You all know how I feel about giving back.  So I invite you to look at your Thrifty deals, and see what you may have to give.

On Saturday May 12th, letter carriers in more than 10,000 communities will collect food items and deliver them to local food banks to help some of the millions of Americans, including an estimated 13 million children, who face hunger every day.
Since 1993, families have donated more than a half-billion pounds of food to Stamp Out Hunger. You can help make this year our most successful ever.  Simply place bags filled with nonperishable food items like canned meats and fish, canned soup, juice, pasta, vegetables, cereal and rice next to your mailbox on Saturday, May 12th.

Your letter carrier will pick up the bags and deliver them to your local food bank.
Please do not include out-of-date items or those in glass containers.

Click here for more details

We participate in this every year, my kids look forward to filling our mail box with food.  It gives them an opportunity to learn to give back and feel how happy it makes you when you help others!

This weekend I attended training to help with drives for Be The Match. Org  we collected swabs at the Day of the Child Event yesterday.  With a simple swab of the mouth and some paperwork I will now be added to the national list of marrow donors.  With over 6000 people waiting for a donor, the need to find that one perfect match is urgent.   Most people who register will never be called upon to donate, but it sure feels good to know that if I did happen to be a match I am now registered!

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I posted Kyle’s store in December but wanted to remind you that SO MANY people are waiting for the life saving gift of bone marrow, please think about taking this simple swab of your cheek.  His big brown eyes touched my heart… though I will not be his match due to  him being part Asian… but I may be someones else’s match.

We have shared with you before our feeling about organ donation the priceless gift to save another.  Well bone marrow donation is also a priceless gift, and can save anothers life.

Sweet little  Kyle needs a bone marrow transplant. His match will most likely be found in someone who is half-Asian, half-Caucasian. They are currently unable to find a match for him out of the 9 million registered bone marrow donors. That’s why your help is needed – to spread the word that people can easily be testedwith a simple swab of the cheek (you can request a test kit by mail). Giving the gift of life is the most precious gift of all – so please help find Kyle’s bone marrow match.

Kyle we will keep posting your story until we find you a match...  We do not know you, but I can only pray someone else would do the same for my sweet little ones!

I posted this in December but wanted to remind you that SO MANY people are waiting for the life saving gift of bone marrow, please think about taking this simple swab of your cheek.

We have shared with you before our feeling about organ donation the priceless gift to save another.  Well bone marrow donation is also a priceless gift, and can save anothers life.

Sweet little  Kyle needs a bone marrow transplant. His match will most likely be found in someone who is half-Asian, half-Caucasian. They are currently unable to find a match for him out of the 9 million registered bone marrow donors. That’s why your help is needed – to spread the word that people can easily be testedwith a simple swab of the cheek (you can request a test kit by mail). Giving the gift of life is the most precious gift of all – so please help find Kyle’s bone marrow match.

Kyle we will keep posting your story until we find you a match...  We do not know you, but I can only pray someone else would do the same for my sweet little ones!

Updated- sorry just found out the old links didn’t link to anything –  Please help out!

A few week ago Matt and I went to a blog conference in Tennessee, only to find out a few days later tornadoes hit and caused wide spread damage. It is heart breaking to watch the hear the stories of those who lost everything… leaves you asking the question How can I help?
I have teamed up with a wonderful group of bloggers ready to give back with a program called Click4Hope.   We can offer you a 50% of f a subscription to All You Magazine….. PLUS  every subscription sold through this special fundraising link – $6 will be donated to tornado relief efforts.
Last year,  Click4Hope was able to raise $28,000 they donated $7,000 each to the following: Cleveland, TN., Ringgold, GA., Moody AL., and Joplin, MO.

What is All You Magazine?
All You Magazine is the ultimate couponer’s magazine. Each issue is stocked with up to $100 in coupons, money-saving tips, and frugal recipes, style tips and activities. Normally you would pay $2.49 an issue at Walmart – which is worth every penny. (April’s issue has over $80 in coupons!)
Through Click4Hope’s special fundraising link – not only can get All You for just $1.25 an issue (50% off the cover price) – but $6 will be donated to help disaster relief efforts.

Choose Your Subscription!

24 Issues for $30 + $6 Donated to tornado victims
15 Issues for $20 + $3 Donated to tornado victims
This year – our goal is $50,000, and I know that we can reach it together! Please share this post with friends and family – let’s combine our reach to make a big difference!

Live Laugh Cook ~ Cookbooks are $20 each and for a great cause.  Follow the link and purchase them on the right side bar.

Ryan and Kendra were married in November of 2006. They welcomed their beautiful Makenzie Rye on July 18, 2009. What a life they had with her. She was the most beautiful, most happy, most healthy baby they had ever seen. She came out smiling and never stopped. She changed their world the moment she took her first breath. She brought the greatest amount of joy into the lives of everyone around her. No one ever imagined there was ever a problem with this sweet little girl.  The day before her 4-month birthday Makenzie was admitted to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah where she was kept alive by machines, medication and doctors. Kendra never left her side. They fought hard for their daughter until she couldn’t fight anymore.  This family lived an amazing life full of the purest of love for almost 5 months. On December 13, 2009 Makenzie grew her angel wings. A rare disease called SMARD is what took her life. 

SMARD is a genetic neuromuscular disease.  Both Ryan and Kendra are carriers of this disease, which leave them with a 1 in 4 chance that their children will be born with SMARD.  As for their dream to expand their family, it has forced the Webster’s to look for other options. 

The reason for these cookbooks  is because they now understand they can’t bring a healthy child into this world without some external help. We decided in September of 2011 that we were going to use a sperm donor. We used these cookbooks as a way to help pay for all the expenses surrounding getting pregnant. After 3 rounds of IUI they are now pregnant!!! Due September 20th. They still have tons of cookbooks that will still be put toward the cost of getting to this point. There are so many expenses that occur and of course insurance won’t help cover anything.

Ryan and Kendra completed their second fundraiser in July 2011 to help find a cure for this horrible disease. To date they have helped raise over $20,000 for SMARD/SMA research. 

They are praying and listening, hoping to find the path God has in store for them. 
Follow their story at: kendraandryanwebster.blogspot.com

I wanted to take a moment to invite all my local readers to think about giving back this weekend and grabbing a few personal care items from your stockpile and giving them to the Canyon County Clinic.  They will be at my favorite Albertsons accepting donations!

C of I students will be in front of Albertson’s on Blaine St in Caldwell this Saturday (3/3/2012) from 11am-3pm to collect donations for the Canyon County Clinic which provides healthcare to families in need in our community. We are accepting everyday items such as toothpaste, shampoos, and anything that will not spoil on a shelf. Donations are tax deductible! Through the month of March we will be in front of Albertsons, Walmart, and several Walgreens Saturday mornings from 11am-3pm to collect donations. Please call or email Thao for questions or comments: (208) 275-9529. thao.ha@yotes.collegeofidaho.edu and visit canyonclinic.org for information on the cause.

If you are a long time reader on my site you know that my son Matthew was born missing half his heart know as Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, the journey has not always been easy but we are grateful for every moment with our sweet boy.  My friend sent me the link to a benefit for Hatcher a little boy who also has HLHS like my son.  This brave little cowboy has been threw more than his share of challenges and now has a serious lung condition as well.  His family  needs a little help…

I have never met this family, but we heart families stick together and have a bond that keeps us going!  If you are in the Pocatello (Idaho) area I invite you to think about attending!  For all of us NOT local I invite you to think about sending a donation or auction item.  You can find for info on the Beinifit Facebook page here.

 Saturday, March 10, 2012
1:00pm until 4:00pm
Bannock County Fairgrounds Indoor Arena
Hatcher is three years old and has already had four heart surgeries.All he wants is to be a cowboy we are putting this on to help the family with expenses and because Hatcher loves bullriding. there is no admission but we are accepting donations please come out and support us and have a great time with a great kid.

A Thrifty Mom is very excited to be teaming up with  The Fairy Godmother Association  and GIVING BACK this Valentines Day. Roses will be delivered to the Caldwell/ Boise area but we invite ALL our readers national and local to donate a rose to victims of domestic violence for donation of $3 per rose. You can like them on Facebook Here for updates and info. 

So many of us have been blessed in so many ways, with loving families, parents,
children and partners. We eagerly look forward to Valentine’s Day as an
opportunity to celebrate those blessings. But what about those who aren’t as
fortunate? Every year too many local women spend Valentine’s Day alone; not
because of choice but out of necessity.

Victims of domestic violence & sexual assault face loneliness, hardship and
heart break everyday, doing the best they can to stay strong. But on a day used to
celebrate love it can be hard to keep their survivor smiles shining as brightly.

Help The Fairy Godmother Association  give them a small token to remind them that
they are beautiful and strong women who are thought of and loved.

The FGMA will be delivering roses on Valentine’s Day to local women’s
shelters, including: Hope’s Door, Valley Crisis Center, City Light Home for
Women & Children,& Nampa Family Shelter.

You can gift one rose for only $3.00, this is a very small price for the
smile it could bring. Donations can be made via Paypal through this link
www.thefgma.com

Join with us today to become someone’s Fairy Godmother!

Our goal is to create moments of happiness where they are most needed.
We focus on local area shelters, foster care, and other area programs
whose goals are helping women and children.
Often times just a small reminder that they are thought of and are wished
happiness can help the women and children keep going in very hard
times.

Thanks to Lindy For passing this along,

Megan a local disables  12 year old in Boise  is holding a pet food drive.

This is the daughter of a dear friend of mine and she has done this drive now for about five years and is such a totally unselfish and sweet girl.
It’s hard to get a lot of donations for petfood and I was thinking with all the great couponers that read this blog maybe some might be willing to use some pet food coupons to find great deals on animal food and then donate to this food drive? It is done every year in the month of February and this year we would sure like to beat the donations that we got last year.

It would be wonderful if any of your great readers could be of help.

Have you bought Lindsay olives or are planning to this holiday season?

For every can you purchase of Lindsay olives and enter the UPC code on this site.

Lindsay Olives has promised to donate to a local food bank – up to 25,000 cans.

I, Ingard entered the 8 cans that I recently purchased.

Albertson’s

Lindsay Reclosable Olives $2.79

• use $1/1 Lindsay Reclosable Olives in Albertsons Coupon Booklet
• and a twice the value coupon
• Final Price $.79

Thanks to Brittaney for passing this along,

I saw this on pinterest today and thought it would a GREAT idea for all us couponers who get 100′s of travel size items, especially this time of year!!
These are called “Blessing Bags” they are a ziplock filled with items like: chap stick, tissues, toothbrush/paste, comb, soap, trail mix, granola bars, crackers, pack of gum, band aids, mouthwash, a dollar or two (maybe use coins, for phone calls) socks, gloves and maybe a $5 gift card to mcdonalds. maybe throw in a note of encouragement. This time of year there are people asking for help almost at every shopping corner, I never know who to believe or not, so these are GREAT because if someone truely is in need, they will be ever so grateful for these items!!! You could make 2 or 3 of these and just leave them in your car! 

Share your Delight is giving back with your help.

Right now when you buy any of these SPECIALLY MARKED red scarfed products:

• International Delight
• Horizon
• Silk
• Land O’ Lakes products.

When you go to the Share your Delight website you can click on each brand and see which products qualify (little icons at bottom of page). For each qualifying product you enter you can help get $.50 donated to either Toys for Tots or Coats for Kids.

How to do it!

• Use coupon listed below for any product you buy to bring your out of pocket down
• Click HERE and hit the “enter your UPC” button, limit, once per day
• enter your UPC! Pick your Charity
• You will have just donated $.50 to Toys for Tots or Coats for Kids AND you are getting a $.55 off coupon for your next Purchase!

Here are a few coupons that help you help the cause.

International Delight:

Horizon EggNog:

Land O Lakes Half & Half:

Look for opportunities to donate to food banks this season as there are so many families in need all over this country.

Here is another opportunity in Middleton, Idaho.
The local Middleton, Idaho Ridley’s (GO HERE for the match up) has a table of  pre-filled grocery bags filled with $5 – $5.50 worth of grocery items for you to ‘buy’ for $5 and leave there to donate to local food banks in Middleton. One is a church food bank and the other is a couple who run a food panty.

With our busy lives what a convenient way to give back and let others eat.

They will be running this through at least Thanksgiving and might be through Christmas.

Meridian Food bank stands in need of Turkey’s (read that here)

I personally want to thank one of my great great great ….uncles Martin Loyer who served in the Civil War. Also My moms dad Joseph Lyons who served in WW2. We do not know much about what he did out side of being in the infantry. And also my grandfather on my dads side, Charles Barrand, who served in tanks under the great General Patton. He was there in the beginning of WW2 when Patton invaded North Africa. Grandfather Barrand went on with him in his tank up through Africa, Italy and then on into Eastern France with Patton. There while fighting he blew out both knees in his tank and returned home a wounded vet and spent months in an Army hospital.

With out these men who served we would not have the luxury we do today. If you think we have the internet because we are smart – that may be the case but with out the freedom and protection that these men and women provided we would not of been able to focus on other things out side of War. And remember that many things were created through science of protecting our troops during war.

Read a story about Sarah and the Camouflage bags we saw HERE.

Sites to remember those who have fallen:

A teen with his own money set up PreserveandHonor.com to protect those buried at the Arlington National Cemetery. After it became known that the cemetery had mixed up and lost many records with miss management and ignorance and two leading officers lost jobs there due to this terrible issue. So Richard P. Gilleland, III started his website that has categorized many of the graves and is searchable. This not only is great to remember those who have fallen but also helps with genealogy which is another way to remember those who have past on.

freedomremembered.com/

Well Halloween is over and our big event last week has wrapped up! If you are not local you might be wondering what we are talking about. Last week we helped put on the Trunk or Treat so People Can Eat 2011 promotion. The main goal was to raise food through donations to donate to the Idaho Food Bank. We had hoped for a couple barrels of food and about 300 people. With the help of Ken and Jeff from Stevens Henagar it turned out much bigger then we could of ever planned for.  There ended up that over 4000 people showed up. Needless to say the candy supply was running short, still everyone got some! But all and all we had tons of food donated, people seemed to be so happy and having fun!

Sarah donating to the Idaho Food bank

Dakan Funeral brought their new Hearse - and who else inside?

Ken Corder (left) and Tyler Grigsby (right) with the "Best Trunk Award"

Sarah, Ken Corder, Jeff White

Didn't know the entire Smurf family was coming

It has Begun! Let the kids raid the candy

Maveric is not impressed having to sit in the stroller

A Thrifty Mom "Trunk" I think every kid touched the heart (some called it brains) on the right side of the table

Pirate stroller boat, with baby pirate on board

And the line keeps coming! Wow over 4000 people! We were expecting 200-300 in the beginning!

And here is what it was all about - over 16 barrels of food for the Idaho Food Bank

We are so glad every one came! And we are so thrilled with the turn out and that you all were able to donate so much food!

Thanks again! And we will see you next year at our next Trunk or Treat so People Can Eat.

Make sure you stop by, email or see what the venders that helped out so much have on their sites. Support them for helping out!

Special thanks to Olive Garden Nampa store for providing 80 FREE kids meal vouchers, given away to the first A Thrifty Mom Readers who stopedp by our trunk.

Stevens Henager Collage Nampa Satellite - Organization and facility – Contact Jeff White and Ken Corder

Edmark Super Store - Provided Trunk or Treat candy bags

Games2U-Free Game Trailer and robot driving around event

DJ Mac Beats- Provided Free DJ services

Tates Rents- Provided Free Rentals

Photos By Kristina – Facebook or website – Event photos on the Facebook page

Young Hearts – Organogold – Kimble and Julie Johnson (Organo Coffee) – Free Jumpers

Cabalos Farms – Pumpkin Patch

Young Hearts Education CPR-Set Up

UL magazine – Promotion

Nampa Fire dept – Fire truck

Nampa Police Dept & McGruff The Crime Dog!

Canyon County Paramedics

All other Vendors that were there too…

Ingard here, I was finally inspired enough to send my expired coupons to the overseas families by the Thrifty Mom coupon drive. Truely my hold back was my own thriftiness but I learned it was just a $4.95 expenditure, that is $1.24 per week.

This project couldn’t have been simpler.

• I started collecting each week for a month.
• I got two gallon baggies one I marked Food and the other Non-Food and I put the address (get that HERE) on a sticky note for later reference when shipping.
• Each week as I purged my coupon binder I just made the two piles and instead of recycling them, I just popped them in the corresponding baggies.
• Tuesday I went to the post office, and might I say they couldn’t have been nicer and even helped me with what I thought was a weird request. Come to find out there are several ‘regulars’ in my area – KUDOS to you ‘regulars’.
• I was even told to STUFF the envelope as much as it could hold and all for a flat $4.95 fee.

It was quite painless and highly rewarding to know that I was helping cash strapped American families overseas who are doing their part ensuring mine and my families freedoms here on our soil.

If you want to do this too get information HERE and HERE, remember they prefer that you use the United States Post Office priority mail envelopes(ships fastest) found at the post office for as low as $4.95 for the envelope and shipping.

Local readers (Nampa/Caldwell Idaho) grab your Calenders and SAVE THE DATE for 10/27

Put your kids in their Halloween costume,  grab a can of food for the food bank and plan to PARTY with 50 local businesses. Get some great coupons, and fill the kids trick or treat bags!!!

Trunk or Treat So People Can Eat will be held at Stevens-Henager College, Nampa Satellite on October 27th from 6pm-8pm. This event is geared to support the Idaho Food Bank with food donations, and increase community safety awareness with tips provided by the Nampa Police and Fire Departments. Halloween City will also be providing a spook patch for families.

ALL are welcome, cost is FREE we just as for a Food Donation for the Food bank…. hope to see you 10/27

Additional vendors are welcome; it’s a great way to connect with the community!

 If you would like to be a vendor Please contact 467-0501 ext 1620 to reserve a free spot for your trunk.

]]> http://athriftymom.com/trunk-or-treat-so-people-can-eat-1027-more-local-vendors-welcome/feed/ 7 http://athriftymom.com/support-our-troops-coupon-drive-womans-celebration/ http://athriftymom.com/support-our-troops-coupon-drive-womans-celebration/#comments Fri, 16 Sep 2011 18:00:01 +0000 A Thrifty Mom http://athriftymom.com/?p=72707

I am excited to let you know that I have teamed up with the Idaho Statesman in a Support Our Troops coupon drive.  I will be at their expo booth collecting expired coupons to send to Military Families. They can use these coupon in the commissaries up to 6 months after they expire.

Just for stopping by you can enter to win a Case-it Coupon Binder and a $50 Albertsons Gift Card!!!! 

Date: Friday 9/23/2011

Time: 3-6pm

Place: Woman’s Celebration in Boise, Idaho Statesman Expo Booth

What: Bring your clipped coupons sorted into two groups “food” and “non food”

We will also have information about our upcoming FREE  COUPON CLASS  on October 6.  Come by the booth be the first to sign up!

START GATHERING THOSE EXPIRED COUPONS!!!! (please only bring newly expired coupons within 45 days)

Since many of our readers are new to couponing they may not know you can send your expired coupons to help others. This is a repost we did awhile back, but I thought I would remind you all.

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One of our long time readers sent us this set by set guest post on what you can do to make a difference with those expired coupons! Thanks Andi!

Do you throw them in the trash or even let them sit in your coupon sorter for months?

Next time you sort out your expired coupons don’t throw them in the trash! Throw them in an envelope and send them over seas to military families!

Military families shop at the PX, BX or Commissary and grocery bills can get very expensive while in another country, and expired coupons can help them save!

There are tons of sites you can use to find a military base or family to send them to.

I found a few through Ann Marie. She is stationed with her family in Germany right now.

And I found several others just by doing a simple Google search.

Most of them go like this:

1. Go onto their site and choose a base or family you would like to mail the coupons to.

2. Once you have found a good family, make sure the coupons are clipped (so as to not waste on postage).

3. I sort them into two piles, food and non-food products and put each pile into a plastic baggy (envelopes can work as well).

4. Then add up the total amount your coupons are worth, and list it on each baggy.

5. The next step may be different depending on which site you choose to go with.

- At Overseas Coupon Program you have to fill out a report and send it to them.

- At The Happy Housewife can contact her for more information on the details.

- At Grocery Saving Tips you just send them off.

UPDATE**** some readers have said their coupons have been returned when sent to the above links so here is a new link The Overseas Coupon Project,

Each site has a different amount of time the coupons are aloud to be expired for. They range anywhere from 2 to 6 months.

Happy Couponing!

You all know I love Albertsons and I thought this was yet another great way to give back while shopping at one of my favorite stores.

Support Locks of Love while shopping!
Albertsons has agreed to donate 1% of the first $50,000 spent and 5% on everything over to Locks of Love when shoppers use their Locks of Love Community Partners key tag. Please send your name and address to volunteer@locksoflove.org to request a key tag. Swipe it when you shop to support Locks of Love!

For more information click here

Thanks Renee

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