Project workday is complete

Saturday, May 29th, 2010

Now comes the first sigh of relief - the project is about 80% complete! The workday this morning took exactly four hours plus a half hour for a lunch break. We managed to sort out the huge stack building up in my garage entirely into categories like men's, women's, and children's clothing, household goods, linens, cookware, children's toys, books, and assorted teen items.

We began the process by sorting out all the items on painters canvases by group clothes, toys, etc. and then moved onto separating clothing by type and gender as we re-bagged and boxed items. As you can see from the attached pictures, the volunteer turnout was fantastic, and I'm extremely grateful for the help that came; everyone did a great job and was very cooperative.

Initial stages of separating items on tarps

I answered frequent questions about particularly unusual donations like yoga cushions and tuperware that required special placement.

Volunteers had a lot of fun opening up the old boxes; we got lots of outdated clothing in great condition (pant-suits with shoulder pads, anyone?).

My project sponsor Ray Piagentini (center), and my father and I. Mr. Piag has been extremely supportive and still allowed me a lot of liberty with important choices for the project. He was able to come out for a few hours to browse over our collection and help discuss the logistics of moving the goods to South Dakota once re-packaged.

Mrs. Beese took charge of the adult clothing pile; her organization skills are much appreciated!

















The completed project: all goods sorted by type into bags and boxes and returned to the garage for later loading into the trailer!

Again, thanks to all of my volunteers and donors. I could not have done it without you!

Donations continue

Sunday, May 23, 2010

I got home today from a community event to discover two huge loads of donations that had been dropped off. I got about eight boxes of leftover linens, clothes, and dishes from a garage sale this weekend and also a dozen bags of assorted items from my brother's colleagues at Superior Ambulance.

 So far, we have a good number of linens and various clothes, though more are certainly welcome. I have also seen a good deal of children's books and coloring books, which we are probably maxed out on. I also received about a dozen brand new children's outfits for both boys and girls; this donation has to be the best I've seen so far! I have also received a few teen-sized bicycles, which we should have just enough room for on the truck. If anyone is still uncertain of how to contribute, a run in the clearance or children's sections of a discount or department store would probably be best. I am also still looking for more monetary donations so that I can hit up these superstores with my group sponsor to see where funds might best be allocated.

 
I'm glad to see that so many people are excited about the project and I look forward to truly uncovering the contents of all of these cardboard boxes stacked up on our sorting day this Saturday, May 29th from 10:00 to 2:00 at my house in S. Barrington IL.

Final day of mailing

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

Monetary donations have started coming in, and I'm very satisfied. Just over $1,000 has been collected so far in the first week of mailings! It looks like I will have a lot of work ahead of me actually buying items to bring out to South Dakota- a great problem to have. Now I have a great opportunity to load up on Costco type supplies like hygiene products and bulk household goods that probably won't be donated in bulk though these groups are just as important as the clothing that will likely come in through material donations.

This last group of envelopes was sent out mostly to the families of students and friends from my high school. Myself and a few volunteers spent two more hours finalizing this batch of mailers tonight, which should end the mailing cycle before I can get donations in by the end of May. I have more paper cuts than I ever could have imagined at the outset; we have now sent out over 250 envelopes to just friends and family. Emails have been sent to basically everyone in my network, including the members of several community boards I'm involved in. Again, I'm really grateful for all of the support I've received so far. Most Eagle Projects operate on half the monetary and material resources I've accumulated in just the first week of collecting. Keep up the support!

Envelopes out, donations back!

Monday, May 17, 2010

After a lot of work sending out letters (on the third batch now) and dozens of emails, donations are starting to roll in. We have a nice, growing stack in the garage now, and it's starting to hit me how great these items will really be for the Dakota Indians on the reservation. I've also gotten several financial contributions, which I look forward to using toward items that don't come in through the materials collection.

I will be sending out the final round of letters in the next few days, and after that its all waiting for donations pour in. I will also be hitting up local businesses in the coming days, so I'm excited to see if any respond positively. I'm glad to hear of everyone's enthusiasm so far- keep up the support!

Day 1 of the project

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

I was a little hesitant about putting things into motion, but the first big step has been initiated; the first batch of letters is officially sent! Now all I have to do is wait for commitments of donations to start rolling in. There will be a few more batches of letters to get out, but overall the process is begun.















My first day of volunteering went very well. Myself and four other service oriented (yes!) friends stuffed 175 envelopes and picked up all the printed labels and sheets from Century Tile, our family business. We also made the facebook group "Jon Catlin Eagle Scout Service Project" if you would like to become a fan. My 800 some friends were all invited and I look forward to extending the project to new people who didn't even know I was a Boy Scout.















For now, let's keep spreading word about the project!

Project Doc: What to donate

Suggested Donations for Jon Catlin’s Eagle Project

Durable items
Clothing: for all ages, but especially for children. Specific needs are winter clothing, shoes, boots, socks, durable rain gear
Housewares: blankets, linens, bath towels, pillows, silverware sets, pots and pans, dishes, luggage
Household needs: cleaning supplies, vacuum cleaners, floor mats, garden hoses, tool sets, etc.
Children’s goods: school supplies like notebooks, markers, pens, pencils, coloring books, children’s books, backpacks, children’s toys.
**One great option is to stuff backpacks with school supplies, toys, games, and other necessities for children.
Expendable items
Foods: canned food (beans, soups, vegetables), dry foods (PB and jelly, cereal, snack bars, boxed (baking mixes or pasta)
Cleaning supplies: sponges, dish soap, household cleaners, sanitary wipes
Kitchen goods: plastic silverware, sturdy paper plates, disposable cups, paper bowls, aluminum foil, Ziploc products
Personal hygiene: hand sanitizer, lice shampoo, soap, body and face wash, toothbrush and toothpaste (think Costco packs of these items)

• Donated items should be primarily practical. Clothing especially should be appropriate for outdoor work in the harsh terrain of South Dakota. However, quality items that are less utilitarian will still be accepted. Please– no prom dresses!
• Clothing and other goods for all age groups are welcome, but I would like to do the most for children. Old children’s clothes – especially winter coats, school supplies, backpacks, or space-efficient toys would be great!

Project Doc: How to donate

How to contribute
Personal donations:
Donations from this project are expected to be about half personal and half business contributions. For personal donations, each year there are dozens of families in the Barrington area that support the project by hitting big department stores at sale times, stocking up on children’s clothes or housewares to contribute to the project. This is the type of contribution most expected for the project. You’ll be amazed at how far $50 can go in the clearance areas at Wal-Mart or Costco.
Used items are certainly welcome, however with the following note in mind. Each year my sponsor receives about thirty garbage bags full of donations. After sorting through all of the bags, he is left with only ten bags of suitable donations. Any good that is non-functional or clothing that is torn or soiled is not acceptable for donation and could be taken as an insult to the Crow Creek people. So please do not donate old or defective goods, as disposal of these goods could consume valuable project funds.

Business donations:
The way this project will really succeed is if we get bulk donations from businesses. If you or someone you know owns a business that sells any of the suggested items, a donation would be greatly appreciated. Donated clearance and sale items would be especially appealing since we want as many goods as we can get.

Financial contributions:
Much of this project depends on the outside finances I am able to bring in to cover the cost of gas for donation pickups and for the final delivery drive to South Dakota, which will amount to about $300. I am expecting to purchase about half of the donations myself with donated money from those who live too far to make shipping donations cost efficient. If you are looking for a “stress free” way to contribute or live more than an hour away from my home, please consider writing a check to benefit the project. Checks are payable to “Boy Scout Troop 10” with “Jon Catlin Eagle project” in the memo line.
As with the past fundraiser I participated in for the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra, dozens of small donations of $10 and $20 add up to a serious impact. Simply mailing out a dozen letters to generous, committed family and friends, I was able to raise over $1200 in less than a month. The goal for this project is near 100% participation, so please give what you can, even if it isn’t much.

Prject doc: About the project and project goals

My charitable sponsor is Mr. Ray Piagentini of Barrington High School, who has led a group of high school students to help the Crow Creek reservation with collection and aid work for over a decade through the organization Brother’s Keeper. Each summer, the group of volunteers arrives on a coach bus packed with clothes, housewares, and thousands of pounds of food. Many natives walk for miles from all directions to get their first satisfying meal in months. However, though the club raises a good deal of supplies to send to the reservation every year, there is simply never enough. Basic needs such as winter coats, basic household goods, and food are constantly in short supply, and many natives have to walk home empty handed. I wish to enrich these collections substantially with both long-term items (house wares, clothes, blankets) as well as short-term items (food, toiletries, cleaning supplies) that will be of great use to the reservation.

In addition, the collection plan will have a long term benefit to the group by acting as a “how to” template for fundraising in future years, which – if followed by the entire student organization – could more than double fund raising efforts.

My specific goals for the project are:
1. To raise at least $2000 in funds to spend on new items for collection
2. To gather a minimum of one-van-full of donations
3. To gather donations of acceptable quality
a. Clothing may not be torn or soiled
b. Clothing must be somewhat utilitarian/worker grade
c. Non-clothing items must be useful