~Upcoming Events~

2011 HOLIDAY CHEER!!

Love, Olivia in conjunction with the MOMS Club of Rocklin - South are coordinating efforts to provide special needs families and underprivileged children with holiday cheer!!

The following are ways to support the children and their families this holiday season. Please see attachments for further details:

Happy Holidays!!

Kaiser Permanente KidsFest

Sunday, September 11, 2011 - KidsFest!!

The annual Kaiser Permanente KidsFest will be held this Sunday from 12-4pm at the Whitney Ranch Park in Rocklin. The event is FREE!! The KidsFest will have many vendors, entertainment, and children's activities. For further details, please visit the web site at www.kidsfestnorcal.com. Pack up the kids and join Love, Olivia for free fun in the sun, games, and good times!! We look forward to seeing you this weekend!!

Greetings!

We are very happy to announce the 2nd annual Love, Olivia Golf Tournament!!

This year's Love, Olivia Golf Tournament will be held at 7:30am, Saturday, June 18th, at the Teal Bend Golf Club. The event will include 18 holes of golf, a luncheon, and a raffle. The proceeds of the golf tournament will benefit special needs families through the *Love, Olivia non-profit organization (501(c)3).

Don't golf??? Come join us for lunch!! If you don't golf, but enjoy great food and company, Teal Bend will offer a catered lunch immediately following golf (12:00pm). Additionally, there will be an opportunity for you to participate in the Love, Olivia raffle. (Details of the raffle prizes will be sent out separately).

Attached here is the Love, Olivia Golf Tournament REGISTRATION FORM with all the pertinent details of the golf tournament. Please note the following:

  •   The form can be used for golf and/or luncheon registration and/or to purchase raffle tickets.
  •   The form and the donations can be submitted electronically or through the mail (see form for further details).
  •   If you know a company, colleague, friend, etc. who wants to sponsor a hole, the form contains the applicable information. All sponsors will have their name acknowledged at the golf tournament and be added to Love, Olivia "Sponsors" page of the web site.
  •   Deadline to register is May 30th.
  •   PLEASE FEEL FREE TO FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO FRIENDS, FAMILY, CO-WORKERS, ETC.

As always, thank you for your continued support with our efforts to make a difference!!

Sincerely,

Karen Pabst Thernka

*Love, Olivia is a non-profit Social Entrepreneurship designed to fill a current void in our community supporting special needs children. Since our start-up date, June 1, 2009, we have worked with other charitable organizations (Easter Seals, Alta Regional Center) to provide clothing, food, toys, books, funding, and educational assistance to many special needs families. In conjunction with Michelle Chunn, the Moms Club of Rocklin, and much community support, we provided 150 children with X-mas presents in 2010. Further, we provided several families with Holiday Cheer Baskets (X-mas gifts, grocery store certificates, gas gift certificates, Starbucks coffee, and clothing). For Mothers Day 2010, we partnered with Candids by Coree to provide special needs moms with family portraits and will do so again in 2011 . THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO HELPED US ACHIEVE THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS!!


!!!  X~Mas is Just Around the Corner  !!!

Love, Olivia in conjunction with Easter Seals, the MOMS Club of Rocklin, Mustard Seed School, and other organizations are coordinating efforts to provide special needs families and underprivileged children with holiday cheer!! We are excited to be working with these organizations and wonderful volunteers to make a difference in our community this holiday season.

The following are ways to support the children and their families this holiday season. Please see attachments below for further details:

  •   Love, Olivia – Holiday Cheer Gift Baskets
    Love, Olivia’s holiday goal is to provide 4 special needs families with Love, Olivia Holiday Cheer Gift Baskets. Each basket will contain a $100 grocery certificate, $25 gas gift card, toys and clothing for each child. If you are interested in providing certificates, gift cards, toys, etc., please contact Love, Olivia directly at 916-752-8192 or send a mail message to loveoliviacharity@yahoo.com.


    • AND/OR

  •   Join the Fun at the Rocklin MOMS Club Annual Boutique!!
    The Rocklin MOMS Club is hosting their annual Boutique on Tuesday, November 9th, from 5pm – 9pm at the The First Baptist Church of Rocklin (located at 5425 Coronado Way, Rocklin). All vendors are donating a percentage of their boutique sales to support families in need during the holidays. These families are suffering from economical hardships and/or extreme medical expenses. One of the families benefiting from the 2010 boutique will be a special needs family affiliated with Love, Olivia and Easter Seals. The proceeds that are raised will go towards a Christmas meal, tree, gifts, etc.


    • AND/OR

  •   Love, Olivia – Christmas Wish Tree
    The Rocklin MOMS Club boutique will have a Christmas tree on display containing ornaments that reflect Christmas wishes of special needs children and underprivileged children. These children have illnesses and disabilities such as Leukemia, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, etc. Unfortunately, their family's Christmas celebrations will be scaled back due to the economy and other factors. You can help by taking an ornament and purchasing the gift as noted (specific information will be included on the tag).

CLICK HERE for more info on the 2010 MOMS Club Boutique.

CLICK HERE for more info on the Holiday Gift Baskets and Christmas Wish Trees.

If you cannot attend the boutique and would like to receive an ornament and/or contribute to a Love, Olivia Holiday Cheer Basket, please feel free to respond to this message or call 916-752-8192.

Happy holidays!!!


MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!

On Tuesday, November 9th, the MOMS Club of Rocklin will be hosting their annual Christmas Boutique!!

What Makes This Boutique Unique From Other Boutiques??
All of vendors participating in the MOM's Club of Rocklin Boutique have agreed to donate a percentage of their boutique sales to support families in need during the holidays. These families are suffering from economical hardships and/or extreme medical expenses. One of the families benefiting from the 2010 boutique will be a special needs family affiliated with Love, Olivia. The proceeds that are raised will go towards a Christmas meal, tree, gifts, etc.

Additionally, the boutique will have a Christmas tree containing ornaments that display Christmas wishes of special needs children and underprivileged children. These children have illnesses and disabilities such as Leukemia, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, etc. Unfortunately, their family's Christmas celebrations will be scaled back due to the economy and other factors. In addition to the Christmas tree, Love, Olivia will use its boutique proceeds to further assist special needs families with grocery gift cards, toys and clothing through its Holiday Cheer basket campaign.

This is an annual boutique that includes a variety of vendors including Cookie Lee, Silpada Designs, Discovery Toys, Candids by Coree and much more!! This year, a special guest will be present... Mr. Marc Schmatjen, children's book Author of "My Giraffe Makes Me Laugh". He along with his wife Sandy (former MOMS Club member and Boutique organizer) will have a table of their own, selling and signing his books! This is an amazing addition to the Boutique!

Please grab friends and family for a night of shopping and giving!! Please see the attached flyers for boutique details.

CLICK HERE for info on the 2010 MOMS Club Boutique.pdf.

CLICK HERE for info on the 2010 MOMS Club Boutique Book Signing.pdf.

We look look forward to seeing you!!


YARD SALE!!!

Love, Olivia is hosting a yard sale on Saturday, October 2, 2010, from 7:30am - 12:30pm. The yard sale is taking place at 2303 Heron Ct, Rocklin. Proceeds from the sale will support the holiday drive to provide food, clothing, toys, etc. to special needs children and their families. As always, thank you for supporting our efforts to make a difference!! See attachment for further details.

CLICK HERE for Yard Sale Info.


What's New?

Golf Tournament Raffle - September 25, 2010 - YOU DON'T NEED TO BE PRESENT TO WIN!!

We have received many gracious donations from local vendors and private donors for our upcoming golf tournament raffle. The attachment is an updated list of raffle prizes. If you are interested in purchasing raffle tickets, please send a mail message to loveoliviacharity@yahoo.com with the quantity.

CLICK HERE for the Raffle Prize List.pdf

  •   Raffle tickets are $1 each or 15 tickets for $10. Tickets can be purchased on-line via the Love, Olivia web site or sending a check made payable to Love, Olivia (please use the attached registration form to order raffle tickets).


  •   The deadline to purchase raffle ticket is 6pm, Friday, September 24, 2010.


    • Love, Olivia Golf Tournament!! - SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25TH

    There are still spaces available for the first Love, Olivia Golf Tournament!! We are happy to advise the golf fees have been reduced to $95!

    The Love, Olivia Golf Tournament will be held at 7:30am, Saturday, September 25th at the Teal Bend Golf Club. The event will include 18 holes of golf, a luncheon, and a raffle. The proceeds of the golf tournament will benefit special needs families through the Love, Olivia non-profit organization.

    Don't golf??? Participate in the raffle and/or come join us for lunch!! If you don't golf, but enjoy great food and company, Teal Bend will offer a catered lunch following golf (11:30am).

    Attached is the registration form with all the pertinent details of the golf tournament. Please note the following:

    •   The form can be used for golf and/or lunch registration and to order raffle tickets.


    •   The form and the donations can be submitted electronically or through the mail.

    •   If you know a company, colleague, friend, etc. who wants to sponsor a hole, the form contains the applicable information. All sponsors will have their name acknowledged at the golf tournament and be added to Love, Olivia "Sponsors" page of the web site.
    •   Deadline to register is September 8, 2010.


    •   PLEASE FEEL FREE TO FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO FRIENDS, FAMILY, CO-WORKERS, ETC./li>

    As always, thank you for your continued support with our efforts to make a difference!!

    Sincerely,

    Karen Pabst Thernka

    Love, Olivia Gifts of Love for Special Needs Families
    www.LOVEOLIVIA.org
    Phone - 916-752-8192

    ~Past Events~

    Our First Fundraiser...SUCCESS!!

    On Saturday, August 29th, we launched our first ever fundraiser with the help of several close friends. The fundraiser exceeded our expectations!! Between the tremendous efforts of the raffle ticket sales and extremely generous donations, we raised $2300!! Additionally, we received 3 BIG bags of clothing for special needs families. We were just absolutely blown away with the amount of donations received at the first fundraiser. Every time that I think about it, like now, tears of JOY AND APPRECIATION stream down my face. We are very grateful for all of the support, generous donations, and the extremely kind words of encouragement. We are so very blessed to be connected to great friends, family, and the wonderful community!

    Following the fundraiser, gifts of clothing, toys, and donation checks were distributed to 2 families. The families stories are posted on the Families Page of this web site.


    Denio’s Farmers Market…Not Quite the Venue to Sell Children’s Apparel

    At 5:15am on Saturday, September 12, 2009, we left our house with 2 truck loads of children’s apparel, toys, and books. After the trucks were unloaded, we set-up our booth and prepared for “business”.

    It was a LONG MORNING until about 9ish - and then we sold a pair of shoes! “Woo-hoo” we shouted!! Throughout the day, we sold various clothing and toys. It wasn’t a significant impact, but every little bit helps especially given the fact that for each item sold, we are donating an item to a special needs family.

    As I was sitting there, I was watching people purchase tools, antiques, and fruit. It dawned on me that folks really don’t go to Denio’s seeking out children’s apparel. It may have not been a great selling outcome, but we handed out several Love, Olivia flyers that explained the mission and vision of the company. I feel we made connections with several visitors. I am hopeful that they will further explore the web site and this blog.


    Perfect Day for a Yard Sale!!

    On Saturday, October 10th, “rise and shine” came at 4:30am. We all agreed that we needed to get an early start in preparation for the 7:00am yard sale. The air was VERY crisp, but with hot Starbucks coffees in hand we were able to stay warm and be somewhat functional. With TREMENDOUS EFFORTS of our friends, we were ready for business right at 7am.

    Sharply at 7am, we had our first customer! A quick looker on a mission for certain books. Unfortunately, we didn’t have it in stock at this sale. Rats! Then, minutes of silence – I think we could hear the crickets. I had a flashback to the silence at Denio’s and I started to panic. “Would this be a total flop? Would people stop by?” It must have been the “calm before the storm”, as minutes after these thoughts swirled through my head…

    The crowds appeared!! We had a steady stream of people for almost 3 hours. Even people driving a moving van came to the yard sale, snatching up “big ticket items” left and right. By 11:00am, we were completed depleted of strollers, exersaucers, and many toys. By the time we wrapped up (2:00ish), we were blown away…

    to realize that we raised $706.00!! We had a target of $350 - $400. We completely exceeded the expectations of the yard sale!! We were absolutely thrilled with the outcome!!

    Not only was the yard sale a success, but we met several amazing special needs parents. These parents shared very sensitive, personal, and emotional stories with us. We felt a very special connection to each of these parents and hope to have future correspondence with them.

    Additionally, we made a concerted effort to further raise awareness in our community. We provided flyers, web site details, and shared our own personal experiences and inspirations. We were encouraged to hear that many people were interested in making a difference including supporting Love, Olivia efforts during the holidays.

    We are happy to advise that half of the yard sale proceeds will go directly to Malaysia Miller’s family (Malaysia’s inspirational story and picture are located on the Family Page). The other half will go directly into the Love, Olivia charity to support other special needs families.


    November 2009

    The month of November was extremely busy for Love, Olivia. We held fundraising events at 3 different venues as well as continued to campaign for the Christmas Ornaments and Holiday Cheer Baskets. The following is a summary of November’s activity

    Tuesday, November 10, 2009 – Rocklin MOM’S Christmas Boutique - The boutique was hopping!! There was lots of foot traffic and huge hearts!! We sold clothing and accessories to further benefit special needs families. However, our efforts were focused on distributing the ornaments on the Christmas tree.

    The boutique Christmas tree contained 60 ornaments representing the Christmas wishes of children with cancer and other severe illnesses and disabilities. Love, Olivia coordinated obtaining the children’s wishes with Easter Seals, Placer County of Ed, an Alta Regional Occupational Therapist, and Michelle Chunn heading up the “Adopt a Cancer Child for Christmas Program”. We are happy to say all the ornaments were taken either at the boutique or soon thereafter!! Meaning that all 60 children will receive their Christmas wish!! The Christmas presents are currently being received and distributed to these children.

    Friday, November 13, 2009 – WarmLine Family Resource Center – We held a holiday sale for special needs families at WarmLine in Roseville. It wasn’t a big selling day for Love, Olivia, but we made a connection with a special parent who was very supportive of the Love, Olivia efforts. We hope that we can provide further services and support to families through WarmLine.

    Saturday, November 21, 2009 – Easter Seals – Easter Seals was extremely accommodating by offering Love, Olivia to utilize its training facility for a Saturday sale. We arrived bright and early. It was a spacious facility - lots of room to display Love, Olivia clothing, toys, shoes, books, etc.

    We sold mostly clothes, but we made further connections in our community. Additionally, we received donations from very gracious individuals. The highlight of the day came towards the end of the sale - when a very kind and astute woman gently grabbed my hand and with her teary eyes said to me…

    “You are blessing many. You too will be blessed”. Her words touched my soul and left me speechless. I graciously thanked her.

    Cheesecake Sales Supporting Love, Olivia Efforts!!
    In addition to the above events, we were very surprised to receive donation checks from Columbus, Ohio for our Holiday Cheer Basket campaign.

    One of our family members works at a Flying J restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. In early November, this particular Flying J’s had an over abundant amount of Cheesecakes. The waiters and waitresses were told that the cheesecakes must sell within a couple of days. The sales were not going well until our family member came up with an idea…

    She rallied up the waiters and waitresses to ask if they would be willing to donate their tips to Love, Olivia if their table bought a cheesecake. They loved the idea and began to advise customers of the arrangement. The cheesecakes began selling! Some customers bought whole cheesecakes verses a slice. Within a day, all of the cheesecakes were sold! The manager was so impressed with their efforts that he gave a donation to Love, Olivia from the restaurant. We were so surprised when we received the donation checks!!

    We are very, very grateful to the community, our family, friends, neighbors, and many others who have supported our efforts thus far. Thank you for your gracious donations of clothing, toys, books, accessories, cash donations, and gift cards. Your thoughtfulness will benefit many special needs children and their families.

    WE ARE HAPPY TO REPORT THAT 60+ SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN WILL RECEIVE THEIR CHRISTMAS WISHES THIS HOLIDAY SEASON. ADDITIONALLY, 5 SPECIAL NEEDS FAMILIES ARE RECEIVING LOVE, OLIVIA HOLIDAY CHEER BASKETS!!

    We wish everyone very HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!