rally: to come together for a common action or effort

Such an amazing night with the Young Women from the Country Park 9th ward. They rallied behind me and collected hats, gloves and socks from their neighbors.

Just this small group raised 63 pair of gloves, 36 hats and 157 pair of socks!!

I got to talk to them about service and rallying around those who need it. They did both of these things for me and the children in our school district.

Thank you ladies!

2012 Information...

~8th Annual~

“For the Warmth of the Children” 2012

It’s been 8 remarkable years!

This year again, they will be given to the children within our own Jordan School District along with those in our surrounding area.

Let's make as many kids warm as we can!!!

We are currently asking for donations of new or gently used Hats and Gloves and NEW Socks only.

Thank you so much and remember:“Never will you feel better about yourself, until you forget about yourself.”

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Drop off location – Alec Johnson’s home or just give to Alec

*We will collect until November 30th

And Deliver December 3rd*

Grand Totals 2011

257 Hats

321 Gloves

793 Pairs of Socks (Not a typo!)
*ALL RECORDS

Bonus

26 Coats

29 Scarves

10 Underwear

14 Blankets

8 Pairs of handwarmers

2 Warm Pajamas

3 Pairs of Boots

We know that we could not have gathered so many of these items this year without the help of Mountain America. Thank you again to MACU and to KUTV 2 News and the Pay it Forward Program.

2011 Drop Off!!

The Principal and parent advocate, Evelyn Sadler, were so thankful and excited for all the donations this year!

getting to work...

Alec has had an AMAZING few weeks as he's worked on FTWOTC.
His interview went terrific with Channel 2 news for the 'Pay it Forward' segment. Sterling Nielson and Mountain America gave him such a wonderful surprise that allowed him to go and shop for the children he loves to help. He is usually the one asking, but this year he got to go find some great deals and buy what he felt was needed most. I had fun watching him get excited and make sure we were speding the money very wisely!:)

We are amazed at the people who have responded by e-mail and phone calls to the news story they saw. So many of you have donated more than ever and made this a record breaking year for this small charity.

Thank you for feeling how important this is to Alec.

A little thank you

Hey everybody this is Alec and I can't tell you how excited I am for this year's donations! So last Sunday my family passed out fliers and sent emails out to start off For The Warmth Of The Children 2011 and THREE days later I got a very big surprise... Channel 2 News came to my house and interviewed me about the charity I do! It was an amazing experience and I was able to share with them what we do for the charity and shared some of the experiences that have happened. (It will be showing tomorrow, Nov 30, on Channel 2 News at 10 p.m.) And near the end of the interview I was given one of the most generous donations we've ever been given by Mountain America. I recieved 500 dollars to help buy hats, gloves, socks, and coats for the charity! This is such a HUGE blessing and I am so grateful that we were able to recieve that to help the kids that need it! I also wanted to share, personally, how much it means to me that people such as you, who maybe are experiencing trials of your own, donate to this cause and how incredible it is to witness such little service help SO MANY LIVES. The stories over the years and the lives touched couldn't have happened without you guys spreading the word and doing all you can do to help! There's hundreds and hundreds that have done so much for this charity over the years and I wish I could name all the names off that have helped, but I want everybody to know that I love and appreciate each one of you! Thanks for everything you do! And remember.. never will you feel better about yourself, until you forget about yourself. Have a wonderful holiday season!

passing out the fliers!

It's getting cold out!!

~7th Annual~

“For the Warmth of the Children” 2011

It’s been 7 years!! It’s only getting better!!
This year again, we have decided to donate to the children within our own Jordan School District. I love helping my neighbors, close to home.


We are currently asking for donations of new or gently used Hats and Gloves and NEW Socks only.


Thank you and remember:
“Never will you feel better about yourself, until you forget about yourself.”

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!


Drop off location – Johnson home


*We will collect until DECEMBER 16th*


Contact Information:
Alec Johnson 801-566-7694
Robyn Johnson 801-706-7694
r4kids12@msn.com
forthewarmthofthechildren.blogspot.com

A Talk on Service!

This was such a great experience! Alec was asked to speak at West Ridge Academy. This is a school that helps struggling teenagers and their families. A friend in our neighborhood asked if Alec would talk at a devotional on his FTWOTC fundraiser. When she introduced Alec, she told of how when she first moved in to our neighborhood with her son and his wife, they had told her about a boy who did this service project. Then she explained how when she saw how young this boy was, she was so impressed and amazed! She thought it was wonderful that a young man would care enough about others at a time in his life when it may be much cooler to care only about himself. She thought he would be able to help these young boys know how service can make even a teenagers life so much more full!!

A Kind Thank You

2010-11 Dropoff...

TOTALS FOR OUR 2010 COLLECTION....

247 - GLOVES (Record)

201 - HATS (Record)

244 - SOCKS

What an amazing experience, we've had. This year has been another life changing experience. We've been unaware of the Refugee situation in the state of Utah. What a wonderful thing to talk with the people who help them on a daily basis and to see how some live. We were told that many of them come here with only sandals from wherever they have traveled from. They wear them all winter long. Without socks.

It was perfect that Alec was able to deliver a huge bag full of socks!!

Warm wonderful socks from a very generous basketball coach!

This was at a place called Hser Ner Moo Community Center. Named after a refugee who was murdered at her apartment complex. It is now the home of a community center where refugee children have a place to go after school to do their homework and be supervised as their parents work. I saw my children's eyes change as we drove up and visited this place. It was so different from where we come from. It was something I wish every child could see. I think we try to explain that there are people who live differently than us, who are in so much need and they should be so thankful for what they have! But, until they see and feel how very fortunate they really are, I'm not sure they CAN get it. As we drove away we talked about the difference in their lives and  those children who have been moved from everything they know to a place that's better in so many ways, but still so foreign.

These are our new friends at Oqquirh Elementary School! We were so sad to hear that JCIT had been dissolved with the new budget cuts, and were a little worried about the items getting to the right place. In 2009 we collected a few bonus coats and had given them to this elementary because of a story we saw on the news. So we called Oqquirh Elementary again to see if they could direct us on the right path. Evelyn Sadler was WONDERFUL and does so much to help the children in need in our Jordan School District. She is the Parent Advocate and Oquirrh Elementary and sees the needs of our children. There is a room in the school that parents can come and receive items that have been donated to help their families. Our title one schools needed these items terribly bad! The answer to our prayer.

Principal - Nancy Ward, Parent Advocate - Evelyn Sadler, Alec, Carter, Savvy and Luke!

Merry Christmas!!

~6th Annual~

“For the Warmth of the Children” 2010

6 years ago, when I was 8, I started a fundraiser to help collect and donate Gloves, Hats, and Socks for children who are in need for the winter months. Every year something amazing has happened as we donated these items. Together, as many of you have donated in the past, we have touched hundreds of little kid’s lives. They need these items! I appreciate each of you for helping me in the past 6 years. It’s amazing what can happen if we each donate just a little. Every year it seems to become more and more special as we hear the stories of the families and children who are on the receiving end of this fundraiser. This year again, they will be given to the children within our own Jordan School District along with the socks being donated to the refugee’s from war stricken countries who now live in Salt Lake City.

Utah Refugee Service Office
http://refugee.utah.gov/home/index.html
JSIT (Jordan Student Intervention Team)
801-567-8383
http://www.jordandistrict.com/

We are currently asking for donations of new or gently used Hats and Gloves and NEW Socks only.

Thank you all and remember:
“Great opportunities to help others seldom
come, but small ones surround us daily.”
Merry Christmas!
~Alec Johnson (age 14)

Drop off location – Johnson home

*We will collect until December 31st and will deliver on Monday January 3rd, so the children can have them for the New Year!

Contact Information:
Alec Johnson 801-608-9062
Robyn Johnson 801-706-7694
r4kids12@msn.com

forthewarmthofthechildren.blogspot.com

2009 Drop Off!

What an amazing year! After making both drop offs, we got back in the car, mom was trying not to cry, Alec reaches over and gives mom 'five'. He says to mom, "Next year I am getting 500 of each. Just wait, I'm really going to do it. Just watch."

It's that feeling we all had leaving the schools we made the donations to. A feeling of gratitude for what we have, and a feeling of such warmth knowing help was coming to hundreds of children.

THANK YOU to all of you who made such a drop off possible.

This years totals were...

482 - socks (record! wow!)
175 - gloves
178 - hats (record)

**bonus **

10 - coats

2 - snow pants

2 - scarves

Playing basketball with socks! (of course)

The night before we were going to Midvale Elementary we separated all of the donations. We knelt together around them and Alec offered a prayer on them. He prayed that the hats, gloves and socks would get to the children who needed them. He also asked for a blessing to be on each one of those children.

That night on ABC 4 news we saw a story on a school in West Jordan, which is in our district. They said that the children of Oquirrh Elementary have been staying in from recess because they do not have coats and the proper clothing to be out in the cold. This is the exact reason Alec started this charity. So that children would be able to still play outside in the winter. PERFECT!

After talking with Alec about it, we decided to give all the coats to that school and ask the principal if they needed hats or gloves as well. She told us they could definitely use the gloves too. So we donated half the gloves we received to this school along with all the

coats, snow pants, and scarves. They were so thankful for Alec and couldn't believe all the bags we brought in.
Here they are.

The next school we went to is one that we have visited every year, from the time we knew about JSIT (Jordan Student Intervention Team). Midvale Elementary has become very important to us over the past 5 years. As we walk inside and see the beautiful children walking in the halls, little kindergartners holding hands singing 'Wheels on the Bus', many of them staring at my kids with their bags of winter clothing, we know that there is great need at this school. This is a school where 93% of their students receive free lunch and 7% are on reduced. Much is definitely needed.

As we walked in their main office just to check in and tell them we were on our way to the JSIT room, we were saddened to find out that Midvale Elementary is no longer in the Jordan School District. This meant that the JSIT program had to move to another school. We asked for the address where the new school was and as the receptionist was finding it for us, there were a couple teachers in the office at the time saying how much some of their students could use what we brought. One of them told us about a program they had called Santa's shelves, or sleigh, I can't recall the exact name of it. She said that many children missed out on receiving anything from it, and that she could also use these things.

We IMMEDIATELY said we would love to leave ALL of the donations in the bags to them. They went and got the man who was head of that program and he was very happy to have all the items Alec collected. The principal came out and talked with us, she was delightful, and also so thankful to receive these items for her children. She said that she would send an e-mail out to all of her teachers to let them know they can come and get any of these items for the children in their classes along with their family members. PERFECT!

Alec was thankful to know that his prayer was answered. That all of the donations were given to exactly who was suppose to receive them.

There is nothing better than to give.

It's so fun to see the kids get back in the car and really realize that.

It was a good, good year.

(Then I have to make sure they go home and WRITE it in their journals so they will never forget that feeling!)

Alec received his biggest donation yet!
142 pair of socks came in the mail yesterday, along with a letter from his new friend Kyle Korver. (#26 on the Utah Jazz)
We thank him and his family for their generosity, and example.
What a blessing to those who will use these socks, and what an impact he just made on one young man.
THANK YOU KORVERS!

We decided to collect donations until the day before we deliver.
The new deadline is THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19th.

If you are headed to the Jazz game this Saturday be sure to bring a new coat to donate to Kyle Korver's Coat Drive.
You can find all the information here and also read about what great things he is a part of, besides playing for the best NBA team there is!

About the Kyle Korver Foundation

This year Alec's scout troop needed to finish up their 'citizinship in the community' merit badge, so they called us and asked if they could help pass out our For The Warmth of the Children flyers to the neighborhood. Alec was so thankful! They met early Saturday morning and had donuts and orange juice. What a tremendous group of boys.

Carter shared in the juice and ran off to his game. We'll have to put him to work in another neighborhood!

Alec assigned the routes and divided the flyers.

Tanner, Alec, Josh, Jordan, Ryan and Colton were such troopers.

And off they went.

Thank you so much Rodayne and Marcus! Along with all those scouts, they knocked it out!

The Flyer is Out!

“For the Warmth of the Children” 2009

5 years ago Alec (13) started a fundraiser to help collect and donate Gloves, Hats, and Socks for children who are in need for the winter months. He has since gained the help of his brother, Carter (10) and sister, Savannah (7). Most of you have donated in the past and we appreciate each of you for doing so. Every year it seems to become more special as we hear the stories of the families and children who are on the receiving end of this fundraiser. This year again, they will be given to the children within our own Jordan School District. Please understand what a difference this can make this year!

We are currently asking for donations of new or gently used Hats and Gloves and NEW Socks only.

Please become part of this special mission a young boy came up with years ago.
Thank you all so very much!

Drop off location – Johnson home (call or e-mail please)

*We will collect until Friday November 13th and will deliver on Friday November 20th, so the children can have them for Thanksgiving!

Contact Information:
Robyn Johnson 801-706-7694
Jeremy Johnson 801-755-5893
r4kids12@msn.com
forthewarmthofthechildren.blogspot.com

2008 was great....

Hats - 172
Gloves - 214
Socks - 309
Bonus: 14 coats, 9 scarves, 2 pair of boots

For the Warmth of the Children 2008 was a huge success! Thanks to ALL of you who donated, we are amazed at how many neighbors, companies, friends and family members gave to the boys and girls in the Jordan School District. Many times we didn't know the names of people donating and sometimes they were just left on the doorstep. People are good. People are giving. I feel so lucky to be surrounded by people who care about each other so much. I am a very lucky person, I know I have been given much. I hope that my kids will remember the feeling they had when we went to the school and they saw those children who needed these things. The school was out of gloves again this year and I hope they realize that they can be angels to someone else no matter the time of year. I hope that I can remember to be as giving as children. Those little treasures are taught something and they do it. There is nothing like giving during the Christmas Season. I know you have probably given to someone in need this season, and I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas.

Flyers are ready to take out! I thought this was a cool picture, I didn't realize it until we got home that he was looking at baby Jesus. This is the reason we do this.

Mission Complete!