EventsMarch 28, 2025
Tuesday, March 18 I had the pleasure of speaking to Mary's Circle, a women's group of Ankeny First United Methodist Church, and today I received a check in the mail from them for $200! I will use their donation to buy missing sizes so that I can deliver a full range of pajamas from infants' and children's and adult sizes from small to to 2X. July 29, 2023
Today Paul's cousin Forde Fairchild and his wife Katie met us in Coon Rapids, IA for a hand-off of 146 pairs of new pajamas that they delivered to the domestic violence shelter in Sioux City. That made a total of EXACTLY 500 pairs that have been split among five shelters: Council Bluffs, Davenport, Des Moines, Sioux City and Waterloo between January and July. Lots and lots of people pitched in to make that happen!
Here's the thank you note from the Sioux City shelter: "Thank you for your incredible donation of lots and lots of pajamas. Most survivors arrive at our shelter arrive with just the clothes on their backs. Your donation will have a positive on survivors in Siouxland. Thank you for being part of this movement to provide safety and end domestic violence." — Stephanie Pickenpaugh, Executive Director of Safe June 6, 2023
Yesterday Paul dropped of 132 pairs of new pajamas to Jerilyn Scott Kobberdahl in Des Moines, who delivered them on Tuesday to the domestic violence shelter in Davenport on her way to visit family. Thanks Jerilyn! Below is the letter of thanks I received from the shelter. For all of you who have donated to the cause, this letter is for you, too. Dear Kelly and to all involved, Thank you so much for the generous donation of pajamas! It is truly appreciated. Often individuals come to us with just the clothes on their backs. Thank you for making their road to success brighter! And thank you for keeping the pajamas so organized by size and labeling the boxes. Our clients are going through a lot, and they love receiving comfort clothing. This helps out so much! Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts for your support and investment in our work. It is because of your commitment and belief in our mission that we can continue to make a real difference! You have made a difference! Sincerely, Jennifer Lohse (Donation Center Specialist) May 20, 2023 Paul delivered 126 pairs to the Children and Families of Iowa domestic violence shelter. Pajamas make more of a difference than you might imagine. Most women arrive at a shelter with nothing but the clothes on their backs. If they've grabbed anything at all, it's their kids, so on a practical level, they need something to sleep in. There's deeper significance. Abused women have had their autonomy, sense of self-worth and the ability to make choices systematically stripped away from them. Even routine acts of everyday life such as being able to shop for things they need or want have often been denied them. Some haven't had access to a bank account or car in years. Having the liberty to make this small initial decision of picking out something new and nice for themselves can be the first step toward reclaiming dignity and self-determination. and knowing that people in the community care — even ones they’ve never met — helps give victims a sense of belonging and support that aids in recovering and rebuilding their lives. May 14, 2023 Yesterday Paul delivered 97 pairs of pajamas ranging from children's sizes to small, medium, large, 1-X, 2-X and 3-X. to the shelter in Council Bluffs, IA. The Council Bluffs director was thrilled. She said the shelter was almost totally out of pajamas, and that the Helen's donation is the most significant one they get. Tuesday 10/11/16 - Pajama Sorting and Packing Event at DMACC October 11 two Iowa Law Enforcement Academy classes, #270 and #271, joined Helen's Pajama Party at DMACC to sort, tag and pack pajamas for Iowa's 10 domestic violence shelters. Eighty officers-in-training made for a lot of able-bodied help which, in the month since the party, has enabled Helen's to deliver:
Ronn was also the deserving recipient of the 2016 Helen's Pajama Party Volunteer of the Year Award for organizing Phi Theta Kappa pajama drives the last two years that yielded more than 600 pairs of new pajamas. Want to help? We're still short 60 women's size 1X, 90 2X, 67 3X and probably 100 kids pajamas needed to complete the orders for the rest of Iowa shelters. |
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Helen's Pajama Party continuously needs
Please consider whether your group can pitch in! |
Helen's Pajama Party
402 South Ankeny Ankeny, IA 50023 515-244-7706 (phone answered as Brainstorm Iowa) |