The People You Don’t Have to Beg to Help

Every once in a while one of those wonderful people comes along and you don’t have to tell them what to do. Pam Hampton dropped past the Global Bag Project sewing room on a trip to Africa last April. She bought a bunch of african handbags for gifts to take home, left a donation, which our Kenya Coordinator, Mary Ogalo, applied toward a trip to Ngong Road, where she ordered metal product display shelves for our beautiful kanga–cloth African handbags.
When Pam returned to the States, she became a "friend" on the GBP Facebook page, and contacted Carla Boelkens, Stateside Director and made plans to hold a party, also arranging to take the leftover bags to the office of Medical Ambassadors, International for their weekly gathering and prayer time.
What a gal! We are deeply grateful for those people who step in and say, "Here’s what I can do."
- Carla Boelkens, Global Director of Global Bag Project

Other Things to Say Thank You About

• This last month, several donors contributed toward Mary Ogalo’s May salary. Thank you!*
• Mary Ogalo introduced the Women’s Cycle of Life training on Wednesday mornings in the sewing room
• Eight new sewing machines were purchased with gifts from a voluntourism group; sewing lessons have begun
• Carla’s trip to Kenya in April was fully funded thanks to generous donations from her family, friends and other faithful supporters.
• Help from friend, Cindy Judge, to start a church strategy marketing plan.
• To Linda Scharaga for pitching in to create our "bag tags" and pillow forms for some sample "pillow bags". She is a gem!
• To Cathie Clark, our retail consultant and order fulfillment gal brings us joy and laughter each time she comes into the office.
• Following her trip to Kenya, Pam Hampton hosted a home party that brought in over $800. Thank you, Pam! This allows us to order more bags from the sewing groups in Nairobi.
• The revamped Global Bag Project Web site downloads much faster than before.