BEANIE BABIES!

Jo Anne S. sent me an email.  She told me that she had been watching the blog and saw that my selection of beanies was getting low.

Jo Anne was the lady that donated all of those wonderful Hope Quilts that were featured in the Jan. 20th post.

According to JoAnne she has been acquiring Beanie babies just about any where she can find them.  Originally they were being purchased to be donated to children's Christmas packages through a local church.

It seems that the rules of donation are changing.  Once gently loved toys are no longer allowed for donation at many organizations.  

This is what happened to JoAnne.  She contacted a second organization to see if they could use the Beanie babies...only to be told that only new toys could be donated.

Private thought....I really don't get that.  Maybe those groups get enough donations that they can require it to be new.  But I have to think that there are plenty of kids out there that would be happy with a gently loved toy.

On the flip side.  That churches loss is Iowa Comforts windfall!

JoAnne and I tried a couple of times to meet up.  It ended up that it was just easier to drop the donation off at Adel Quilting and Dry Goods in Adel.

What a donation it was!

Now that is two large garbage bags, and three grocery sacks.  

We have Beanie Babies!  A huge tub of them.  I think JoAnne told me that there was 149 of them.  Almost all of them still have the tags on them, and I don't think they were ever used.  

I will have so much fun finding the right Beanie to go with each Hope quilt in the future.  With this selection I will be able to match color or animal to the Hope quilt.  (no more sending a dog along with a quilt made out of cat material).

The only problem I foresee with this donation is......when my grandchildren come for a visit.  Owen knows that I have Beanies and he usually plays with them..... I am going to have to find a way to hide the tub from him....or I won't be able to find the floor as he searches for the perfect buddy for his visit.  Life is tough! wink wink.

Thank you so much JoAnne for this wonderful donation!  And for your generous spirit which guided you to start collecting the beanies.

Special thanks to Jacque at Adel Quilting and Dry Goods, for her continued support of Iowa Comfort and allowing her shop to be a drop off spot for Iowa Comfort.  With out her support I don't know where I would be.