It's hard to believe we've delivered over 100 Sunshine Boxes so far in 2011 (324 total since Aug of '09).  This has been a busy year.  I wish we could go out of "business" and nobody needed chemo, but since they do, I'm glad we are able to be there for them and hopefully bring a little sunshine and hope to them as we visit and share their gifts with them.

We have several events coming up in September - craft party and prayer/Bible Study - and October, Yard sale - and December, Project Elf.  More about those things under our Events tab.

I'll be talking about the project to a senior adult Sunday School class at Hickory Grove Baptist Church on the 21st.  Theyve donated before and want to learn more about what we do.  I'm not a public speaker, but am looking forward to presenting our project to them.

Remember to pray for patients and their family members.  Please especially pray for the Noreau family right now as Bryan, a brain cancer fighter, has been moved to hospice.

Thank you.

Sharon

We got our 501(c)(3) designation!!!! WOOOHOOO!!!!  This means that any donors will be able to get a tax break.  It was a long process, but worth the wait!

We have delivered a total of 326 Sunshine Boxes as of today.  Wow.  I never imagined when we first started this project that so many would become involved and we'd do so many deliveries.  As far as I know, we have not missed a single patient!!!!  Another thing I never imagined is how much of a blessing it would be to ME to GIVE the sunshine boxes away.  It's true ... it is more blessed to give than receive.  It has really touched my heart and I think helped in my own healing process.

Speaking of which ... my last CT scan two weeks ago showed that I am again in NERD status -- lol -- No Evidence of Recurring Disease.  NO CANCER.  Zip.  Zilch.  Nada.  And I'm staying on the plant-based died to keep it that way!!

I will be updating more frequently now that I am done treatment.  Thanks for following us here and on facebook.

Sharon

I'm so sorry for falling behind in the blog again.  We have had some very busy months!  We have delivered a total of 219 Sunshine Boxes!  We had eleven just last week!  But this week ... none.  Weird how that happens.

We have submitted our 501(c)(3) paperwork and are hoping to get a determination on that application soon.  When we get it, people who donate will be able to get a tax break, just as they would if donating to a church or the Red Cross or any other 501(c)(3) organization.  It has been a real blessing though to see how many donations have come in, even when people know they won't get a tax break.  We have seen more cash than items come in lately, but still occasionally I'll come home and find a surprise box on my carport full of items someone is donating for the project.

We have also been blessed with a group of 8-10 faithful women who meet every month at my mother's house to wrap the gifts to go into the boxes.  Juanita Jacobsen is the "ringleader" who makes the calls and gets the folks there.  I appreciate their efforts more than I can say.  There is no possible way I could wrap all the gifts that we've needed lately.  Each sunshine box takes about 1 to 1.5 hours to complete, so do the math ... 11 last week, I would have had to "find" 15 or more hours to wrap gifts.  Working full time ... almost impossible.

Our facebook group is up to 350 members now.  Many of our recipients have joined our FB group and keep in touch.  I also get a lot of phone calls, which I love, from recipients thanking us for the boxes.  This happens more often when they get their Sunshine Box from someone other than me.  My parents have been delivering a lot of them lately.

A bit of disappointing news.  I learned about 2 weeks ago that I am no longer in remission.  I have cancer in my spleen and the duct between my spleen and my pancreas.  I have surgery 12/15 to remove the spleen and about 5 percent of my pancreas.  I'll only be in the hospital 2-3 days, then home and recuperating for a month before I'll be allowed back to work, or to drive.  Then a little chemo.  Nothing like last time.  I'll be "back in business" before you know it!  Still, I would appreciate your prayers on my behalf.  Thank you.

Well, that's about it for now.  I will do my best to post more often, at least monthly.  Thanks for hanging in there with me.

Hugs,
Sharon

I can't believe I've missed a whole month without updating the blog!  We're up to # 112 in our deliveries of Sunshine Boxes.  Things have slowed down a little from how they were in February and March, thank goodness. 

On a sad note, another one of our Sunshine Box recipients passed away last weekend.  It always tears at my heart when I hear the news that this horrible disease has taken someone else.  It also makes me more grateful that I have been spared, and more determined to continue doing what I can to help others navigate their way through treatment.

I had a surprise email from another radio station this morning (Charlotte's News Talk 1110 WBT, 1110 AM and 99.3 FM).  Someone nominated me as a Hometown Hero, and they chose me as this week's spotlighted "hero" and will air a blurb about me and the Sunshine Box project this Friday at 8:25.  I'm looking forward to hearing what they say, since this one came out of the blue and I wasn't expecting it at all.

Please continue to pray for this project.  We will be submitting our paperwork to get our 501(C)(3) status (tax exempt, able to give tax break for donations) in early August.  Also, we had a good steady stream of donations for a while, but things have slowed down in that area, although we do have enough for probably another 10 - 12 sunshine boxes.  It always seems that just when I'm about to figure we can't do any more, a box will arrive in the mail and keep us going.  I know that as long as we're supposed to be doing this, that will keep happening :-)

Thanks for stopping by.  Sometimes I wonder if anyone reads these ... please drop me an email and let me know if you do. 

We had a person reschedule to start treatment today, so I was back over at the hospital during lunch break again.  S. was a beautiful young woman who just radiated peace and joy.  She was there with her mother and a friend.  I could tell she was uncomfortable, in pain, but she was still smiling.  She really liked the sunshine box, and opened her blanket, which as one of the hand-made quilted blankets a lady at Church of the Open Door in Westmintser, Maryland, had made for us.  S. wrapped right up in it.  I told her that I had been and would continue to be praying for her, and she thanked me and started crying, which made her mom cry, which made me cry ... but they were happy tears.  God is able to heal!!

On the way out, I heard someone calling and looked around but didn't see anyone I knew and I wasn't sure if they were calling me or a nurse, but a woman caught my attention and called me over.  R. was there with her husband.  She's being treated for ovarian cancer and just got back some bad lab results, but she told me she is trusting God for healing and we started talking about how He is able, and how He can use us to encourage others.  We exchanged phone numbers.  She never got a sunshine box because she's been in treatment since before we started last August (she started in June).  But she's very interested in the ministry and may end up being involved with Fighting Cancer and the Sunshine Box project.

It was such a sweet visit, with both of them, and I left the hospital reminded why I do this.  I admit, it is a lot of work, and I don't hear from very many of the recipients, but I know what we are doing helps them and makes that first day of chemo a little brighter.  Today's visits were a real "shot in the arm" in encouraging me to keep doing this.

Thanks for stopping by!  Drop me a note if you have time.

Sharon