CHALLENGE #45 - 2019

WOMEN’S RESOURCE CENTER
Norman, Oklahoma

***CHALLENGE COMPLETED***

Since 1975, The Women’s Resource Center in Norman, OK has been helping women live better lives. “We believe that women have the right to live in safety, to be treated with dignity, to make choices and to hope.”  Let’s show our support by sending the following items:

SLIPPERS & WASHCLOTHS
9  Women’s Small slippers    -   DONE
9  Women’s Medium slippers - DONE
9  Women’s Large slippers     -  DONE
5  Preteen slippers (neutral colors)- DONE
7  Youth slippers (neutral colors)   -  DONE
7  Toddler slippers (neutral colors) - DONE
4  Baby booties (neutral colors)    -    DONE

50  Washcloths   -  DONE

PET COZIES   ***Pet blankets may be knitted, crocheted, or sewn, but must be washable!  Knitted or crocheted blankets should be a tight weave and fairly thick (use several strands together or a single strand of #5 or #6 bulky yarn.)  Suitable fabrics are denim, flannel, heavy cotton with batting in between layers and stitched from corner to corner so the batting doesn’t bunch up when washed.***

2 small (20” x 20”)     -      DONE
2 medium (24” x 24”) -     DONE
2 large (24” x 30”)        -    DONE

PLEASE MAIL BY: September 27, 2019

MAILING ADDRESS:
     Women’s Resource Center
     Attn:  Kyla McMoran
     222 E. Eufaila St., Suite 125
     Norman, OK  73069

If you would like to make a pledge on this challenge, you may send it via email

to: ThePinkSlipperProject (at) gmail (dot) com or send it through the message box

(top right).  Please include your full name and city/state and category or categories

and the amount of each you wish to pledge. If a size/gender category has already

been filled, we will let you know and ask if there may be another size/gender that

you would like to make and send.

Our challenges are also posted on our Facebook page and most pledges are made there.

Please feel free to join our group there, too!

The PSP Team

CHALLENGE #44 - 2019

YWCA GREAT FALLS

Great Falls, Montana

***CHALLENGE COMPLETED***

“Eliminating racism and empowering women.” Established in 1977 as the first shelter for

domestic violence victims and their children in Montana, it became a YWCA shelter in 1990.

The Mercy Home shelter offers a 60 day program of emergency housing and other

comprehensive services to women and their children who are fleeing an abusive relationship.  

SLIPPERS & WASHCLOTHS - (NOTE: All slippers except the women’s need to be in neutral

colors, suitable for either a boy or a girl.)

10  Women’s Small slippers    - DONE

10  Women’s Medium slippers - DONE

10  Women’s Large slipper   - DONE

 4  Teen slippers (neutral colors)      - DONE

 6   Preteen slippers (neutral colors) - DONE

 6  Youth slippers (neutral colors)   - DONE

 4  Baby booties (neutral colors)     - DONE

50  Washcloths  - DONE

PET COZIES   ***Pet blankets may be knitted, crocheted, or sewn, but must be washable! 

Knitted or crocheted blankets should be a tight weave and fairly thick (use several strands

together or a single strand of #5 or #6 bulky yarn.)  Suitable fabrics are denim, flannel, heavy

cotton with batting in between layers and stitched from corner to corner so the batting doesn’t

bunch up when washed.***

4  Extra Large (30” x 36”)   - DONE

PLEASE MAIL BY:  September 23, 2019

MAILING ADDRESS:

     YWCA Great Falls

     Attn:  Stephanie 

     220 2nd Street North

     Great Falls, MT  59401

If you would like to make a pledge on this challenge, you may send it via email

to: ThePinkSlipperProject (at) gmail (dot) com or send it through the message box

(top right).  Please include your full name and city/state and category or categories

and the amount of each you wish to pledge. If a size/gender category has already

been filled, we will let you know and ask if there may be another size/gender that

you would like to make and send.

Our challenges are also posted on our Facebook page and most pledges are made there.

Please feel free to join our group there, too!

The PSP Team

CHALLENGE #43 - 2019

NEWHOUSE SHELTER
Kansas City, Missouri

***CHALLENGE COMPLETED***

This is the shelter for our 10th Anniversary!!   Newhouse was the very first shelter challenge that PSP did in 2009!

The Newhouse Shelter: “Providing safety, comfort & hope".   One week after The Pink Slipper Project was launched by Joyce Lucas in 2009, we had our first challenge - Newhouse in Kansas City, Missouri.  Cicelynn Elix, their Community Engagement Manager said in a recent email:  “Happy 10th Anniversary!  We would be honored to be a recipient of house slippers and washcloths.”


SLIPPERS & WASHCLOTHS

  40 Women’s Small slippers  -  DONE
  40 Women’s Medium slippers  -  DONE
  40 Women’s Large slippers  -  DONE
  10 Preteen Girl slippers  -  DONE
  10 Preteen Boy slippers  -  DONE
  10 Youth Girl slippers  -   DONE
  10 Youth Boy slippers  -    DONE
  10 Toddler Girl slippers  -  DONE
  10 Toddler Boy slippers  -  DONE
  10 Baby Girl booties  -  DONE
  10 Baby Boy booties  -  DONE

200 Washcloths  -   DONE

PLEASE MAIL BY:   September 16, 2019

MAILING ADDRESS:
     Newhouse Shelter
     Attn: Cicelynn Elix
     P.O. Box 240019
     Kansas City, MO 64124


If you would like to make a pledge on this challenge, you may send it via email to: ThePinkSlipperProject (at) gmail (dot) com or send it through the message box (top right).  Please include your full name and city/state and category or categories and the amount of each you wish to pledge. If a size/gender category has already been filled, we will let you know and ask if there may be another size/gender that you would like to make and send.

Our challenges are also posted on our Facebook page and most pledges are made there. Please feel free to join our group there, too!

The PSP Team

P.S.P. - The First Five Years

The Pink Slipper Project was founded in August of 2009 by Joyce Lucas. She was inspired by Terry Grahl, an interior designer, who, with the help of volunteers across the country, performed makeovers at domestic abuse/homeless shelters.  Their goal was to help make these shelters feel more like a home with many homemade touches. Joyce made sure each of these shelters were gifted with slippers for their residents.  “I wanted to reach out to women and children that were torn from their homes and living in shelters. I wanted to let them know there were so many people that care.”

At the time of forming the P.S.P., Joyce had her own online web businesses. She was both a web designer, creating website designs for women’s online businesses, and running an online shopping site (“Make Mine Pink”) where women could list their shops (in a very “pink” environment) and have their businesses marketed to the public with special sales, etc. Joyce set up a website and inspired friends and clients to help launch P.S.P.  She published her pattern for her “Signature Rag Slipper” and she was off and running.  Within a week of launching the new project, a request came in from a shelter in Missouri and soon, 125 pairs of slippers were made and shipped off to the shelter.  Within a week of being on Facebook, we had 500 friends.  What a wonderful beginning!

In August of 2010, the P.S.P was featured in The Weekly Newsletter published by the Lion Brand Yarn Company.  It was quite a compliment to the then-year-old P.S.P. to be recognized by a national company and our numbers grew to 1,800.  By our second birthday in 2011, we had 2,300 friends and had delivered thousands of slippers and other items much needed by the shelters.  We want to thank a wonderful organization called AC4C (All Crafts for Charity) for publicizing P.S.P. on their annual calendar, inspiring their members to send hundreds of slippers and helping to contribute to our success.

In the early days, everything was sent to Joyce. She loved to put up pictures of all the slippers that arrived in her studio. She bagged and tagged each pair before they were shipped off to a shelter.  In 2011, she “visited” Iowa, held a local Stitch-A-Thon with a group in New Orleans, “visited” the Hope Coalition in Red Wing, MN, and, in conjunction with the Compassion Fashion Project, warmed the hearts and toes in seven shelters in Arkansas with our slippers!

We joined along with Comfort Scarves of Southwestern PA to send slippers and scarves to nine shelters in PA. After Super Storm Sandy hit the East Coast in late 2012, we sent slippers to Safe Haven in Bay Shore, NY, and to Providence House in Whiting, NJ.
Joyce posted her “Hospital Doll” pattern, as well as the “Knit Teddy Bear” pattern, the “Signature Knit Slipper” pattern, and the “Signature Crochet Slipper” pattern, which were designed by members for the PSP.  These items have warmed hearts and made many friends. They are all posted on our blog and under our “Learn More” button on Facebook.Unfortunately, in 2013, Joyce had to retire from the P.S.P. for health reasons.  She asked Rachel Terrill, who had been taking care of P.S.P. in her absence, to take over the reins. Rachel remains our hard-working P.S.P. Coordinator to this day.

We have now added two “special” challenges --- Happy Hands and Cozies for Pets --- which are proving to be popular with the shelters and our members alike. Our Happy Hands challenges provide yarn and supplies that encourage knitting and crocheting as therapy and as a hobby.  Many survivors will not leave their abusive relationships if it means leaving a cherished family pet behind to possibly be abused.  Realizing this, many DV shelters have now started to make accommodations available on site so clients can bring their pets with them. Our Cozies for Pets blankets/mats help to provide a little comfort for the pets, too, and are much appreciated.

Stay tuned to learn about the five most recent years of the Pink Slipper Project!

CHALLENGE #42 - 2019

SEEKHAVEN

Moab, Utah

****CHALLENGE COMPLETED****

Established in 1990, Seekhaven assists survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in southeastern Utah rebuild their lives. Their confidential and secure shelter for women and children is small, so we will send enough slippers and washcloths last for awhile. 

Following is what we would like to send:

SLIPPERS & WASHCLOTHS

  20 Small Women’s Slippers - DONE
  30 Medium Women’s Slippers - DONE
  20 Large Women’s Slippers - DONE
    6 Teen Boy Slippers - DONE
    7 Preteen Girl Slippers - DONE
    7 Preteen Boy Slippers - DONE
    7 Youth Boy Slippers - DONE
    7 Youth Boy Slippers - DONE
    7 Toddler Girl Slippers - DONE
    7 Toddler Boy Slippers - DONE
    6 Baby Booties (neutral colors) - DONE

120 Washcloths - DONE

PLEASE MAIL BY:  September 9, 2019

MAILING ADDRESS:
     Seekhaven
     Attn: Cheryl Zwahlen
     81 N. 300 East
     Moab, UT  84532

If you would like to make a pledge on this challenge, you may send it via email to: ThePinkSlipperProject (at) gmail (dot) com.  Please include your full name and city/state and category or categories and the amount of each you wish to pledge. If a size/gender category has already been filled, we will let you know and ask if there may be another size/gender that you would like to make and send.

Our challenges are also posted on our Facebook page and most pledges are made there. Please feel free to join our group there, too!

The PSP Team - Rachel, Lynne, Judy, Julia, Alinda, and Bonnie

A MESSAGE FROM OUR FOUNDER.........

From:   Joyce Palombo Lucas‎ to The Pink Slipper Project

"Happy 10th Anniversary Pink Slipper Project!

Good Morning Everyone!  My name is Joyce Lucas.  For those that don’t know me, I am the founder of The Pink Slipper Project.  This project is very near and dear to my heart.  At the time we started 10 years ago, I never could have imagined how much we would grow, and how many people we would reach.  Health circumstances did not allow me to continue this heartwarming endeavor; However, Rachel and Judy, two of my most avid supporters, stepped up and kept The Pink Slipper Project going.  As the PSP continued to grow, Rachel and Judy reached out to Jan, Lynn, Julia, Bonnie and Alinda to join the crew.  So before I go any further, I’d like to give a huge thank you to these generous ladies that have continued give of themselves, warming the hearts and toes of women and children in shelters across the nation.

I’d also like to thank all of the contributors that stepped up to meet each and every challenge over the years.  When these women are at their lowest, when they feel like no one understands what they are going through, you reached out with a thoughtful and useful gift.  Many of these women left their homes with just the clothing on their backs, and have nothing at all.  So, receiving a warm pair of slipper can mean the world to them.

Warmly wishing The Pink Slipper Slipper Project a HAPPY 10th ANNIVERSARY! ❤️"

TO OUR PSP FAMILY...........

Ten years ago, on August 18th, 2009, the Pink Slipper Project was born.

Over the last ten years, our membership has grown, our challenges have multiplied, and the generosity of our members continues to warm our hearts.  Over the next few weeks, we will share our history with you and share our hopes for the future.  We’ll introduce the behind-the-scenes people who keep The Pink Slipper Project going week after week.

The Pink Slipper Project Team

CHALLENGE #41 - 2019

BOLTON REFUGE HOUSE
Eau Claire, Wisconsin

***CHALLENGE COMPLETED***

In 1976 a group of women in the local community came up with an idea for a Women's Community Center. Before they opened their doors, the local police department contacted them and asked if they would provide shelter to a woman and her children who were fleeing a DV situation. As a result of that call, the Center was officially opened as "Refuge House." After moving to several different locations, they moved in 1987 to a larger location. On October 6, 1992, Robert Bolton, an Eau Claire police officer, was responding to a domestic abuse call at the shelter. Officer Bolton attempted to stop the suspect, who was getting into his car but was able to retrieve a firearm from his car and fatally shot Officer Bolton. Later that year, the shelter was renamed "Bolton Refuge House, Inc." in his honor.

For this shelter we are requesting the following:

SLIPPERS & WASHCLOTHS

  23 Women’s Small slippers - DONE

  24 Women’s Medium slippers - DONE
  23 Women’s Large slippers - DONE
  10 Teen boy slippers - DONE
  10 Preteen girl slippers - DONE
  10 Preteen boy slippers - DONE
  10 Youth girl slippers - DONE
  10 Youth boy slippers - DONE
  10 Toddler girl slippers - DONE
  10 Toddler boy slippers - DONE
    5 Baby girl booties - DONE
    5 Baby boy booties - DONE

150 Washcloths - DONE

PLEASE MAIL BY: September 3, 2019

MAILING ADDRESS:

Bolton Refuge House, Inc.
Attn: Pat Stein, Exec. Director
P.O. Box 482
Eau Claire, WI 54702

If you would like to make a pledge on this challenge, you may send it via email to: thepinkslipperproject (at) gmail (dot) com. Please include your full name and city/state and category or categories and the amount of each you wish to pledge. If a size/gender category has already been filled, we will let you know and ask if there may be another size/gender that you would like to make and send.
 
Our challenges are also posted on our Facebook page and most pledges are made there. Please feel free to join our group there, too!



 The PSP Team - Rachel, Lynne, Judy, Julia, Alinda, and Bonnie