Lana Anderson was awarded an Unsung Hero Award for her work with Small Things Matter on January 26, 2019. This award reflects all the hard work of our members in promoting literacy in underserved communities and in engaging children of all ages to craft items for those in need. Our thanks to our wonderful STM members, Takoma United for this honor Doris Duarte and Bryan Goehring for presenting her award, and The Takoma Foundation for hosting this event. Congratulations to all the other 2019 Unsung Heroes (Renay Johnson, Carolyn Leary Bobb, Tebabu Assefa, Jessie Carpenter, and Leicia Monfort) for their amazing work in our community.

STM was thrilled to be part of the Night of 1,000 Fridas brainchild of  Theodore Carter – Fiction, Nonfiction, Street Art. Our thanks to Richardson School of Music (7318 Carroll Ave, Takoma Park, MD 20912) for hosting our
Frida Kahlo Stuffie and to Laura Barclay Main Street Takoma for arranging our spot there! #1KFridas

STMers Jamie and Lana had a wonderful time hosting a monster stuffie birthday party for Diya and her friends on Saturday, January 19. Diya is using her birthday to craft monster stuffies to support Children’s National Medical Center. Way to go Diya!!! Want to find out more about our Crafting for Charity Parties? Check them out here: www.smallthingsmatter.org

STM had a fantastic time at the Montgomery County Volunteer CenterDay of Service at Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Centerfrom 1-3pm today. Wonderful volunteers of all ages braved the cold to join us in decorating cotton drawstring and fill them with toiletries (soap, shampoo, deodorant, razor, shaving cream, comb, toothbrush, toothpaste) and making fleece scarves for the homeless. Our thanks to NASDAQ MarketSite#GoodWorks for their support and to Youth Service America, Mott Foundation, Montgomery County Volunteer Center, and our donors for their generous support that made these projects possible. Thank you everyone for coming together to help those in need!#volunteer#MLKday#mlkdayofservice#kindness#MCPSserves#MLKDayOfService MCPSSL

STM gave out brand new books and snacks at Difference Makers Kokua Foods distribution at Rolling Terrace Elementary School on Sunday, January 20, 2019. Our thanks to Jacinto for running our snack table

Our partners Strathmore Children’s Chorus, Seneca Valley High School, The Goddard School, Difference Makers, DM at Richard Montgomery High School, and DM Teen Ambassadors have already started on their MLK Day of Service Projects making fleece scarves and decorating reusable cloth bags and filling them with toiletries for the homeless in our community. Our thanks to Youth Service America, Mott Foundation, Montgomery County Volunteer Center, and our donors for their generous monetary support that made these projects possible. Please join us on Monday, January 21 at Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center from 1-3pm to make these items with Small Things Matter members and volunteers from NASDAQ MarketSite NASDAQ #Goodworks. Join us as we engage youth and their families in a day of service in honor of Dr. King’s life and work. #volunteer #MLKday #mlkdayofservice #kindness

Our thanks to Eric Bond/Takoma Radio for having Small Things Matter on his show Talk of Takoma on WOWD-LP, 94.3 on January 13, 2019. We enjoyed talking about our literacy and crafting for charity program as well as our upcoming MLK projects at Bethesda North Marriott on Monday, January 21, 2019 from 1-3pm sponsored by the Montgomery County Volunteer Center. Registration for this event is required and you can sign up here.

If you missed our radio interview you can listen to it here:

Our thanks to Mary Ann Bruce for braving the snow to deliver her generous donation of 102 brand new YA books for our literacy program today (January 12, 2019). It’s our first book donation for 2019! Thank you for your continued support and kindness!!!

For our MLK Day of Service we will be crafting fleece scarves & decorating reusable cloth bags and filling them with toiletries for the homeless in our community. These items will be donated to Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless Home Builders Care Assessment Center (HBCAC) Men’s Emergency Shelter, Interfaith Works Women’s Shelter, and The National Center for Children and Families. Our thanks to Youth Service America, Mott Foundation, and Montgomery County Volunteer Center for their generous grants that made this possible and to Strathmore Children’s Chorus, Difference Makers, Seneca Valley High School, The Goddard School in Olney,and Montgomery County Volunteer Center for partnering with us to engage youth in service in honor of Dr. King’s life and work. #MLK

Our thanks to our friends Scott and Cyndi Hoffman at Ono Brewing Company for hosting a book drive for STM during the month of November. These books will be loved by our kids. Mahalo nui loa for your kind support!

If you’d like to help us by hosting a book drive at your school, office, or business please contact us at thesmallthingsmatter@yahoo.com or call/text us at 202-669-8550. Thanks!