I know! It's been a long time since I've posted anything. Summer finally hit, and I have been non-stop! O.K. it's only been officially summer for one day, but I always need to get a head start.

We just volunteered to help tear down another "Just Between Friends" Sale. We got our largest donation, ever! It took three mini vans, an SUV, a Toyota pickup, and a flat bed truck we rented from Home Depot, to pick it all up. We didn't get home until after midnight last night. Thank you to all the wonderful people who donated their unsold items! And thank you to Tyona at "Just Between Friends," for continuously inviting our non-profit, "A Hope and A Future" to receive the donated items.

VBS started at 8:00 a.m. today. Plus, I've got my own "Secret Project" going on (... are you listening Ty?)I'll tell you more about it, as soon as I can. My husband has me on a "gag order" for right now.

My friend over at Triple the Blessings blogged about wanting a bike. She's got a link to an incredible bike from Madsen Cylces and they are having a contest in July! So stay tuned. I'll put a link on in July on how to possibly win one of their bikes! Heck, I'd like to win!

May Donation Station
Friday, May 1, 2009
11 am – 1:30 pm

We will hold Donation Station at: Five Mile Prairie Grange 3024 West Strong Road Spokane.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS TO FIVE MILE PRAIRIE GRANGE
Start out going WEST on WA-291/ W FRANCIS AVE. Turn RIGHT onto N MAPLE ST. Turn LEFT onto W FIVE MILE RD. Drive approximately 1.9 miles. Turn LEFT onto W STRONG RD. Five Mile Prairie Grange is the first bright yellow building on the right.
The Address is: Five Mile Prairie Grange, 3024 W Strong Rd, Spokane, WA 99208-4983 just in case you need to Mapquest it from your specific address.


We have our donations from the Just Between Friends sale in Spokane, and all I can say is – WOW! We received some really great items! And we have something very special planned for our May Donation Station. At the end of the sale, we were the lucky recipients of several larger items, and we have decided to make those our door prize items. Each family that attends Donation Station will receive one raffle ticket. You can then choose which item you want to try and take home. Put your ticket in that bucket, and at 1:30 we will draw our winners. You don’t need to be present to win – you’ll put your name and phone number on your ticket. We have a double stroller system, baby swing, Leap Frog Train, Crib w/mattress, changing table, bike and a few others in the raffle. So be sure to attend our May Donation Station! Every family that attends has a chance to win!

Just Between Friends is having another one of their great sales in North Idaho at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds on May 30-31. We will need volunteers to help us at the end of that event (tear down). We are the very lucky recipients of the donated clothing and children’s items that do not sell at the event. Please help us thank Just Between Friends by volunteering to work at the event. You can check them out and sign up to volunteer (make sure you note that you are volunteering on behalf of AHAF/Donation Station) by clicking on this link: http://nidaho.jbfsale.com/

Of course, we will also have our Gift in Kind items, and we have added a few more stores to our list, so we hope to have some really great items for you.

THANK YOU to all who volunteer to make Donation Station such a success!! Thank you so much for such great volunteers! We truly appreciate you.

We are always in need of volunteers to help us put out items and pack up at the end. We especially need volunteers from the 1 pm to 2:30 pm time frame. If you can come early to help set-up (between 9:30 and 10:45 am) or stay late to help tear down (between 1:30 and 2:30) it would be greatly appreciated. Please RSVP for volunteering to Dru Powers at dru.powers@juno.com. We certainly love and appreciate all our volunteers!! Remember, we have a potluck lunch for all our volunteers, and we also provide childcare to our volunteers. And we found out that the oven in the kitchen is not working, so please don’t bring anything for the potluck that would require oven use.

A Hope and a Future now has a blog! This will be a great place for you to get updates about what is going on with us – please come visit us and bookmark us! www.ahaf.blogspot.com

For security reasons and to uphold confidentially, The Donation Station is available solely to Foster and Adoptive families. Please only take items which may be used in your immediate family.

A Hope and A Future is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. We operate solely on donations and in-kind gifts from individuals, businesses, churches, & the surrounding communities. Donations are tax-deductible.

If you no longer wish to receive this e-mail, please respond to carla@ahopeandafuture.net.

We look forward to seeing you next Friday!

Donation Station Committee

North Idaho Spring Sales Event

North Idaho Spring Sales Event

May 30,31 2009

Kootenai County Fairgrounds

Sale Hours
Saturday 8am-4pm $2 admission
Sunday 8am-2pm FREE admission and
HALF PRICE SALE

Consignor and volunteer sign ups are 
NOW OPEN!

          Click here to upload our spring sales flyer

Click here to watch our feature story on
Good Morning America!

 Once you discover Just Between Friends, it will be an event you will never miss again! Idaho's best place to find the area's top quality clothing, cribs, strollers, swings, toys & more! Everything you need from maternity, babies and kids! Prices are 50%-90% off retail! What a great way to clean out your closets and earn money. One gigantic place to buy and sell --twice a year! 

CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTIONS
TO THE KOOTENAI COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS

Spokane Just Between Friends Spring 2009 Sale!

1Spokane's Largest Semi-Annual Children's Consignment Sales Event 

Just Between Friends

Spokane Spring Sales Event

April 17,18,19 2009

Spokane Fair & Expo Center

Sale Hours

Friday 9am-8pm $3 admission

Saturday 9am-4pm $3 admission

Sunday 8am-2pm FREE admission and HALF PRICE SALE

Consignor and Volunteer 

sign ups are NOW OPEN!

For complete information, go to their website: http://spokane.jbfsale.com/

April 2009 Families Served

I am having problems with the battery for my old MAC Powerbook, so I can't make this look right for a little while (until the new one comes.)

April 3, 2009 Donation Station
# Families Served: 37 (not too bad for Spring Break week)
# in Family's: 177
#Female Children: 55
# Male Children: 52

We also culled out all the older clothes and donated them to another non-profit organzation. We will receive new donations from the Just Between Friends Sale, held April 16, 17, 18th!
Great job everyone!

Number of Families served 2008/2009... so far!

I just got through crunching numbers from "A Hope and A Future's Donation Station." Guess what? We've had the opportunity to serve 1835 people involved in foster and adoptive care since our season began September 2008!


Whoo Hoo! No wonder we're tired!

UPDATE: The EMHE application has been sent!

Yesterday (March 10, 2009), I sent our application package off to ABC's Extreme Makeover Home Edition. It should arrive around 12:00 Noon today (originally, March 11, 209.)

I sent them:
- 4 mini DVD's full:
- Of our home
- A Hope and A Future's "Donation Station"
- Interview's with wonderful people that help support Donation Station
- Interview's with wonderful people that use Donation Station
- Interview with my beautiful 93-year old grandmother
- My interview

In addition I sent:
- Approximately 100 pictures
- The nearly 20 pages of application
- Oh, and a nice copy of our property via Google Earth (their newest was from 2003).

Boy I hope I got everything! I have fretted and fussed for over 4 weeks trying to coordinate everything. Gather the information. Wake up in the middle of the night, thinking of things I'd like to include, without telling them what to do. I have such complete confidence in this process. They are fully capable of asking us, if they need the information. The past 1-1/2 weeks was pretty intense!

It was hard work, but I am happy to do it. I was even happier to have it done. Now, I have to let it go. I still find myself, thinking of stuff I could have given them to make them want to PICK ME!

If we are chosen, at some point I won't be allowed to update this. It's against the rules, and makes it impossible to surprise you all. So don't expect that we can tell you "insider" information. If chosen, I'll be as quiet as a mouse.

What you can expect, if you know us, is that if we are chosen... just as soon as we are approved to, you'll be invited over to fully enjoy the blessing we will have been given. 

Update From US Post Office:
Label/Receipt Number: EB99 5241 560U S
Associated Label/Receipt:
Detailed Results:

Delivered, March 11, 2009, 3:23 pm, LOS ANGELES, CA 90038
Notice Left, March 11, 2009, 10:29 am, LOS ANGELES, CA 90038
Arrival at Pick-Up-Point, March 11, 2009, 10:25 am, LOS ANGELES, CA 90038
Arrival at Pick-Up-Point, March 11, 2009, 10:12 am, LOS ANGELES, CA 90038
Arrival at Unit, March 11, 2009, 7:18 am, LOS ANGELES, CA 90009
Processed, March 10, 2009, 5:10 pm, SPOKANE, WA 99224
Acceptance, March 10, 2009, 4:00 pm, SPOKANE, WA 99205

Extreme Makeover Home Edition!

I can't help thinking: Wouldn't it be awesome to have Ty Pennington, and The Design Team show up at my house yelling through a megaphone: “Good Morning, Grytdal Family! Glenn, Carla, Kolina, Parker, Ben and Molly! Wake up and come out here!” I can see myself and my family running out the front door, laughing, and crying. I’d hug each one of them. So glad to see them, so thankful they were here!

Every Sunday, for the past four years we’ve made sure we are ready precisely at 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Pacific Time) I sit in my chair, lately with a quilt on cause it’s so cold outside. Sometimes with a six year old on my lap, because he can sense that mom might need to snuggle one of her children before the show’s done.

I can remember the stage, where Ben wanted me to make his hair “spicey, just like Ty’s!” I can’t tell you how many time’s I’ve cried pools of tears because the families were so wonderful, and so deserving. I have cried because the house was so perfect for the site and so perfect for the family. I’ve cried because some child would have a better life, because if it.

I can envision us showing our 1067 square foot home to Ty. Telling him the problems with our house, and why it doesn’t work for us, any more. I’d tell him why my fourteen year old daughter has no place to go to read at night, because her three year old sister will wake up if she goes in their bedroom to read. They share a 10'X10' room. The same situation is true of my thirteen and six year old sons. The older two have both been known to go outside to our mini van to read in peace. That's a lot more comfortable in the summer than it is right now!

I’d show him our small kitchen, which isn't big enough for a dinner table. There isn't a dining room. I'd explain that I love to invite people over, but I haven't had a place to put them for many years. I'd explain that my youngest son has a food allergy, and that I cook most of our food at home, because it is healthier for all of us, and much better for him. I love to provide locally grown food for my family.

I’d show him the mold on the bathroom ceiling, because the fan can’t keep up with six people showering/bathing. I'd show him the second bath tub, which we can't use because it has a crack in the bottom, and we can't afford to remove and replace it. The bathroom is so small, we'd have to replace the tub/shower with a shower stall, only. It's been storage for our extra stuff for at least four years.

I’d show him the places in our kitchen and our living room where the decorative molding is separating from the wall/ceiling due to settling of our house. I'd show him the sink in the kitchen, and how the facing is separating from the wall. And I’d show him how the house is set up on cinder blocks for a foundation.

How there are no sidewalks and no mud room, and why that is a bad thing with four children.

I would tell him why we had to give up our Washington State Foster Care license last September after six years, because there wasn’t any more bedrooms to put foster children in. How two of our four children were adopted from the Child Welfare System, and why I am so proud of them.

The Design Team would each choose one of my children to “get to know them” so they can design the perfect room for them. How do they do that? They get it right every time!

I’d love to tell them about the non-profit organization: “A Hope and A Future” which I am the (volunteer) Executive Director of, and which helps foster and adoptive families. I am one of three founders of this organization.

Foster and Adoptive families are some of the most giving people in our society. They give their time. They give their money. They give their homes, wisdom, and families. And they give their hearts.

A Hope and A Future is the only service organization in our area, available to encourage and help retain the entire foster and adoptive family in a tangible way. We provide new and gently-used clothing and household goods. We serve an average of between 55 and 75 families each month (over 300 people.) And we serve the entire family (biological, adoptive and foster.)

Right now we don’t have a building, or office of our own. My living room and bedroom are the office and file room. A well-used laptop (Mac PowerBook G4) was donated to us, and it has been an magnificent help for the past two years. An incredible donation of a brand new printer last year, was so helpful. The Five-Mile Prairie Grange is very generously allowing us the use of their facilities. At this time, and for the past five years, we have needed to transport all of our donated goods by U-Haul; set up; host “Donation Station;” and then tear down; and transport back to our rented storage unit; and store. All within approximately six hours. It takes about 25-30 volunteers to host "Donation Station" each month, and we are getting tired.

We could set up our free “store” permanently. Organizing the clothing by size, on hanging racks. We've gathered hanging racks, over the past several years and they are on the North side of our shop. The household goods could be organized on display racks and tables. We'd love to be able to serve foster and adoptive families better and more often. We could help out on an emergency basis, when a child shows up at a foster home at 2:00 a.m. without any clothes. When the police close down the meth house they live in, all their clothes and toys have to be destroyed. Some times all they have is the blanket they were given after the hazardous incident “shower.” D.C.F.S. simply does not have the storage available to provide the necessary clothing for all the children they help. We could provide pajamas, a clean stuffed animal, a few toys, and clothing for the next day. And then they could come back and we could provide them with more! We can always use new and gently-used pajamas, diapers, and clothing of all sizes, for all ages.

We could add so many additional services to area foster and adoptive families, if we could just have a place where we can set up permanently. I envision a lounge area for foster and adoptive parents to enjoy while waiting for children to finish visitations, physical therapies, psychological therapies, etc. “Coffee, Tea, or Soda?” A safe comfortable place, with a play room, and reading room to enjoy with their other children, not participating in court ordered services. I have a dream of a professional choir made up of foster children. One that tours to places they can only dream of, in order to raise awareness of America’s invisible children, of all races/ethnicities. Also office space.

Sunday night is the only night that Ben is allowed to stay up past bedtime. He loves the show so much, how could we prevent him from seeing people gathering together from all over America, giving of their time. Giving of their money; giving because it is the right thing to do for others; giving because it is truly better than receiving. Brought together by the awesome personalities of Ty Pennington, Michael Maloney, Paige Hemmis, Ed Sanders, Paul DiMeo, Tracy Hutson, Tanya McQueen, Rib Hillis, John Littlefield, Didiayer Snyder, and Eduardo Xol.

Remember the episode where Ed Sanders got his hand severely injured by a saw while building a unique (and extremely beautiful) piece of furniture for the bedroom he was working on? It was miserable weather, and they were way behind. Everyone was so tired, and he made a mistake, and it hurt him, badly. I was truly worried about him, and was so glad when he recovered and was able to return to the show! I love his british accent, and how he pesters “Pauli” (Paul DeMeo.) And Pauli... he’s such a hoot! I love Paige Hemmis. She is so intelligent and talented, and is such an incredible role model for women. I would love it if my daughter’s would use their intelligence and learn to be handy, like that! And Michael Maloney... how can you not just fall in love with his perpetually cheery personality, and phenomenal smile?

We are always impressed with the "Green" builds. We love the idea of solar and wind power. My husband is particularly interested in that part of the show, since he is a Stationary Engineer and an HVAC Technician by trade.

He has the illustrious distinction of being Spokane County's budget cut, not just once... but twice! You know the drill. Last one hired; first one laid off. Now the wonderful news is that he has always been employed. We are a single income family, and I think he would work for a fast food restaurant, if he had too, in order to provide. But we have lost a lot of our personal income, to their budget cuts. 'Nuf said!

So what am I doing? Why, I’ll tell you! I am gathering together the information to send in to ABC. I am completing my application package (I'm making a list, and checking it twice!) And if you know my family, and you feel inspired to do so, I am providing you all the links to nominate our family. But only if you want to.

I long to hear the words: “Bus driver, move that bus!" and “Welcome home, Grytdal family, Welcome home!”

Extreme Makeover Home Edition Applications - Click here if you or someone you know can be helped by the Extreme Makeover Home Edition team. (Off KXLY’s website)

A Hope and A Future, Foster care and Adoption

I want to take a moment to tell you about a cause I believe in:

A Hope and A Future

My incredible husband and I were foster parents from September 2002 until September 2008. Two of our four children were placed into our home as foster children. We provided love, stability and practical care for them. We then chose to adopt them, as each of their individual cases eventually dictated and allowed. One of our children was placed into our home at three days old, and the other was placed at 3-months old.

The United States Foster care system is a cause that I believe is of vital importance; and one which needs a complete overhaul. Our current system is still not child protective. It is abuser/offender protective. I will share what I mean by that at a future date.

Foster care was our solution to the problem of placing disadvantaged children in orphanages. In the United States we place children into homes who have volunteered for this honor.

These homes are given a small reimbursement, to help compensate for the cost of housing and raising children that are not from their nuclear family. The average reimbursement for Washington State is still less than $400 per month, for food, clothing, electricity/heat, rent, diapers (if needed), etc. In addition foster children receive a one-time clothing voucher of $100. Now least you have additional information, such as law, what I am giving you is the factual reimbursement received by us for the past six years, with very little exception.

You'll notice that I use the term reimbursement. Foster parents in Washington State are not paid. Ever. They are reimbursed at less than 47% of the cost to raise one child per month. Each month 53% of the cost to raise these children are being absorbed by families who are not necessarily related to them. The majority of these families are lower middle-class families. Generally speaking, those of middle-class, and upper middle class do not typically choose to become foster parents.

Because this particular post is about A Hope and A Future, I don't want to continue to talk about the details of Foster care or adoption facts.

A Hope and A Future is a non-profit organization which helps licensed Foster and Adoptive families in Spokane and the surrounding areas. We started A Hope and A Future in order to help the families who choose to temporarily (or sometimes permanently) add these children into their homes. We seek donations of new and gently used clothing and household items for these families and distribute them to licensed Foster and Adoptive families via our once-per-month "Donation Station."

A Hope and A Future is also available to the families who adopt children, whether from the U.S. or world wide.

One of our largest community partners is Just Between Friends, in Spokane, WA and North Idaho. Your participation in one of the local JBF sales, helps A Hope and A Future.

If you want more information about A Hope and A Future, please feel free to reply to this post.

A Hope and A Future is a non-profit public charity 501(c)(3). We rely on the donations of businesses, churches and individuals in our community. Your donations are tax deductible.

GoodSearch-GoodShop for A Hope and A Future

Here's a new easy way to raise money for A Hope and A Future. Just start using Yahoo! powered GoodSearch.com as your search engine and they'll donate a penny to A Hope and A Future every time you do a search! In addition, do all of your shopping through their online shopping mall, GoodShop.com, where you can shop at more than 700 top online retailers and a percentage of your purchases will go to A Hope and a Future. You pay the same price as you normally would, but a donation goes to this wonderful cause that helps out foster and adoptive families... the entire family!

Here's the web site that will pre-select A Hope and A Future. Then you can make GoodSearch your homepage:

GoodSearch: http://www.goodsearch.com/?charityid=845670
GoodShop: http://www.goodshop.com/?charityid=845670

You can also read about GoodSearch in the NY Times, Oprah Magazine, CNN, ABC News and the Wall Street Journal.