Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte

Happy Halloween to our friends at the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte!!!

Thank you ladies for joining me at the Ronald McDonald House this past month (October) to volunteer your time and talents.  Its so much fun to watch the children and adults too have so much fun learning to stamp.  Many times this is their first exposure to stamping  and its because of you and your great projects our Ronald McDonald House friends and family can enjoy the love of stamping and crafting.  Thank you for all you do.  I know the children, parents and staff at our Charlotte Ronald McDonald House appreciate all you do.  Thank you.

Check out the SUPER CUTE Build a Bear Trick or Treat bag we made for the children.  They turned out GREAT!!!    I also used the Build A Bear & Pumpkin costume to design a fun Halloween card for the kids to make.  Love it!

This month we’ll be making Thanksgiving Day cards or Fall cards and we’ll be making table centerpieces for Christmas.  If your a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator in the Greater Charlotte area.  We would love to have you join us!

This story was written by my friend and team member Heather Walker,  a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator from Charlotte, NC.

Let me explain, as we sat chatting and crafting away with some of the house guests and fellow demonstrators I noticed a couple checking out our table. At that time our table was very full with 4 other demonstrators and 3 house guests crafting so I directed them to the table next to ours and offered to bring a project over to them. The couple “Kristy” and her husband told me they had never heard of Stapmin’ Up! but they did enjoy crafting. They stated that they have stamped and put together invitations for their baby shower. They were a joy to work with and didn’t need much “teaching” just a little direction.

While we crafted… we talked about crafts, stamping & family. It was at that time they mentioned they had a baby boy.   He was born premature at 32 weeks. I instantly got chills because my son was born premature at 32 weeks. They told me they lived about an hour away and their local hospital wasn’t equipped to treat the digestive problems the baby was having.   He was 18 days old and hadn’t eaten anything yet.

More chills…my son was born on 9/10/03 theirs on 9/11/11. At that moment it hit me like  ton of bricks. I wasn’t supposed to come here tonight just to craft. I was meant to come here and meet Kristy and her husband, share my story and give them hope.

That is just what I did too. I told them all about my son’s NICU stay and what a scary time that is. Seeing him at 4lbs hooked up to all those tubes and not being able to hold him, nourish him, cuddle him was the hardest thing ever, and not having family nearby…even worse. They sat quietly listening to my story and nodding, I was describing what was happening to them right now! We connected. We talked about different procedures and hurdles their little guy…born at only 3lbs 6oz..had to make before he could come home. I held her hand and with tears in my eyes and a smile on my face I told her the good news…”the great news is my son is 8 now. The tallest kid on the baseball team and in his class, straight A’s, home runs…best kid you could ask for…” I will pray for your son, I told them, its gonna be OK. They both looked like they needed to hear that. As they walked for the elevator I told her I would drop her off a few Stampin Up! goodies for her to enjoy within the next.  I felt it was important to share some of the inspiration Stampin Up! gives. They were both all smiles as we said goodbye.

I know I gave them hope and encouragement that they needed to make it through the next week. I dropped off a basket of goodies a couple days later, a pack of diapers, a blanket, 2 Stampin Up! card kits they could put together, some Halloween candy, and of course another word of encouragement.

So, you see Brandy. You make a difference in more peoples lives than you know. I wouldn’t have gone down their if it wasn’t for you. you are the one that contacted the local chapter of the RMH and got this ball rolling. You are the one that got us all together to go down there and volunteer. God has his angels on Earth. I have always felt that you are one of them! I love you.

Heather Walker

Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator

Charlotte, NC