Operation Wildcat

Thanksgiving Flyer

Help us provide all the items for a wonderful Thanksgiving meal for MASD families in need. We are collecting the following items in donation bins at all the MASD school offices through November 13th:

Items Needed:

stuffing

canned vegetables

canned sweet potatoes

instant potatoes

cranberry sauce

gravy

toothbrushes & toothpaste

gift cards from our local grocery stores

TURKEY CERTIFICATES FROM OUR LOCAL GROCERY STORES

Please leave donated items in the Project Thanksgiving bins at any of the MASD schools. Gift cards and turkey certificates should be sent into school offices; they can also be mailed to or dropped off at MMS c/o “Operation Wildcat, attn: Project Thanksgiving”, MASD, 1750 South Market Street, Mechanicsburg PA 17055. Any questions, please contact Angie Weir 717-873-1002 angelastevens9@yahoo.com

Your contributions will help make a difference this holiday season for MASD families.

If your family would like to receive a Thanksgiving Basket, need help with making the holidays a reality for your family, or are in need of warm clothing for winter, please contact your child’s school guidance counselor or nurse. All information is kept in strict confidence by the school staff.

Please contact your child’s school counselor no later than November 6th if you would like a Thanksgiving basket, or if you need help with the holidays. Please contact the school at any time for clothing needs.

Pennies for Pies Flyer

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Project Pennies for Pies will be collecting coins 10/30-11/13 in each school main office, district office, and the rec center, along with other business in our community. Students, staff, and community members may donate at their leisure. Pennies collected will be used to buy pies for the Thanksgiving baskets

The past 2 years we had the opportunity to pay it forward and support a local business that has supported Operation Wildcat over the years, Paulus Farm! Paulus’ has provided Operation Wildcat with homemade pumpkin pies and will continue to be the primary supplier for Project Pennies for Pies.

FOR ALTERNATIVE DONATION OPTIONS OR IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN DISPLAYING A “PENNIES 4 PIES” CAN AT YOUR BUSINESS PLEASE CONTACT CHAIRPERSON: JACLYN GINGRICH; JJMGINGRICH@YAHOO.COM; 717-324-3575

Sign up: https://www.timetosignup.com/operationwildcat/sheet/1350805

Project Thanksgiving needs lots of help sorting food and assembling the baskets!!

Food Sorting Wednesday Nov 15th 5:00-7:00pm. Food will be sorted in OW space in basement so please dress appropriately as there is no heat in the basement. Students are welcome and encouraged to help at this time!

Basket Assembly Friday Nov 17th - 4:30-6:30pm. Assembly line time! We will be putting boxes together this year in the basement, then moving to the Custodian Hallway. Students are welcome and encouraged to help at this time. Great Service Opportunity! Fun Family Opportunity!

Set-up and Basket Distribution Nov 20th
Set-up 3:40pm. in the MMS cafeteria. Students are welcome to help during the set up.

Distribution (includes setup/cleanup) 4:30 - 7:30 pm. ONLY OW committee members can help during the distribution. No students please. Distribution will be in the cafeteria 5-7pm. ONLY OW Adult members can help during basket distribution. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Sign up: https://www.timetosignup.com/operationwildcat/sheet/1350805

Any questions, please contact Angie Weir at angelastevens9@yahoo.com

Tall dressers

Twin mattresses and box springs

Carpet Shampooer in good working condition.

Items must be in good condition. If you have any of these items to donate, please contact Maureen at 717-773-1988, mmross4@comcast.net. Thank you for helping our families!

Project Thanksgiving need paper ream boxes (with lids) for its Thanksgiving baskets. If you have any to donate, please leave at MMS or contact Angie Weir angelastevens9@yahoo.com

Project Books is looking for books with more diversity and ESL books. Graphic novels are also a big request, primarily from the 4th-5th grade level teachers. These books will be used to supplement classroom libraries. If you have any of these books, they can left in the OW bin at MMS (preferably), OW bin at any district building or contact the project chair Holly Anderson hrfrock@yahoo.com to make arrangements.

Please only donate new or slightly used clothing; do not donate any torn or stained clothing. We want clothing your children have outgrown, not outworn . Note: we accept only NEW socks and NEW underwear. To help us with sorting donations, please mark the bag on the outside. If possible, please leave donations at MMS.

Boys toddler sneakers 10, 11, 12, 13

Girls sneakers 2, 3, 4

Men's sneakers 9, 10, 10.5

Sports bras - all sizes

Men’s athletic clothing M/L

Sneakers, all sizes, in good condition

Women’s Juniors Leggins/joggers/sweatpants All sizes

Men’s joggers-athletic pants- all sizes

Men's jeans sizes 28/30

Men's Hoodies/athletic tops size medium

Thank you to all who donated items throughout the summer to help fill the bins. Even though the summer collection is over, we accept donations year round. We are in need of the following items: composition paper wide ruled, calculators, markers - broad, fine line, pencil pouches, mechanical pencils, post its, tape, USB flash drives, ear buds

Backpacks: kindergarten (unisex,) middle school (boys girls unisex), high school (girls)

Gift cards to Giant, Grocery Outlet, Wal-Mart and Target can also be donated. Gift cards can be mailed to or dropped off at the district office c/o “Operation Wildcat”, MASD, 600 South Norway Street, Mechanicsburg PA 17055.

https://www.timetosignup.com/operationwildcat/sheet/1347380

We have scheduled dates this fall for clean up days in the MMS basement to work on clothing donations. These times are open to adults and children 12 years and older (they do not need an adult to stay with them). The work will be done in Operation Wildcat Storage Room at MMS. There is no air conditioning nor heat in the room so please dress accordingly. We will meet in the lobby of MMS before heading down to the room. Please contact Melissa Herbein melissaherbein@gmail.com with any questions. If the sheet is all full for the day you wish to help, email Melissa Herbein melissaherbein@gmail.com and ask if you can help.

Another OW yard sale is in the books -and what a sale it was! A HUGE thank you to Pastor Lebo, and the members of McBic, for allowing OW to ‘move in’ for a few days. Thank you to our ‘moving crew’ – Bill Richie, Kaleb Dissinger, Curt Sober, and Bud Beauverd – along with Johnny Wilson– who transported 60 skids from our warehouse to McBic. The boxes and containers were hauled into the church by students from McBIc’s Youth group, MASH football team, National Honor Society, and Student Council, as well as many adult volunteers. Thank you to Demitrius Worthy and the Penske Team Harrisburg, who donated the use of the truck that hauled those skids! And of course, thank you to Bruce Barclay, who years ago believed in our mission and has given us a huge warehouse space to store all the donated items.

This sale would not happen without the most dedicated group of volunteers – Kris Funk- Adleblute, Diane Koenig, Margene Harper, Susan Johnson, Gail Perez, Jean Long, Nadia Renoll, Kathy Wargo, and Gerry McCracken who week after week work at the warehouse sorting, cleaning, pricing, and packing each and every donation that comes through our doors. These ladies are truly the heart of Project Yard Sale. To Janice Deveney and Nora Gulden – how many years and how many late nights you are the last ones to leave and the 1st to return the next day! To Stacey Poe and family – thank you for the many hours you put in from start to finish at McBic. To Leslie Collins who for years has overseen the set-up and tear down of close to 100 tables - thank you for always making sure we’re ready to go! To those who worked at the sale – thank you for all you did - whether it was check-out, straightening tables, or helping carry purchases to vehicles –each and every one of you contributed to the success of the sale! To all who came to help with clean-up - especially Bruce and Stephanie Yerger who always vacuum McBic from one corner to the other- we are beyond grateful for your help at the end when everyone is the most tired. To the new volunteers - thank you for giving of your time and you willingness to help where ever it was needed. To the ‘seasoned’ volunteers – thank you for being a part of this journey time and time again. Lastly, thank you to our MASH Life Skills friends who raised $750 with their bake sale and raffle baskets!

Sixteen years ago our 1st yard sale raised $300, which we used to buy packages of socks and underwear for families in need. Through the years – thanks to all the wonderful donations from our community – we have watched our sales grow and grow and grow! Our semi-annual yard sales now help fund the many projects that OW supports. So what was the total?? Our 2-day total was $20,330 – absolutely unbelievable! Since that $300 yard sale OW has raised over $289,763 – and many said we could never support a charity with just a yard sale. Obviously they haven’t been to OUR yard sales!

Want to know what OW does with the funds raised – check out our website at www.operationwildcat.org

See you in 180 days – April 19-20, 2024 Maureen Ross

Sign up: https://www.timetosignup.com/operationwildcat/sheet/1344123

If we are going to continue holding the Yard Sale, we need help year round. It takes many hands to receive donations, organize, sort, price and skid the donations. All that the volunteer needs to do is accept donations at the warehouse. Instructions on what OW takes and where to place the donations will be posted at the warehouse, as will contact information for any questions. Students are welcomed! NOTE: In case of inclement weather the warehouse will be closed. Warehouse is located at 507 N. York Street, Mechanicsburg, 17055. Turn on to Pleasant View Drive - 1st left into parking lot to Dock Door 1.

Questions – call or email Maureen at 717-773-1988. The twice-yearly Yard Sales are OW’s only fundraiser – it can only continue with your help.

Address: 507 N York Street, Mechanicsburg 17055. Turn on to Pleasant View Drive. Make 1st left into parking lot- stay straight to dock door 1. Skids will be in the area of dock door #1. Donations are on a "no contact" basis with all boxes and containers being placed on the skids outside the warehouse. OW Warehouse is open most Saturdays and Sundays 1-3pm

At the present time(due to all the donations received and lack of space) we are NOT taking:

Clothing
Furniture (must be pre-arranged with pictures first)
Glassware - cups/mugs- vases
exercise equipment
canister vacuums/ floor steamers/cleaners
Skis/ski equipment
Used Pillows (bed or decorative)
Stuffed animals
Grills
old tv sets/old stereo equipment
artificial Christmas trees
dehumidifiers
textbooks
VHS Tapes
and items that have seen their day and need to be disposed of!

If you have furniture items to donate please contact Maureen at 717-773-1988, mmross4@comcast.net to make arrangements for drop-off/pick-up.

A tax receipt if available for all donations.

If you have a question on whether or not we can take an item - contact Maureen at 717-773-1988, mmross4@comcast.net

PLEASE DO NOT DROP OFF DONATIONS WHEN THE OW WAREHOUSE IS NOT OPEN!

Volunteers are needed to assist with the pick-up/drop-off of furniture items in the District. All items for pick up are either left outside or are in the garage - no heavy lifting up/downstairs!

For deliveries - all items are delivered to the families' doorstep.

There are no set days'/times to help - we work around the volunteers' and the families' schedules.

For more information, or if you have any questions, please contact Kaleb Dissinger at t34foru@yahoo.com.

Meetings of the Mechanicsburg Area School District Board of Directors are NOW recorded and livestreamed for transparency and increased public access. The livestream, along with recordings from previously held meetings, can be found at this link. https://www.youtube.com/@masdschoolboard

MASD needs a minimum number of subscribers to livestream. Right now all meetings are just recorded. Please click on youtube link to subscribe even if you don't plan to watch. We can all do our part to make this happen for our local school board and parents. Please share this info.