Question: My sewing circle is disbanding (old age). I have bins of sewing material with nice fabric as well as a variety of yarn. I would love to give it to someone to encourage sewing, which has been such joyful hobby for me. Any suggestions?
Q: In 2016 you referred readers to Marilyn Gilbert as the person to receive the fronts of Christmas cards, which she uses to decorate shoeboxes. The article Thursday refers readers to Joyce Verduzco, who uses Christmas cards for teaching. Is Marilyn Gilbert still receiving used cards?
Answer: Yes, and, to answer the first reader’s question, Gilbert also is collecting fabric and yarn for the Operation Christmas Child shoebox ministry, which involves filling and decorating gift boxes for needy children around the world.
Gilbert would be happy to receive both donations, which you can mail to her at 247 Akiohala St., Kailua, HI 96734. Or email her at gil.aloha@hawaiiantel.net to arrange for someone to pick them up, especially the sewing supplies, which could be expensive to mail.
“We are always on the search for fabric and yarn. We can use the fabric for sewing girls’ skirts, boys’ shorts and drawstring bags. Also, we put larger pieces or fabric in the older girls’ boxes so they are able to sew something for themselves. I am very happy to pick up donations,” Gilbert said. “We use the yarn to crochet hats for boys and girls, and we love the leftover eyelash yarn folks use to make lei. They add a little pizzazz to the crocheted hats.”
Gilbert also recycles greeting card fronts in good condition, to decorate the shoe boxes and to make puzzles to tuck inside. She’s also happy to receive new (unused) cards and envelopes, sticky notes, calendars, etc., to tuck inside the boxes as small gifts. Gilbert works on the project year-round with her church group.
“I cannot tell you what it has meant to us to be on the receiving end of so many wonderful cards/stickers/note pads/wrapping paper/calendars to be used in the 9,500 shoe boxes that we packed this year,” she said in an email. “Your readers are truly the most generous of folks!”
Operation Christmas Child is a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse, an evangelical Christian relief organization. You can learn more about it at samaritanspurse.org.
As for Joyce Verduzco, she is the Waipahu Intermediate School teacher who is reviving a literacy and serv- ice project that recycles Christmas card fronts into alphabet books for Oahu children who are hospitalized or otherwise in need over the holidays.
Readers have asked for years about this project, which previously was organized by Merlinda Oania, a WIS teacher who retired several years ago. Like Oania, Verduzco teaches students who are learning English as a second language, and they will craft the books the hospitalized children will receive.
Anyone who would like to recycle their old Christmas cards through this project may send them to Verduzco at the school, 94-455 Farrington Highway, Waipahu, HI 96797 (Thursday’s column had the wrong ZIP code).
Mahalo
Late Thanksgiving evening I was driving home and hit a bad spot in the road that triggered a flat tire. At that day and hour I didn’t know how available AAA would be, so I called a friend who said he’d be right there. As he arrived another car pulled up and a nice man got out. He said his wife said, “It looks like some older people are in trouble. We’d better stop.” She was right! He very efficiently changed the tire, and they would accept nothing. Thank you so much for being such special people on that special day. Bless you. You made a big difference to us kupuna. — M.O.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
