Minnesota Bloggers Fight Child Hunger

So, if you've been coming around here for any length of time, you know that I have formed some absolutely amazing friendships with some absolutely amazing people, all via these here interwebs...
And the even more amazing thing...is that this group uses their time, their talents, their friendships...to do great things.

Remember back in January when 40 of us came together and packaged food for Feed My Starving Children?

This weekend, Minnesota Bloggers did it again...
We kicked off by getting together at Nye's Polonaise and donating non-perishable food items ... We had a great time meeting friends old and new...though it was a pretty tough atmosphere to socialize in, even without the Polka Band playing!
With over 50 people coming in and out - it was hard to get a chance to talk to everyone - next time - I say we do the speed dating thing - blogger style - 5 minutes gabbing with each other before the buzzer goes off and we move on to the next new/old friend? Anyone?

A handful of the amazing ladies that came out...
And to check out their blogs along with many many other great bloggers who came, saw and conquered...Check out Molly's post with link to everyone!






I cannot say THANK YOU enough to Betsy for not only watching our kids for us so that I could go out and Daddy could still play ball (and participate in the Big Foot Challenge! More on that later!!) but she also took the kids TO the ball games...and then let H have a sleepover with some of HER daughter's American Girl Babies!
When I got home, THIS is what I found...
This picture shows success no?


Then, on Saturday, working with Molly from The Snyder Five, who is a blogger correspondent for ConAgra Foods & The Child Hunger Ends Here Campaign - An enormous number of bloggers, and non-bloggers, donated their things and sold them at ridiculously low prices, all to raise money for this great cause.



In just over 3 hours (because even though the weather man didn't tell us we were going to get rained on, we did!) The charity rummage sale managed to bring in $841.00! Talk about amazing!
And while Trish borrowed my camera and snapped some pretty awesome shots at the charity sale...I really don't know if I need to share any of those with you - because what follows below is what I caught...and really...

does it get any better than this?
(But if you ARE so inclined to see the other pics from the events - click HERE to view a slide show in my Kodakgallery...again - most of these shots of the folks shopping were snapped by Trish...so she should get credit for her mad photog skills!!)
This gal here - she told us it has long been a goal of hers to learn to hula hoop...








Good thing she bought this brand new hula hoop...She is going to need a little bit more practice! Though if I'm being honest...she would have probably killed me in a contest! She was so awesome!

So are these girls...
Cindy, Suzi and Missy!

And what happens when bloggers get together in real life?
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Even though the weather man didn't warn us...some kids came prepared!

Special thanks to Molly for letting me take these two pics...

And when the sale was over, instead of taking all of the left over donations to good will - Molly and the rest of the bloggers agreed to let my dear friend Jenn - a brand new blogger - take what she could to sell at her OWN fundraising rummage sale that will be taking place on June 9, 10th & 11th in Albertville. Thank you Mike and Jenn for letting us cram every inch of space of not one but two vehicles full of things for you to sell!!!

Jenn is walking in her first ever Breast Cancer 3 Day walk this August and while the walking 60 miles in 3 days is pretty daunting...I think you'll all agree that the fundraising can be just as daunting...
Want to head over to Jenn's newish blog and give her some love? AKA - leave her a comment?

MN Bloggers Unite ~ AGAIN!

This coming weekend - dozens of awesome bloggers and their families who have sorted out their treasures they no longer want or need, will be coming together and selling them at ridiculously low prices for charity.

Organized by Molly over at the Snyder 5 - We will kick off by converging on Nye's Polonaise on Thursday night...where over 50 of us will come together. We will be donating non-perishable food items and raising cash for the Child Hunger Ends Here campaign...

** Did you know that just $1 provides 7 meals? So if we can raise even $500 this weekend that will be 3,500 meals for children right here in our community.

That's the part that really had me sold on this gig. Not to mention the AMAZING sisterhood that I have found amongst this group. AMAZING!
But even MORE amazing...is the fact that together - we really can make a difference. A difference RIGHT HERE...where WE live!

** The statistics on hungry Minnesotans are heart-breaking. According to the Emergency Food Shelf Network, the number of people being served by food shelves in Minnesota has risen 45 percent in the past four years.
Yep...that's FORTY FIVE PERCENT!

** In Burnsville kindergarten, half of the students qualify for the reduced lunch program.

** In Farmington the food shelf is serving 100 people a month, and requests are going up.

** The amount of food distributed through Dakota County food shelves, which was fairly consistent earlier in the decade with about 800,000 pounds annually, jumped to 1.1 million pounds in 2007 and doubled to 1.6 million pounds in 2008.

Jennifer over at Unplanned Cooking has some great facts as well - stuff about stuff...

oh the stuff...
While I'm not blogging about it like Molly is...I'm really trying to work on the stuff in our home too - hopefully one day soon - you'll be able to tell the difference!
Perhaps this weekend will be my turning point?

Won't you join us?
Here are the details you need to know about...and the weather - oh the weather - it looks FABULOUS! See you there!

MN Bloggers Rummage Sale
Saturday, May 22, 2010
8:00am - 1:00pm
Highland Park Shelter House
1227 Montreal Ave
West Saint Paul, MN

together - we really CAN make a difference!
Remember the last time this many of us got together?

In Our Own Backyard...

If you know me...(and if you're coming here, you prolly do because I don't get a lot of random strangers coming around here except to sell me half price shoes, pharmaceuticals, and something in Chinese or Japanese that I can't ever read...but they keep proposing via comments) you know that I am always looking to make my world, our world, a better place.

Not just a better place for me and my family...but for those around us. Right here in our own backyards.

That is why I am thrilled to share with you Child Hunger Ends Here - via my friend Molly over at The Snyder 5. Molly has been chosen as just one of 14 blog correspondents in the good old US of A to bring awareness to, and help lessen, the burden of childhood hunger. You can read more about Child Hunger Ends Here, by clicking here....
Of course, as awesome as Molly is...she can't do this alone!
(seriously, check out her 500 pound declutter challenge! Unless you are my husband - then please don't check it out - I'm trying babe! Really I am! Molly is kicking some serious arse in the decluttering department!)

Anyway - I am thrilled to be included among a rad group of Minnesota Bloggers (and non-bloggers!) who are going to be able to help make a difference in the lives of hungry little kids. Hungry little local kids. I mean, we have 'food issues' in our house - but they aren't because we don't HAVE the food, or a few bucks to buy food, our issues are because no one wants to eat what I make. I cannot imagine my babies being hungry because we were didn't have enough. Sadly, it's the case in more homes in our own backyards than we care to acknowledge.

Just like the Cards for Cancer project I am currently doing with spiritjump.org - this is an easy way to do some good - with literally minimal effort on my part. Not that I wouldn't help out if there WAS more effort involved on my part - but doesn't this make it a no-brainer situation when you don't have to do anything too complicated? Don't you just LOVE it when people make it easy for you to help? I DO!! I DO!!
So, what can you do to help out that involves minimal effort but will have a HUGE impact? Well, that's easy...
You can donate some non-perishable food, purchase foods of a certain brand when you are out doing your regular shopping, make a monetary donation, donate things you were looking to get rid of anyway to the rummage sale that will take place on May 22nd in St. Paul, Minnesota...
What other ideas do you have? Leave me a comment or head over to The Snyder 5 and visit Molly!
You won't be sorry!