WE’RE UNDER CONSTRUCTION
The concrete is poured and the new facility is now under construction. We should be moving in about February 2004. We want to give a special thanks to all of those who have donated money, the sub-contractors and lumber companies who have donated time and material. To the Cedar City Corporation and the whole community for their support and a very special thanks to Ed Collins of XL Builders who is donating the time and management as general contractor of our new facility.
We have received a wonderful offering from The James R. Greenbaum, Jr. Family Foundation. For each dollar from this date forward for the building project that The Happy Factory actually receives a commitment for and also then receives the money before the end of this year, and each dollar for which The Happy Factory receives a commitment before the end of this year with the monies to be paid during the first quarter, 2004, The James R. Greenbaum, Jr. Family Foundation will contribute a dollar to The Happy Factory this calendar year, with a cap of $25,000.
Children’s Miracle Network
The Children’s Miracle Network is a Foundation that provides assistance to 172 children’s hospitals throughout the United States. In a recent meeting we had with them they were very excited to find out about our toys and steam shovels. They told about The Happy Factory in their news bulletin, and we have received requests, so far, from 15 hospitals and have started shipping their orders. These items will be used in their therapy and rehabilitation departments.
Navajo Nation
November 25, 2003, two pickup trucks and four men arrived from The Navajo Nation Headquarters at Window Rock, Arizona to pick up 5000 toys and 10 steam shovels for their Head Start Christmas Program. Here’s the letter that we received from them:
The Happy Factor, inc. It is important to preserve the spirit of good will this holiday season for your loving and dedicated approach in donating 5,000 wooden toys to our Navajo children enrolled in the Head Start and Early Head Start programs across the Navajo Nation.
To you and the volunteers of The Happy Factory, Inc., we want to-say “thank you” for helping us make a difference in our children’s lives. Without these wooden toys, our Head Start Centers would not be the special place it is for many of our Navajo children and families. We experience many hours of joy in teaching our children and, The Happy Factory have recharged our spirits to bringing excitement on the faces of our children as they come into the classroom every day.
Working with wonderful people like you is always refreshing and stimulating, and never more so than within the last couple of months. Happy Holidays!
Lolita Spencer
Assistant Department Manager
Department of Head Start
When we had our meeting in Window Rock, AZ, Lolita told us that as a child she grew up in a Hogan and the only toy she ever remembered having was one old shoe.
TV
December 15, 2003, the Sandy Branch of The Happy Factory was shown on two Salt Lake City television stations, channel 5 and channel 13. They showed a new project that the prison is involved with. The prisoners had just painted 1100 toys for The Happy Factory. They did a beautiful job. Some of the prisoners expressed what a wonderful feeling it gave them to be doing something good for others, especially little children.
This will probably be a continuing rehabilitation program at the point of the mountain and perhaps to other prison facilities. It seems that The Happy Factory concept can work anywhere.
My Thoughts
I was thinking about this time of year. This is a time of giving, and the simple concept of serving, called The Happy Factory. This organization is not like many other charitable organizations. It owns no penthouses, has no limousines, pays no large fees, or salaries to trustees and officers. The Happy Factory owns one piece of property and it is a place where people can spend some of their time and contribute money and materials to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of little children. Everyone who participates in The Happy Factory gives, no one takes anything back, except “service to others is it’s own reward.”
What a wonderful, simple organization it is and it is owned by no one. It belongs to all of us.
May peace be with all of you at this time of year and always.
Charles T. Cooley, President
PLAY WITH ME
I tried to teach
My child with books
He gave me only
Puzzled Looks.
I tried to teach
My child with words;
They passed him by
Often unheard.
Despairingly
I turned aside
“How shall I teach
This child?” I cried
Into my hand
He put the key
“Come,” He said
“And play with me”
(Author unknown)
We may not be able to make a toy for every child in the world who needs one, but we’re going to try.
Our new address is:
896 North 2175 West
Cedar City, UT 84720
Motto: We may not be able to make a toy for every child in the world who needs one, but we’re going to try.
