Scraps of Compassion

Some time ago Charles and I were asked if we could donate some scraps of material to a group called Scraps and Prayers, they are a quilting group from Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Encinitas. We have always stuck those scraps in a tub or in the trash, never thinking that someone could use them to do good for others. Wave Shoppe Hawaiian Shirts believes in contributing to various charities and while we do a lot for others we can’t give every time we are asked so finding a way to get rid of our scraps and possibly do good was very exciting to us. We immediately jumped on board with this as well as asked our cutter to start saving our scraps and before you know it we had a really good size donation to give them. We had no idea how useful those scraps would turn out to be. Plus what could be better than going green for charity.

Several months later we were at our new store in Escondido when 3 of the ladies came to see us. They wanted to show us what they had been able to accomplish with our scraps and to say we were floored wouldn’t be an exaggeration. Those scraps of fabric were being put to great use. One of the things they did was to use the scraps to make quilts for the Wounded Warrior Battalion at Camp Pendleton. When a warrior comes there to recover they get a comfortable, colorful quilt to snuggle in and keep. I just know they must appreciate the fact that someone cared enough about them and the sacrifices they make to our country to make a quilt for them. The quilts are 60x80, cheerful and warm and fit their beds. Pictured above is just one of the surfboard quilts that will be given to a soldier.

They also used some of our fine prints to make quilts for those in their congregation who turn 100 years old imagine the glee of someone who reaches 100 years old and to celebrate that with their very own quilt is just wonderful.
 
They make Prayer Quits for members who are gravely ill and the thought that some of those scraps of material would be used to make a quilt that brings comfort to someone very ill gives us a very humbling feeling.
 

The ladies also brought us a hand made quilt which we will always value, but truth be told while we appreciate the gift just knowing what uses they had put those scraps to were enough to absolutely make our day. We believe that the quilt we are holding depicts every design and color we have ever donated to the scraps for prayers project.
 
Now when I mention sending Aloha around the world, they have certainly covered that too. Several quilts were made for the earthquake victims in Haiti and Chile. The thought that somewhere across the world a quilt is covering a child or adult who has lost everything they own and is suffering makes us feel all warm and fuzzy. It just goes to show what a huge difference a little bit of scraps can do when you have a group of good-hearted people doing positive things to help others.

Mahalo to the Bethlehem Lutheran Church Scraps & Prayers Group, we here at Wave Shoppe Hawaiian Shirts appreciate what you do for others in a big – big way!

If you have a comment, or your own story about going green for charity that you would like to share, please leave a comment and we will approve it. On-topic links within your comments are acceptable.

Summer Party Checklist, The

Summer is not that far off and honestly it can’t get here soon enough. I am the kind of guy who takes great pride in being overly prepared for just about anything life can throw at me. Especially when it comes to industrial strength parties or hula shows.

But recently it has become clear that I really am not as prepared as I could be. Why just the other day I went to heat up the grill and it would not light, its out of gas, no problem I said, I will just go grab the spare propane tank out of the shed. Now do you think there was propane in that tank? Hell no there wasn’t, apparently I was already using the “spare” tank and its empty too. Ever have that happen to you?

You can call me lazy, overworked, or whatever, but the real lesson here is that I need to start working on some sort of summer checklist. Now I must tell you right away that my summer checklist doesn’t remotely resemble the one my wife maintains for me. No sir, my wife's checklist is never ending and so long that it will most likely have to be transferred to some other sucker when I die. My summer checklist is all about partying, so I only care that the freezer is full of meats, grill is clean, gas is in the tanks, coolers are washed out, lawn chairs are dusted off etc. you get the picture.

But I admit that there are times when I am throwing a party and am not quite sure how to do something, and out of fear I dont want to ask my wife, luckily we have the Internet. But hopefully you are not too much of a slacker and you are a bit more prepared for summer, unlike myself. Speaking of prepared, we have even wrote a few articles about some of the common obstacles ourselves and guests have run into during the summer months and would like to share them with you. Below are some articles that you may enjoy, and in no particular order.

How to wear a Hawaiian shirt - Believe it or not most men don’t know how to dress for success, the Aloha way. Learn how us slackers master that.

What to wear in Hawaii - Its bad enough that some people don’t know how to dress on the islands, worse is that they go out in public like that.

Graduation Leis - Say what? Yes, it’s now a tradition, so get reading so you can keep up with the Joneses.

How to dress for a Luau - Whether you got a luau invitation in the mail or you are throwing one yourself, this is a must read.

How to decorate for a Luau - Lets assume no one in their right mind is going to invite you to a luau, and you now have no choice but to host your own. This is a real luau party story, wrote by a real person (it all ends well).