family members.*
It was an unbelievable success and the family we helped was completely blown away by what we had done in just three days!
On Christmas Eve we dropped off food, toys, clothing, new Winter coats- what ended up being *An entire TRUCK FILLED with gifts for all six family members.*
It was an unbelievable success and the family we helped was completely blown away by what we had done in just three days!
2016- Getting Organized!
Because we had so much success helping that first family in 2015, Kristie decided to start a little earlier the next year, and through word-of-mouth and posts to online Yard Sale groups, she found four families very much in need of our help. these families had been impacted by a variety of tough situations; a house fire, serious injuries and illnesses, domestic violence, the death of a parent and more.
Using the same resources as the year before - asking friends and family, posting to local Yard Sale sites and sharing the stories on Facebook, Kristie, along with her husband Justin, her mother Judy, her Aunt Diane and her son Kaedin - collected clothing, food, toiletries, Wrapping paper and tape, Christmas decorations and of course, toys for the kids. With the help of a local construction crew, on Christmas Eve, We again delivered everything the families could need or want; from Christmas trees & ornaments, to new bicycles for four families across South Jersey.
Unfortunately, we learned a tough lesson that second year: The stress and mess of doing this project in our own home right up until Christmas meant that our own house was practically unlivable. With donations coming in day and night, sorting went on until the wee hours of the morning most nights, we were tired. Our house is already cramped with 4 adults and our young son (plus pets). 2016 left our family drained and very stressed - and the stress and mess took a serious toll on both Kristie's already fragile health and the whole family's happiness.
We had helped four wonderful families- giving 14 children a fantastic Christmas - We collected nearly $500 in donations, which allowed us to get EVERYTHING left that donations hadn't covered.
Despite the success- the stress and mess had been a lot on us. By Christmas 2016, we discussed the possibility that we wouldn't be able to continue this in years to come.... but by the fall of 2017 - Kristie had an idea: We'll start earlier... and we'd move to a storage unit.
Using the same resources as the year before - asking friends and family, posting to local Yard Sale sites and sharing the stories on Facebook, Kristie, along with her husband Justin, her mother Judy, her Aunt Diane and her son Kaedin - collected clothing, food, toiletries, Wrapping paper and tape, Christmas decorations and of course, toys for the kids. With the help of a local construction crew, on Christmas Eve, We again delivered everything the families could need or want; from Christmas trees & ornaments, to new bicycles for four families across South Jersey.
Unfortunately, we learned a tough lesson that second year: The stress and mess of doing this project in our own home right up until Christmas meant that our own house was practically unlivable. With donations coming in day and night, sorting went on until the wee hours of the morning most nights, we were tired. Our house is already cramped with 4 adults and our young son (plus pets). 2016 left our family drained and very stressed - and the stress and mess took a serious toll on both Kristie's already fragile health and the whole family's happiness.
We had helped four wonderful families- giving 14 children a fantastic Christmas - We collected nearly $500 in donations, which allowed us to get EVERYTHING left that donations hadn't covered.
Despite the success- the stress and mess had been a lot on us. By Christmas 2016, we discussed the possibility that we wouldn't be able to continue this in years to come.... but by the fall of 2017 - Kristie had an idea: We'll start earlier... and we'd move to a storage unit.
2017 - Onward and Upward!
In 2017- Kristie went to a local storage facility and rented a 10x10 unit to receive & house all the donations we'd collect. This was the first year we'd started in November (Kristie had major spinal surgery on Dec 7th- complicating much of the season!)- and it was the first year we posted applications, opening our search for families in need.
It didn't take long to realize that one 10x10 storage unit was NOT going to cut it. Shortly after - thanks to the donations of donors- we rented a second storage unit, this one inside and out of the weather, 10'x25'- where we would ultimately sort and organize all the donations, sort & fold all the collected clothing, and where we would spend weeks selecting the clothing and gifts that would be packed for each family.
Once it was organized- we would pack for each family, and the packed boxes would be moved back into the outside unit until they were ultimately picked up or delivered to the families.
By 2017, we'd become a well-oiled machine. We collected and delivered everything from food and household goods, toiletries and we didn't stop there. We collected and distributed EVERYTHING the families needed - Christmas decorations, trees and lights, wrapping paper, gift bags and scotch tape, to piles of gifts for every child - everything. We collected just under $1000 in 2017- which we used to fill in the gaps, to purchase wish-list and needed items for the families that weren't donated. We went to Target and were able to pick up a great amount of paper-products, cleaning products, feminine hygiene items, toiletries and some of the special toys and games that were on children's wish-lists.
One of the other things we did for the first time in 2017, was how we handled the donations that were left at the end of the collection: We contacted the families who were on the waiting-list and asked them to come to the storage unit, and we allowed them to pick up any of the remaining items that they could use.
On December 22, 23 & 24th, 2017, we had SEVENTEEN families - including 26 children - who either picked up, or had items delivered to them. We were able to help more than 44 people have a wonderful holiday season, and we made a lot of dreams come true for children who otherwise would not have had a Christmas.
It didn't take long to realize that one 10x10 storage unit was NOT going to cut it. Shortly after - thanks to the donations of donors- we rented a second storage unit, this one inside and out of the weather, 10'x25'- where we would ultimately sort and organize all the donations, sort & fold all the collected clothing, and where we would spend weeks selecting the clothing and gifts that would be packed for each family.
Once it was organized- we would pack for each family, and the packed boxes would be moved back into the outside unit until they were ultimately picked up or delivered to the families.
By 2017, we'd become a well-oiled machine. We collected and delivered everything from food and household goods, toiletries and we didn't stop there. We collected and distributed EVERYTHING the families needed - Christmas decorations, trees and lights, wrapping paper, gift bags and scotch tape, to piles of gifts for every child - everything. We collected just under $1000 in 2017- which we used to fill in the gaps, to purchase wish-list and needed items for the families that weren't donated. We went to Target and were able to pick up a great amount of paper-products, cleaning products, feminine hygiene items, toiletries and some of the special toys and games that were on children's wish-lists.
One of the other things we did for the first time in 2017, was how we handled the donations that were left at the end of the collection: We contacted the families who were on the waiting-list and asked them to come to the storage unit, and we allowed them to pick up any of the remaining items that they could use.
On December 22, 23 & 24th, 2017, we had SEVENTEEN families - including 26 children - who either picked up, or had items delivered to them. We were able to help more than 44 people have a wonderful holiday season, and we made a lot of dreams come true for children who otherwise would not have had a Christmas.
Photos & Data of Each Year's Donation Collection: