We are making good progress to being able to deliver the first 50 bags of the Safelight Project to the shelter soon, hopefully in early June. This year has brought a change to the bags ordered, as the company I have been using doesn’t have the same ones I ordered before. So, I spent some time looking at their other offerings, but didn’t find anything as nice. So I began a search elsewhere, and ultimately ordered a new style from a different company. I actually like it better, and it was only a bit more in price, still within the budget. The canvas is nice quality, and the color piping on the sides is a nice styling touch. The outside pocket is larger, enough to hold a book or magazine, or a lot of little items. I was able to order four different colors this time as well – royal blue, navy, red and black. I ordered 108 of them as there was a slight discount with a larger order and in sets of a dozen.

I ordered the products we need online from Dollar Tree and picked up the order last week in store to save shipping costs. Some things were out of stock, so I made some substitutions from what we’ve had in the past. Nineteen cases of products came home, but there were back-orders. The nail treatment, lip balm and glitter tissue are yet to come and I hope that those will arrive this week.

In the meantime, more beautiful cases arrived in all kinds of prints and colors. Thanks to Kathe H, Becky H, Sallie M, Chris L and Linda B, Sharon T, Joan S, and Edy K!!

Some have been bright and cheerful.

Some have been soft and pretty.

Cards arrived from Lenora S who sent 66 cards in these designs and more. Thank you so much!!

More cards arrived from Laura Teer, and Susan M (I didn’t have your email to let you know).

Then the most extraordinary gift was delivered to me from my friend Claire and her husband Mac. They delivered four cases of spa goodies, 100 of each of four different items.

There is hair shampoo, hair balm, shower elixir, and body cream. These look so much like what you would see at an upscale resort, don’t they? I’ll be putting them inside the cosmetic bags.

For the men’s bags, the nylon duffle bag I have found the last two years is no longer made. So, again I looked around at other online sources and found a drawstring top backpack in canvas. I ordered 5 and they are supposed to be delivered here on Thursday. I’ll pick up the men’s products to fill them this week. My plan is to find products like these that we used last year.

So, this week I began laying out case sets, stuffing the sunglasses cases with sunglasses and adding tissues to the tissue cases. Once again, I tried to coordinate the color on the sunglasses with the case colors.

Here is where the project stands. With much gratitude to Jennifer G, Janet B, Helene C, Susan M, Ann D, Suzanne D, Becky H, Chris L and Linda B, our financial goal has been exceeded with a total of $1431 raised!! The extra will go to covering the bag shipping costs (that I always forget about!), the extra women’s bags, and the men’s bag costs as those are a bit higher. Every last penny will be spent on this project.

I have 81 case sets received of our goal of 100, last checking the PO box yesterday. If you mailed anything late last week, and have not received an email from me, I haven’t gotten them yet, so let us know in the comments if that is the case and that yours is on the way.

I have 205 cards, exceeding of our goal of 200!! I am making all the men’s cards, and they’ll be done this week. Over 80 cards arrived just yesterday, and I’ll show you those on a future post.

I plan to do the first delivery of 50 women’s bags and 5 men’s bags early next week, provided the back orders and the men’s bags arrive. The second delivery will be probably in September or October, as I’ll need to let them work down the first delivery a bit for storage space. I’ll order the products to fill them then, and store the extra I have now until ready to fill and deliver. Anything left over after the second delivery will be donated to the thrift shop. So you have plenty of time to make case sets or cards for the second delivery and send them.

Between the upgraded canvas bags, the beautiful sewn cases, lovely cards, full size products and the wonderful extra gifts of crocheted soap sacks / scrubbies, and the spa goodies, these will definitely be the best bags we’ve ever done! And it would not be possible without the readers of this blog. Thank you so much!!