Tag Archives: Blue Star Mothers

Buy Girl Scout cookies, support our deployed troops

10 Mar

If you’re a big fan of Girl Scout cookies like I am, you know that the cookies have arrived and the troops are hard at work delivering them. But if you missed out on ordering this year, or you REALLY need more Thin Mints to toss in the freezer, have no fear. I know of at least one troop which will be selling them at local businesses in the coming weeks.

Webster Girl Scout Troop 60344 will have a table set up this Sunday March 12 at Lowe’s Webster from 1 to 4 p.m., and on Saturday March 25 and April 1 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Walmart Home entrance. They’ll not only be selling cookies to all of us, they’ll also be taking orders for cookies which will be included in care packages being put together by the Blue Star Mothers for our locally deployed troops.

So, not only can you get your own personal cookie fix, you can also help send a little taste of home to our troops.

By the way, this particular Girl Scout troop is the one I wrote about a few weeks ago when one of its members, Julia Meyers, lost her cookie money envelope in the high winds we had in early February. A very kind neighbor found it and most of the missing cash, and it was all returned to Julia. I posted the whole touching story in this blog.

I know for a fact that Julia herself will be at the March 12 cookie-selling table, so if you’d like to meet her in person, this is a great chance to do so!

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram.

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(posted 3/10/2023)

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Blue Star Mothers hosting annual Military Baby Shower

3 Mar

Calling all local military families!

The Blue Star Mothers NY8 Chapter of Rochester are making plans for this year’s Military Baby Shower, and they’re looking for more families to shower with gifts.

The event, scheduled for Sunday April 30 at the Cottreall-Warner American Legion Post on Ridge Rd., will shower up to 20 babies with “Baby Baskets of Loving Care,” each filled with gifts for moms and their babies including baby clothing, handmade outfits, homemade blankets, sweaters, booties and hats, diapers, wipes, baby supplies, toys, and more. Last year, each family also received a Diaper Genie and bouncy seat.

Active duty, veterans and military spouses of active duty and veterans who are expecting or have children up to 6 months old are welcome to register for and attend the shower.

The Mothers have been pulling together donations for many months, but they’d love to get a lot more. If you’d like to help out, you can donate to their baby gift registry through this Amazon.com link.

Blue Star Mothers president Amy VanDerwerken said, “We love how the local community comes together to support this event. They allow us to provide diapers, clothes, wipes, bibs, blankets, bottles, toys, books, etc.” Last year, besides the many individuals who donated from the Amazon Baby Shower list, they also received donations from almost a dozen local business and community organizations.

This year Rosy Glow Maternity, is joining that list. The Webster-based business offers an experience that focuses on the mother by providing maternity and nursing wardrobe with beautiful preloved items.

Blue Star Mothers are mothers, stepmothers, grandmothers, foster mothers and female legal guardians who have children serving in the military, guard or reserves, or children who are veterans. The Baby Shower for Military is one of the group’s most important service projects. Each year BSM NY8 honors up to 20 local military families, and for some of these expectant mothers, it may be the only baby shower they get, since they’re usually stationed far away from their close relatives.

“We hope to continue growing and working with the community to be able to support our local military families,” VanDerwerken said. “We could not do this military baby shower event without that support.” 

The Military Baby Shower will be hosted by the Cottreall-Warner American Legion Post on Sunday April 30 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. To register to attend, or for more information, contact one of the Baby Shower Committee Co-chairs, Amy VanDerwerken and Jill Harris, at 1VP.NY8@BlueStarMothers.US.

A look at last year’s Military Baby Shower

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram.

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(posted 3/3/2023)

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The Webster Garlic Fest is back!

23 Feb

I got some very exciting news the other day.

After a three-year hiatus, one of Webster’s most popular family-friendly festivals, the Webster Garlic Fest, will be returning to the Webster Recreation Center in September.

The Webster Garlic Fest was last held in 2019. In just a few short years, the event had grown so popular that the garlic growers and craft vendors filled the Rec Center’s gymnasium and spilled out onto the grassy areas outside. Plans were well under way for an even larger event in 2020, but then COVID hit, which put pretty much everything about normal life on hold indefinitely.

This year, however, an enthusiastic new group of volunteers has teamed up to bring the Garlic Fest back later this summer. Even at this very early planning stage, they’ve already got a lot of interest from garlic growers and other vendors. They’re also planning to bring back all kinds of demonstrations, information tables from community groups, raffles, crafters, and food trucks.

Basically, the Webster Garlic Fest is a garlic-lover’s paradise. And even if you’re not a huge fan of garlic, rest assured you’ll find plenty of vendors and activities for you and your kids to enjoy. Or, as committee co-chairperson Cherie Wood said, “We know everyone will have a stinkin’ good time, and have garlicious fun!”

One of the fun new twists this year will be the young “Cloves,” which Wood said are “vital to any serious garlic festival.” These are wee little garlic cloves scurrying around the grounds trying to keep “Vamp,” the friendly, garlic-fearing vampire at bay. Everyone is definitely going to want to meet these adorable little vegetables.

Another great new feature of this year’s festival is that all proceeds will benefit the Wreaths Across America effort in Webster, and the Blue Star Mothers Rochester NY8.

Wreaths Across America is dedicated to placing a wreath on the grave of every one of the 3,000 veterans who rest in Webster’s seven cemeteries. Proceeds will go toward sponsoring the wreaths, with a portion going back to the Blue Star Mothers to build care packages for our locally deployed servicemen and women.  

Right now, organizers are looking for vendors to participate in the festival. If you’re a garlic grower, craft vendor, demonstrator or community group, they want to hear from you. Visit the website for more information and to apply.

The Webster Garlic Fest will be held Saturday and Sunday September 9 and 10, at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Dr. Find out more here on the Facebook page and here on the website. Both will be updated regularly as details are finalized. You can also email WebsterGarlicFest@gmail.com if you have any questions.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram.

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 2/23/2023)

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Wreaths Across America is coming to Webster

24 Aug

A terrific program honoring our fallen veterans — Wreaths Across America — is coming to Webster Union Cemetery this December.

Wreaths Across America is a nonprofit organization which began 30 years ago, its mission to place a wreath on the grave of every veteran in the country. They have a saying: “We die twice. Once when we take our last breath, and then when our name is said for the very last time.” The simple act of placing a wreath helps assure that these veterans are never forgotten.

Last year, 2.5 million wreaths were placed by volunteers, spread across 3,000 cemeteries in the U.S. and abroad. This year, Webster Union Cemetery will make that number 3,001.

But before that can happen, the wreaths have to be procured. That’s where you come in.

Webster Union Cemetery is the resting place for about 650 veterans, from the Revolutionary War to present day. So, decorating every one of the their graves will require about 650 wreaths. The Blue Star Mothers Rochester Chapter is taking the lead on this project and is reaching out to the entire Webster community for wreath sponsors.

Sponsoring a wreath only costs $15, and here’s one of the best parts: $5 from every wreath sponsorship will go directly to the Blue Star Mothers, who will use the funds to prepare and ship care packages to deployed servicemen and women who don’t have access to everyday supplies.

So your $15 will not only be sponsoring a wreath for a fallen veteran, but will also be providing some of the comforts of home to our deployed servicemen and women.

In December, Webster Union Cemetery’s 650 wreaths will be delivered by an 18-wheeler coming from Maine, which will receive a police escort through town. Then, at noon on on Saturday Dec. 17, family members of veterans who are buried at Webster Union Cemetery will be invited to place their loved ones’ wreaths first. Then, community members will be invited to help place the rest of them at veterans’ headstones.

What a meaningful day that will be.

There are about 3,000 veterans buried in Webster’s cemeteries. Our town’s Wreaths Across America effort has to begin somewhere, and Webster Union Cemetery was chosen because of the great number of veterans resting there. Hopefully, every year, more Webster cemeteries will be added to the list until every veteran receives a wreath.

If you’d like to sponsor a wreath for your veteran, or help veterans who no longer have families, click here, scan the QR code below, or email WebsterWreaths@icloud.com to request a form. Deadline is Monday, November 21.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram.

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 8/24/2022)

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Blue Star mothers host Baby Shower for Military

9 May

A week ago Sunday, 15 expectant Blue Star moms and new mothers were showered with gifts at the Cottreall-Warner American Legion Post in Webster, at a special Baby Shower for Military.

Blue Star Mothers are mothers, stepmothers, grandmothers, foster mothers and female legal guardians who have children serving in the military, guard or reserves, or children who are veterans. 

The event is organized annually by the Blue Star Mothers Rochester Chapter NY8 (BSM NY8). The group’s members have been collecting items for nine months in preparation for this year’s event, held Sunday May 1. Fifteen “Baby Baskets of Loving Care” were prepared, each filled with gifts for moms and their babies including baby clothing, handmade outfits, homemade blankets, sweaters, booties and hats, diapers, wipes, baby supplies, toys, homemade boppies and more. Each family also received a Diaper Genie and bouncy seat.

The Baby Shower for Military is one of the most important service projects of the Blue Star Mothers Rochester Chapter. Each year BSM NY8 honors up to 20 local military families, and for some of these expectant mothers, it may be the only baby shower they get, since they’re usually stationed far away from their close relatives.

This year’s shower was co-chaired by BSM NY8 president Amy VanDerwerken and vice president Jill Harris. It was held at the Cottreall-Warner American Legion Post 942 (as it has been for the last several years) which donated the use of the hall. The Post’s Auxiliary Unit also donated $400 for diapers and baby wipes. Additional assistance was received from the American Red Cross, Chili Chain Gang, Greece American Legion (and Auxiliary), Francis Hibbard Post 4658 (and Auxiliary), Hegedorn’s Supermarket, the Monroe County Department of Disabled Veterans Chapter 15, Target, Walmart, Donuts Delite, Schutt’s Apple Mill, Tops Friendly Markets, BJ’s Wholesale Club and Kinecta.  

Thank you to Jill Harris and Gordon Clarke for the photos.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram.

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 5/9/2022)

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