Our Season of Service

Inspired by some friends of our family, the Marshall family has decided to try a new way of exchanging Christmas gifts in 2012. We hope it will become a wonderful family tradition.
For years, the four Marshall children, their spouses, and their parents exchanged gifts every Christmas, but in 2011, we decided the gift-giving tradition may need a change since we are all so blessed and in need of truly nothing. We decided we needed to find a better way to celebrate the true Christmas spirit.

We suggested that we each perform acts of service in the name of the sibling whose name we were assigned at random. Our service will be kept a secret until Christmas Day.

Our friend drew the names for us and notified each of us privately of the person who should inspire our service. On Christmas Day, we reveal who we were given and how we chose to serve by posting our stories on The Marshall Family Season of Service blog.

We hope this tradition will help us focus on serving our communities and each other during the annual celebration of the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

We invite you to come back to our blog on Christmas morning to read this year's service.

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Love Kylie

Dear Family,

Up until now, the kids haven't been included in the Service exchange.  I have helped my parents with their service projects, but this year I wanted to do my own.  I consulted with my mom and dad and since I learned how to sew on a sewing machine last year, I wanted to use my new found skills to bless someone else's life. 



This year I've really enjoyed reading nonfiction books.  Some that I've read are about people who have endured horrific trials in their lives.  I wanted to be able to help someone in need.

My mom told me about an organization called ConKerr Cancer: A case for smiles.  This organization provides cheery pillowcases to children with lifechanging illnesses while they stay in the hospital.

From their website:

“A Case for Smiles – Helping children feel special while battling life changing illnesses.”

Our mission is heartfelt to provide smiles to children with life changing illnesses and to make them feel special.
Our work is simple to provide children with cheery pillowcases to brighten their hospital stay and a chance to learn to sew while breaking up the boredom of a hospital stay.
Our impact is immediate many organizations are focused on saving tomorrow’s children through research. Our focus is on helping children with cancer and other life threatening illnesses today.
Our organization is driven by volunteers literally thousands of people are making pillowcases across the country and around the world. They are led by an all-volunteer organization of regional chapters with regional coordinators supported and served through volunteers who make up our home office organization.
Our fuel is love ConKerr is fueled by a simple act of love – making a pillowcase for a sick child struggling with cancer or another life changing illness. Everything else is details.


My mom and I went to the fabric store and I got to pick out enough fabric to make 12 pillowcases.  Over the course of this year, I've completed all 12 and I can't wait to deliver them so that children can benefit from them.





1 comment:

  1. That is wonderful Kylie! So happy to see you use your talents to help others have joy in their lives. I know this has helped you feel good inside too.

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