IP Coins 4 Kids: February 2014

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Lauren Bush Lauren Event in Memphis, TN

Thursday, March 6, 2014 10 am – Doors will open at 9:30

Memphis Botanic Garden 750 Cherry Road

http://events.SignUp4.com/DecadeofDedication

Admission is complimentary.

Lauren is the Co-Founder and CEO of FEED Projects, a company with the simple mission of creating good products that help FEED the world. Lauren began working with the UN World Food Programme in 2004 as a Student Ambassador and began FEED Projects in 2007. Working with major retailers and others, FEED has contributed enough funding to feed over 75 million meals to hungry children around the world. For her work with FEED, Lauren was named one of Fortune Magazine’s Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs in 2009 and one of Inc. Magazine’s 30 Under 30 in 2010.

Like Lauren, Coins 4 Kids supporters are passionate about fighting hunger and malnutrition. While FEED’s contributions are delivered in many countries, Coins 4 Kids focuses on schoolchildren in Nairobi, Kenya. Coins 4 Kids supporters collect bills and change in red collection cups, modeled after the red cups that WFP fills with nutritious food for children each day in school. When filled with change, these cups can hold enough money to feed two children for an entire school year. Over the years, International Paper has expanded fundraising efforts to include a targeted campaign each April called Spring 4 Kids. Spring 4 Kids activities feature basket sweepstakes, a bake sale, Jeans Day for International Paper employees and an online auction featuring objects from local shops and artisans, gifts from around the world and hotel and travel packages

Please plan to join International Paper and Coins 4 Kids Supporters as we celebrate a Decade of Dedication with Lauren Bush Lauren of FEED Projects during a morning that will engage and inspire.

The link can be forwarded if you would like to invite others.

By Nancy Foy

Monday, February 24, 2014

Kids Helping Kids Day Of service

Unfortunately, it is not only in Africa that kids do not get enough food. Here in our community, there are some families who cannot afford to feed their children in a way they deserve. What's more, it is often not only kids who are hungry. This is why, as part of Spring 4 Kids, the Kids Helping Kids team has organized a "Day of Service" at the Mid-South Food Bank.

Our young volunteers, children of IP employee families, will help inspect, sort and package food at the Food Bank's receiving warehouse on Saturday, March 22nd, from 9 am to 12 pm. We are limited to 20 volunteers, and children must be at least 10 years old to participate. We thought it was a great way for kids to help the hungry in our local community.

International Paper's Own Stained Glass Artisan Has a Passion for Coins 4 Kids

If you have been an active bidder in the Spring 4 Kids online auction, you have seen this man's work and marveled at its beauty. If you haven't participated in our auction yet, you must be sure to take an extra look at the Art category this year and remember this name, Russell Galli.

Who is Russ?
Russ has been working for IP for the past 34 years. He began his career in the Franklin, VA paper mill and has worked in four other mills, Corporate Technology and Corporate Supply Chain.

What many of you may not know is that Russ is a talented stained glass artisan who has been donating beautiful pieces to the Spring 4 Kids online auction for the past five years. He started working with stained glass as a hobby, almost 30 years ago, and has evolved his craft through the years. Russ likes to challenge himself with more difficult work and has created more than 4000 stained glass pieces! Many of the pieces are given to family and friends as gifts, and the remainder is donated to charity. Russ has a real passion for charity work and says that "donating to charities fulfills my desire to leave this world a better place."

How does he do it?
Russ works out of his home where he has converted space into a stained glass studio and a metal and woodworking shop. The studio contains hundreds of stained glass sheets, a cutting table and a grinding table. A large lightbox is used for tracing, color matching and precise shaping. Every stained glass piece begins with a paper pattern cut into individual pieces and takes about 20 different steps to complete. Russ' wife, Tina, assists with some of the steps in making the items.

A Passion for Coins 4 Kids
The Coins 4 Kids online auction has inspired Russ to learn a new technique every year. He tries to donate something new and different for each auction. While he used to donate his work to other charities, now he donates only to Coins 4 Kids. According to Russ, "IP's signature charity is so well managed, and all the proceeds go to the kids. This compels me to dedicate my time and resources to help make a difference in the lives of as many school kids as I can."

In talking to Russ about his life and his artwork, it's clear he has a passion for producing beautiful and precise pieces, as well as a passion for helping others in need. I can't wait to see what Russ creates for this year's auction!

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Coins 4 Kids is in the News!

Check it out! Coins 4 Kids made the Commercial Appeal! Available today, February 23!! SO exciting! Go to page 3 of the Memphis & Region section.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Wow! How Far We've Come!

It is has been amazing to watch how the Coins 4 Kids program and the Spring 4 Kids event activities have grown over the past few years. I am so lucky to be a part of a very special group of people who believe deeply in this program and are willing to work hard to raise as much money as we can to feed more children in Nairobi.

Lately, I found myself thinking a lot about the evolution of Spring 4 Kids. What began as a live and silent auction event (with a raffle of wonderful employee-created baskets), has become an online auction with hundreds of auction items from around the globe. Not only does Spring 4 Kids raise funds through the online auction, it involves fundraising through a basket raffle, jeans day ticket sales and a delicious bake sale held during our annual Lunch on the Lawn event, held at the IP global headquarters in Memphis, TN. The formerly one day event has become a weeklong fundraising effort that includes IP spouses from around the world, working together to feed as many children as possible.

When the auction first went online, I had the pleasure of working with a good friend, Jana Cleves, as co-auction chairs. Moving from a live event to an online event was a big step for us. However, we believed that we had a great opportunity to reach more people from around IP and outside of IP if we used the online platform. We had seen many other organizations like ours using online auctions and having success with them. We realized that more people viewing our items meant more people bidding on our items.

Our solicitation team worked hard from September to February to secure fun and interesting items for the auction. We were excited to include unique experience items (like 'Shadow Chairman John Faraci for a day') that are still popular auction items today. We wanted to include a variety of items at many different price levels, so we could appeal to a broad group.

Working together with Sara Whitaker, our IP Communications liaison, we researched and secured an excellent online auction company, Bidding For Good. Data entry of our auction items went smoothly and our fantastic photographer, Stacey Royalty, made our items look great online. Our auction ran smoothly and raised over $30,000 to feed hungry children. It was a great success due to the team effort and participation by IP families!

What is particularly striking about our efforts is that they are almost entirely IP spouse led. With continued support from the IP Foundation and Communications Dept., this event has been allowed to evolve, grow and improve every year. In 2013, the Spring 4 Kids online auction raised over $150,000! That is simply amazing.

I know Jana and I are so proud of how far Spring 4 Kids has come and we wish this year's team continued success!

Chris

The Adventures of Rita and Caroline

What do you get when two lovely ladies hit the businesses of Memphis looking for donations for Coins4Kids? Answer: Lots and lots of donations and a few heart-warming stories.

International Paper spouses Rita Kiser and Caroline Cuevas support Coins4Kids by generously giving their time to solicit items for the annual auction. Along the way they’ve had the privilege of meeting many generous individuals who are happy to support such a great cause.

Recently, Rita and Caroline stopped by a nail salon and were pleasantly surprised not only about the donation they received (two $50 gift cards) but also by the many thanks they received from the owners. The owners of the business went on to tell them that every morning they pray about how they can help the world become a better place and how grateful they were that Rita and Caroline stopped in to ask for the donation.

The effort of Rita and Caroline and the generosity of the nail salon owners are the perfect combination needed to feed the children in Nairobi. And that’s what it’s all about.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Kids Helping Kids Art Contest Theme is "Infinite Possibilities!

Kids Helping Kids Art Contest: Infinite Possibilities!
Calling all IP kids and teens across the company to help with the “Coins 4 Kids” effort!

We want to show off your child’s artistic talents in the 2014 “Kids Helping Kids” art contest! Click here to find the forms for the art contest both in Memphis and outside of Memphis.

This year’s theme is “Kids Helping Kids; Infinite Possibilities” -- dedicated to showing how limitless the ways are in which kids can help others and make their own impact on the world.

At International Paper, we all understand that in an increasingly interconnected world, it takes a team effort to help each other succeed and sustain a great quality of life.

How can we give back to our community? What is important to you? How do you help others succeed? We want to encourage your children to use their creativity and imagination to share their perspective with the rest of the world.

Final round first place winning pieces will be mounted and framed for inclusion in the 2014 “Coins 4 Kids” on-line auction from April 7-12 to help raise funds for the Coins 4 Kids school-feeding program,an IP signature giving program.

Find the official entry forms and contest details in the “Kids Helping Kids” flyer available in Memphis area break rooms or by contacting your facility’s Coins 4 Kids Champion.

The deadline for submitted artwork is this coming Monday, March 3. Again, get your kids and teens involved with their awesome artistic abilities over the weekend and send in on Monday.

For more information, please contact Chandra Towler.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Making a Difference

When I moved to the United States in 2004, I remember how amazed I was with the people getting personally involved in helping others. This was new to me.

I had been to Africa many times in the past. I had seen firsthand the difficulties there!

At the end of the same year that I moved here, I was asked to join this new project to feed children in Kenya when they attend school. It just made sense to me to get involved.

It has been very enriching, and looking back I feel so proud to be part of this wonderful cause that keeps growing every year.

Each time I wonder how will it be possible to make it bigger? And each time all these great IP people come up with new ideas.

We are making a difference in the lives of these children!

Isa is an IP spouse, living in Brussels, Belgium.

Auction Item - Flemings

We're so excited about the upcoming Spring For Kids auction in April! As a preview of what's going to be available, we'll be sharing some information about items on this blog

Who doesn't enjoy an evening out for dinner? And who doesn't enjoy Fleming's Steakhouse & Wine Bar? It's the perfect spot for getting together with friends, a special family dinner, or a romantic dinner with someone special.

So for those of you living in the Memphis area, I want to tell you about a great item that will be available on the Spring For Kids online auction!

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar has generously donated a dinner for 6 to Coins For Kids. The menu will include everything from an appetizer, salad, side dishes, main course, and dessert. How awesome is that?

This is a great opportunity and would be a wonderful evening. So get ready to bid!

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