1st Annual JAM-A-JEEP

WE'RE PLANNING A GIFT DRIVE SUPPORTING LOCAL AGENCIES THAT DISTRIBUTE GOODS TO NEEDY FAMILIES.

Samantha has been in contact with the woman that will be our liaison while dealing with her agency. She's sending more information on how to help. One thing we are doing is adopting a family, but I will post details on that later. For now, we're doing Jam-a-Jeep.

JAM-A-JEEP is going to be a gift/item drive to support needy families in the area. I forgot whose idea it was on the name "Jam-a-Jeep", but it came up at our board meeting back in the beginning of September. We loved it and it stuck.

We will be collecting items such as children's toys, toiletries, canned/nonperishable foods, and household items. Samantha says that one of the most needed items are products like toilet paper, shampoos, etc. But I know they'll take anything your generous heart can give.

We hope you'll participate to help out people who have way less than we do!

We WILL be making a stop one weekend at RC in November (date TBD) to "jam" the Jeeps with people's donations.

Very cool!

Better bring the truck and the trailer just for the goodies!

Here is the LOGO. I decided to go with a 'generic' Jeep...as it'd be hard to pick just one member's Jeep. I looked for 'group photos' to try to find a good one with tops down for the 'presents'...but didn't really find any.

I'm going to use this one as the header of the flyer......that is, if the board agrees. What say you, board members?

Can you put it behind reindeer?

No, seriously – very cool!

PS
just noticed you spelled it out...
i like that better - i know X & the whole greek thing,
but some folks consider it part of the genericising of the holiday.

Nice job, thanks!

pdlong wrote:

PS
just noticed you spelled it out...
i like that better - i know X & the whole greek thing,
but some folks consider it part of the genericising of the holiday.

I feel the same way about it....just kinda lost my mind there in the first one. I'm surprised Chris didn't call me out on it, as he knows I usually try not to spell it "Xmas". Actually, I don't think he's even seen the pic yet. He's finally on his way home from class right now!!! One more week! Have to run and make pop-corn for him and his fave show is on!!!

PS. I can work on another with reindeer. I like that. Give me a couple days!!!

Awesome Pattey. We love it!!! Anyway, I spoke with Terry from Mason Dixon Community Services (www.mason-dixon.org). Mason-Dixon offers several programs. The first one is the Neighbors -in-Need Holiday giving program where we actually adopt a family. The benefit of this program is that we get to actually make contact with and interact with the family. Terry explained how they screen the potential candidates for the program and its seems like they do a fair amount of checking, etc. The minimum donation required for the adopt-a-family program is the supplies for a dinner and 1 toy for each child in the house under 13. Of course, donors are free to do as much for a family as they wish.

Mason-Dixon also has a food drive program. They are always in need of items for their pantry especially, as Pattey stated, personal care/hygiene items (ie., toliet paper, shampoo, soap, etc). I explained to Terry our "Jam-A-Jeep" concept and she thought it was very creative. Mason-Dixon then keeps some of the supplies for their program and also donates some of the supplies to other organizations in the community (local churches, etc.)

In any event, she promised to send me out the information this week and I will update you all once I get the information. I am really excited about this program! Thanks everyone!

I received the application and paperwork from Mason-Dixon Community Services. For those that are interested in seeing the actual documentation send me your e-mail address and I will forward a copy to you.

In any event, we have some decisions to make regarding the adopt-a-family program:

1. we need to decide how many families and the family size we wish to sponsor. A small family is 2-4 persons in the household, a large family is 5+ persons in the household. As a sponsor we are required to provide for our family, at a minimum, the Christmas meal and a gift or two for each child 13 and under. Many sponsors choose to exceed the minimum requirement by providing additioanl food, gifts etc. Delivery arrangements are at our discretion and can be either at the recipient's home or an agreed upon location.

Given the fact we are also trying to do the "Jam-A-Jeep" for the benefit of Mason Dixon Community Services my thought would be to adopt one(1) small family this year until we figure out how much participation we will have.

2. we need to decide where in Harford County we prefer to serve the family. We can choose "anywhere needed in Harford County" or choose a specific area (i.e., Northern Harford County).

3. We need to decide whether or not we are willing to provide a Thanksgiving dinner for our family. Please note providing a Thanksgiving dinner is an option, not a requirement.

4. There is also an option to sponsor a Senior Citizen.


Please respond to the above questions as soon as possible as I would like to get the application in as soon as possible so we can start planning. I would also like to make sure how many people we can count on to participate.

Thanks everyone!

1. I agree with your suggestion, unless we have firm commitments from participants indicating we can do more. Any excess supplies can go to the Jam-A-Jeep? I will say, I am going to try to get approval to solicit participation from our church.

2. Up to you Harford residents…

3. Sounds good – I’m assuming you just want cash for that?

4. Again, guess it depends on participation… or, we step out on faith that God will touch the hearts of our faithful forum members.

1. a small family.....sounds perfect with trying to also do Jam-A-Jeep.

2. we'll have to look and see. I'd say definitely a 'most needed' case.

3. the 'adopt a family' is for Christmas, though, right? We'll have to see what we can round up for T'sgiving.

4. Like in the past, when we try to do too many thing at once, it ends up NOTHING gets done. I'm worried that if we did Jam-A-Jeep, a family, AND another person or two...we may fail to give the attention to each as much as we should. Don't want to spread an already thin group even thinner.

Now, if you want to sponsor 2 (or 3 if we think we can) elderly people instead of a small family...I'm all for that. I have a HUGE desire to help the elderly. LOVe ThEM!!! We can do the tree, food, gifts, health necessities....heck, we even have a couple walkers!!! If we choose to do 2 elderly people....we should shoot for T'siving too. If only just for the lonely factor!

Also, as far as getting people to help, we'll advertise locally @ our churches and up @ Rausch for Jam-A-Jeep donations. Adopting a family or a couple elderly people, that'll be AS A CLUB. And like Pete said,

pdlong wrote:

we step out on faith that God will touch the hearts of our faithful forum members.

Well said Pattey. Yes, the Adopt-a-family is for Christmas but donors can choose (not required) to provide a Thanksgiving meal if they wish.

I agree- I think one small family and the Jam-a-Jeep is a great start and won't overload us the first time around.

Is the "help the elderly" thing an anytime thing? Not just for holidays, right?

Whatya think of setting a goal for 'adopting' someone and having a weekend that we spend time/dinner, etc with them and bring the food/health/clothing items to their home. A different person....say......every three months???

I'd do it. In a heartbeat!

Wow, this all sounds great!
1st - Love the picture/logo for the Jeep jam!
and to answer the questions to the application, I agree with a lot of Pattey's answers....

1. a small family would be nice, 2 adults, 2 children (and plus it being the first time doing this as a group, see how things go and can always expand in future years to come and also in conjunction with Jam-A-Jeep, plus keeping in minds our own friends and family...

2. Who ever is in need the most, we'll go anywhere to help!

3. I think Thanksgiving and Christmas go together, they can be the only special times that families can share and be together.... so, yes I'd like to do a Thanksgiving dinner too, wether it be a money donation or actual groceries for the dinner...

4. I'd love to help a senior citizen too, but I think lets just focus on a family for Thanksgiving/Christmas, and like Pattey said, we could do something for a senior citizen at any time I do like the idea of bringing them dinner, mabye play a game, chit chat for a weekend.... and we could focus on a couple seniors and a family next year at the holidays, but lets see how this year goes first....

--Sorry I didn't respond earlier, being out of town and stuff!
I love all the ideas out there! Keep them coming, and lets get out there and do this!!!!!!

Well Ladies and Gents.:we are officially on the sponsor list for the Holiday Giving Program.

Hopefully, we will be assigned a family over the next couple of weeks, it just depends how long it takes for the clients send it their applications for assistance. According to my contact, applications typically start coming in around the end of October.

I will let everyone know when we have our family.

Thanks!!

Just wondering if we have any dates for the November RC collection?

Also wondering if it’s going to double as a run!?

pdlong wrote:

Just wondering if we have any dates for the November RC collection?

Also wondering if it’s going to double as a run!?

Lets' do a run. I have not been wheeling since the spring, and I have once used five-pack ticket that will expire next spring. Got to use it us soon.

k_enn

I'll work on a date. We are planning to do a JAM-A-JEEP event at Jones Jeep...but have to send in a proposal. I will post up more details soon.

We don't have many weekends free in Nov. But maybe we can make the run/JAM-A-JEEP @ RC for the first weekend in Dec.

Please don't make it December 11 -- I am hosting a large Christmas party that wwekend.

k_enn

We can't make it sat (progressive dinner with church), but hopefully sunday.

if not either maybe we can make other arrangements??

okay....I know we all want a run at RC. Everyone's busy at different times. Chris' only weekends off in December is the 11th and 25th. The 4th is best for me, but I'm not wheeling, I'm just using my Jeep for Jammin'. And the 18th is too late to have collections of the items.

Netiher of us have something to wheel. (my XJ's getting a lift, but probably not by then....his TJ needs some work) It's been near impossible to get everyone to agree on dates lately. people are busy, etc etc.


FEEL FREE TO PICK A DATE YOU ALL CAN AGREE ON AND GO HAVE FUN!


Our main focus on the JAM-A-JEEP is getting local places to let us 'tent-up' outside their business after some advertising, flyers at local churches, etc etc. Yes, RC is an option. I plan to talk to Bruce. But it will not be hitting the trails. My XJ kicked butt on the 18-mile-loop @ Greenridge, but it's stock right now and in super shape, and I'd like to keep it that way....so I'm not bringing it on the trails.

Right now, we're working on Jones' Jeep @ Jones' Junction to let us tent up outside and they'll even help advertise. It's a process though, as they need a proposal type letter, flyers, etc etc. I am posting up at work. We hope to advertise it at church. If you'd like to be involved, please do the same....post up a sign at work, talk to your church pastors, etc.

We love you guys and I'm sorry the RC wheeling had gone by the wayside this summer....but there was a lot of awesomeness happening in everyone's lives and with this club. I wouldn't change it for the world.

See you all soon!!!

Bring the XJ to RC, Collect for Jam-a-Jeep in the morning until 10 or 10:30, and then you can ride shotgun with me or someone else?

k_enn

Sounds like a plan. Can only do the 4th though. Chris Is gonna try to switch his day off for the 4th. We'll post up when it's solid.