Jam and helping a good cause

My heart will always go out to a good cause, and this one seems like a wonderful one. I could put it in my own words but instead I'm going to let Connie do it. Connie was an amazingly giving and caring participant in the jam exchange and if anyone is able to help in this cause please do. Very important note: your jam must be mailed by this Friday October 14th to make it there in time for the fund raising event. I know this is short notice but I will for sure be headed to the post office tomorrow morning to mail a box full!

Now I'll hand it over to Connie:

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One of my dear friends, Judith Ann Parrotte, lost her battle with cancer this year.

This remarkable lady spent her entire life devoted to education - even teaching for 23 years at a correctional facility in New York. Because of her, many people developed a love of learning, reading and are better people. She taught countless children, and adults, to read and gave them the power to educate themselves simply by picking up a book and having the skills to comprehend the pages.

In her honor, her children Karen and Brian have started the Judith A. Parrotte Memorial Literacy Fund. This will be used to donate funds to local schools for literacy programs. They are also hoping to fund a GED tutoring program, as well. One of Judy's proudest moments is when a prisoner who had no education passed their GED. She knew they would have the tools to leave the system and be a productive citizen and stood a better chance of not coming back.

In order to help start the fund, her children have been raising money through memorial contributions and fundraisers. They are holding a HUGE fundraising Bake Sale on October 22, 2011 in Coxsackie, New York. Since I live in Utah, obviously, I can't buy anything. I will, however, be sending off a box of a variety of JAMS and JELLIES to sell! I even created one in Judith's memory.

So.... if anyone else would like to send a jar or two for the bake sale and to help further the mission of education and literacy for all, they may send contributions to:

Judith A. Parrotte Memorial Literacy Fund
c/o Karen Parrotte
PO Box 144
Coxsackie, NY 12051

I will be sending one of every jam and jelly I made so far this year, as well as a bunch of Judith's Special Pomegranate Jelly. :)

I hope other jammers would be willing to send off a jar to help the cause. How wonderful would Karen feel opening small packages of jam from all over the country in honor of her mother and her mother's dream of literacy for all! A note of encouragement for Karen would be a welcome addition to the package, too.

Packages should be sent NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 14th. Coxsackie is a slightly rural New York town, and mail can take a while to get there sometimes.

Thanks Steph and thanks to any other jammers who send a jar! Judy would be so proud of you!!


PS: If anyone would like to send a monetary donation, they may send one to:
The Judith A. Parrotte Memorial Literacy Fund
c/o Monica Kenny, esquire
PO Box 358
Cairo, NY 12413
(Monica is the attorney who oversees the Fund.)

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