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A 67-bag order for Willagillespie Elementary
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It’s official: Bags of Love had another record year, with a total of 2,985 bags distributed. Poverty and economic hardship exacerbated by the pandemic continued to drive bag orders, and many of the 733 bags requested in December supported families who were struggling financially.
We feel so honored to work with all of the government agencies, nonprofits, and school district locations who help us get bags to the children who need them the most. Agencies that requested 100 or more bags last year included Lane ESD Migrant Education, DHS West 11th, St. Vincent de Paul 1st Place Family Center, Womenspace, Head Start, Shasta Middle School, Centro Latino Americano, Lane County WIC, and Catholic Community Services.
Thank you to our agency partners - and our volunteers, donors, and supporters - for helping us make a difference in 2020.
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Glenna Pitts putting together a duffle bag for an order
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As many of you know, Bags of Love runs almost exclusively on volunteer help - and those volunteers really came through for us again this year. Even with a full two months during the Stay Home, Save Lives order with no volunteers on-site, we still had a 2020 total of almost 200 amazing volunteers logging more than 18,000 hours.
The individual numbers are impressive as well: Virginia Kaiser, one of our longtime sewers, delivered a batch of quilts that represents 308 volunteer hours in January alone. In 2020, Virginia gave 2,532 hours of her time to Bags of Love. We have so many impressive and dedicated volunteers. The following people gave more than 300 hours of their time last year:
- Gloria Buchanan
- Kat Crawford
- Joan Guiley
- Darlene Fisher
- Beverly Forbes
- Dot Morgan
- Marilyn Rawlings
- Lynne Sheppard
- Denise Sustello
- LaVonn Wical
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A Terrific Start to the New Year
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The season of giving didn't end in December. We were blown away by the generosity of this month's donors, who helped us fill shelves in need of restocking from our busy December.
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After Bags of Love filled a 132-bag order for Shasta Middle School, Principal Brady Cottle decided to give back in a very big way. He recently delivered two bins full of all sorts of much-needed bag supplies and a check for $2,000 from a school-wide fundraiser that required Brady to eat some very unusual foods. Now that's dedication!
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We love it when the folks from King Retails Solutions show up. We are so grateful for their continued support - and for those adorable stuffed animals!
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It pays to have friendly neighbors! We're so excited about our new relationship with the Delta Oaks Walmart. WOW is the only word for the two big deliveries we've already received from the store. Store manager Cori Pendleton, along with Chris Ortman and Vince Hart, delivered 25 large boxes of clearance and off-season merchandise. It wasn't just clothes, but toys, school supplies, books, and more. The donation was worth roughly $10,000, and we are in awe at the store’s generosity. So many kids in need will benefit from this gift.
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Donation Drop-Offs and Covid Protocols
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Volunteer Sheila Meyer
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Due to the ongoing pandemic, we are accepting donations at the Bags of Love warehouse by appointment only. We are scheduling donations in 15 minute increments Monday through Thursday between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Please call our office at 541-357-4957 to schedule an appointment. Thank you for supporting our work!
Donation barrels can also be found at the following Eugene locations. Please be aware that hours may differ due to COVID-19 restrictions.
LeDoux Insurance
2180 W. 11th Ave.
Patrick Olsen Auto Repair
751 W. 7th Ave.
Good Samaritan Society - Eugene Village
3500 Hilyard St.
Revision Design
2371 Oakmont Way
State Farm
4714 Royal Ave.
UPS Stores (two locations)
29th & Willamette St.
4325 Commerce St., Ste. 111 (by Target)
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Volunteer of the Month
This month's standout volunteer is Dot Morgan, who tied 362 quilts for us last year - almost one for every day of the year! Dot has been tying quilts for us for years, and despite the ups and downs of 2020, kept working just as hard as ever for local kids.
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- Jeans, sweatpants, or leggings - sizes 3T through adult XL
- Winter pajamas - sizes 9/10 thru adult XL
- Men’s and boys' underwear
- Deodorant
- Journals for girls and boys
The warehouse is currently closed to the public to comply with COVID-19 safety guidelines, and we're accepting donations by appointment only. If you'd like to make a donation, please schedule a drop-off time by calling 541-357-4957 or emailing info@bagsofloveinc.org.
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Volunteer Doris Brown packing a duffel bag
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In December, we distributed 733 bags, for a total value of $132,055.
Our biggest order came from Shasta Middle School, which requested 132 bags. The following agencies and organizations also helped us touch the lives of children this month:
- 15th Night
- Awbrey Park Elementary
- Bertha Holt Elementary
- Bethel Schools McKinney Vento Program
- Briggs Middle School
- Buena Vista Spanish Immersion School
- Cascade Middle School
- Centro Latino Americano
- Churchill High School
- Cornerstone Community Housing
- DHS Gateway
- DHS West 11th
- Direction Service
- Douglas Gardens
- Elementary Early Childhood CARES
- Ecco High School
- Fairfield Elementary
- Family School - Chinese Immersion
- FBI
- Friends of the Children
- Head Start
- Lane County WIC
- Lane County Parole & Probation
- Lane ESD Migrant Education
- Love for Lane County
- Malabon Elementary
- Maple Elementary
- Maple Star Oregon
- McCornack Elementary
- Monroe Middle School
- Mt. Vernon Elementary
- Oregon Family Support Network
- Pearl Buck Center
- Springfield Schools McKinney Vento Program
- St. Vincent de Paul First Place Family Center
- St. Vincent de Paul Mobile Home Division
- Thurston Elementary
- Thurston High School
- Willagillespie Elementary
- Willamette Family
- Willamette High School
- Womenspace
- Yujin Gakuen Japanese Immersion Elementary
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