We recently held a combined Hugs and Toiletries packing session, with 17 members participating.  We formed three groups; two teams packed Hugs Pillow Bundles and the third team assembled toiletry packages.  Our members delivered the packages to four local elementary schools at the conclusion.

The Hugs Bundles contained beautiful pillows, hand-made and donated by the skilled artisans of the Dunbarton Hugs Team, in Bristow.  Our members cleverly combined a colorful pillow with a coordinating Beanie Baby, then added a toothbrush and toothpaste, and a book.  We assembled 335 Bedtime Hugs packages for our Action Week project and provided them to Pre-K and Kindergarten students.

The third team selected an assortment of items for the toiletry kits, including soap, shampoo, a toothbrush, and toothpaste, and packed 140 packages.  In addition, thanks to generous donations from our supporters, we were able to provide:  20 Clean Smart Kits, 240 child-sized face masks, 100 combination packs that included a pair of Bombas socks and small-sized toiletries, and 250 boxes of crayons.  Those items were delivered to the same schools, along with the Hugs.

In addition, we donated 70 grocery gift cards, at the request of a school whose families continue to struggle with food insecurity.

More than 1150 kids and their families had new reasons to smile, as did all our members who helped with this effort.