Excellent meeting!!!!

Volunteer ALERT!!!! GREAT project next week!!!! The Community Action Program of Washington and Morgan Counties are sponsoring a Secret Santa program! The have a list of kids in these counties (ohio, near marietta) who are in need this Christmas. They provide us with a specific child's first name, age, their various sizes, and a list that THEY wrote out of things they'd like for Christmas. Last year there were 766 kids who signed up, and this year they still need sponsors for ~300 kids! Local Motives has decided to sponsor 3 kids, and now we need to know who wants to get together some toys for them! They recommend ~3 gifts/kid, so this is a SMALL gesture on our part that could have HUGE impact on Christmas Morning!!! We'll get the information about the kids soon, and then we'll schedule a trip to Toys R Us for a shopping spree! the gifts have to be turned in by next friday, 12/10, so perhaps the shopping trip can be thursday, 12/9. Let me know BY THE END OF TODAY if you want to buy toys! Steve is also asking if they need help wrapping or sorting gifts, so keep your eyes open for more word on that!

Also, we're helping out the salvation army! you've always wanted to be one of those cool bell ringers, haven't you! well, Monday, December 13th from 5-8 pm is your chance! Please, let me know if you're interested by thursday, december 9. We'll have one station, somewhere in parkersburg, and will staff it with pairs of volunteers, so you'll have company. the more people that sign up, the shorter each shift will be. we need at least 6 people, so please help!

In past news, we survived our first adopt a highway cleanup! Steve, Brian, Scott, and Chris gathered 20 bags of trash in 3 1/2 hours on Sunday, november 21. we managed to make a HUGE difference in how our 2 miles looked! unfortunately, the effort was exhausting and we've decided that in future clean ups we NEED at least twice as many people to do the job more comfortably. Next time you see this scheduled, please try to come out! with the right amount of help, this can be a fun job!

And finally, the book thing was a HUGE success! approximately 150 kids came and took home nearly 600 books! they also enjoyed newspaper hats, decorating and laminating their own bookmarkers, face painting, having their picture taken by a cartoonist, pb&j for lunch, and more! some of you may have seen us on the news, sporting our cool tshirts, complete with the Local Motives name on the back!! but best of all, we have a standing invitation to be the official newspaper hat makers of all future events! Thanks to shawn, colleen, and chris for coming out!

that's it! let me know who wants to be a Secret Santa!