CPSIA - one year stay of testing!!!

Yesterday, the CPSC granted a one year stay of testing! The stay does not cover all products, but Crafts are included!!!

The stay of enforcement provides some temporary, limited relief to the crafters, children’s garment manufacturers and toy makers who had been subject to the testing and certification required under the CPSIA. These businesses will not need to issue certificates based on testing of their products until additional decisions are issued by the Commission. However, all businesses, including, but not limited to, handmade toy and apparel makers, crafters and home-based small businesses, must still be sure that their products conform to all safety standards and similar requirements, including the lead and phthalates provisions of the CPSIA.

You can read all the details on the CPSC website, here.

This means that Marine Corps Kids can continue doing the great work we've been doing in the current year with no fear of breaking the laws! If you use zippers, buttons or other findings in your crafts, please be sure that you are buying products that are certified lead-free. There is no need, however, to test finished craft projects that will be donated or sold.

Thank you so much to all of you who took the time to write to your legislators and to the CPSC! Our efforts have paid off!! We will need to continue voicing our needs and concerns so that we are covered next year when the stay expires, but I think this is GREAT news!!

Again, I am so thankful to each of you for your response regarding this issue, and for all the support you have all shown to our military families through your donations to Marine Corps Kids!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

Monkey Business!

I made this little set for a little boy that is expected soon. His nursery is decorated with monkeys, so this cute fleece seemed like a good choice.

CPSIA and Charitable Organizations

As you may be aware, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act is scheduled to become effective on February 10th. While the law has some necessary and required aspects, the scope of it's wording could be devastating to charitable organizations such as Operation Marine Corps Kids, Project Linus, Caps for Kids and hundreds of other charitable organizations.

We desperately need Congress to clarify the law in regard to charities. The consequences of the law to Marine Corps Kids could be extraordinary; if the potential liability to our organization cannot be minimized or eliminated, we may have no choice but to disband.

I am writing to ask all friends of Marine Corps Kids to write letters to your Congressmen and Senators. We need to ask Congress to act swiftly to clarify this law and make reasonable exclusions in their interpretation of the law as they continue the rule-making process.

Below is a sample letter that you are welcome to copy and paste (fill in the blanks as indicated) and send to your congress person, senator, the Consumer Product Safety Commission or Committee on Energy and Commerce members. Some can be sent via e-mail, but if you are not in the district of the congress person or senator you may need to send your letter via snail mail. Whatever you can do to help will be most appreciated.

To locate the contact information for your congress person go to
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

To locate the contact information for your US Senator go to
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Thank you for your continued support of Marine Corps Kids and all charitable crafting organizations!

Delia


Sample Letter:

Bill Number H.R.4040 Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act

Date:

From: [your name and address]
To: [your congress person or senator]
Re: The Consumer Product Improvement Act (CPSIA) clarification regarding charities

Dear [your congress person, senator, CPSC or Committee on Energy and Commerce members],

As a volunteer and supporter of Operation Marine Corps Kids, a 501c3 National Non-profit organization, I am very concerned about the effect the Consumer Product Improvement Act (CPSIA) H.R. 4040 will have on our organization as of February 10, 2009.

Like many people, I was deeply concerned by the dangerous and poisonous toys that large Chinese toy manufacturers have been selling to our families. I was pleased that Congress acted quickly to protect America's children by enacting the CPSIA. However, I am very concerned that the CPSIA's mandates for third-party testing and labeling could have a dramatic and negative effect on charitable organizations such as Marine Corps Kids.

Marine Corps Kids collects and distribute gifts of handmade blankets, hats, booties, toys and other items to the babies and children of our deployed military forces. (See http://www.marinecorpsfamilyfoundation.org/OperationMarineCorpsKids.html and http://marinecorpskids.blogspot.com for more information.)

Donors from all over the country have sent handcrafted gifts that have been distributed to hundreds of children. If charities such as ours are not exempt from the CPSIA our military families will no longer benefit from the generosity of our donors.

Operation Marine Corps Kids does not sell anything. Hand-crafted items are all given as gifts. We are the consumer and not a retailer or seller, however the current wording in the CPSIA can be interpreted to include organizations such as ours. We are a charity and would never have the funds to submit each item made by our volunteers to the expensive testing required. Our new President has encouraged us to volunteer and perform acts of service. This is what Marine Corps Kids’ volunteers do; it would be devastating to volunteers such as myself to have our organization closed due to the CPSIA.

I urge you to quickly request the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Committee on Energy and Commerce to make some very reasonable exclusions in their interpretation of the law as they continue their rule-making process. This would include exempting nonprofit organizations and charities that do not retail their products.

Thank you for your attention with regard to this matter.

Sincerely,

[your name]

Blue Cheetah Set

I made this little jacket and blanket set for Marine Corps Kids using some warm fleece and my Edgerydoo.

For anyone out there who doesn't know about Edgerydoo, check out their website. The template and tools makes it very fast and easy to make really cute projects. Your imagination is the limit, and the number of things that you can create are amazing.

I love Edgerydoo and you might as well. It's a wonderful tool to use for charity or home projects. Check out their website and if you like what you see, consider using it for Marine Corps Kids projects!

Thank you, Dana!

Dana from MN sent these beautiful hats and booties!

These are just adorable and will keep a newborn warm and cozy.

You do so much great work through Love's Many Cloths. Thank you so much for including Marine Corps Kids in your giving!!!

Preemie Set

This tiny set will be going out to a baby who was born yesterday at Camp Lejeune.

Daddy was away at training, but was able to fly home to be with his wife and new son!

Wishing the family the best and hoping that this little Marine grows big and strong and can be home soon!

It's a Girl!

No sooner did I get the last sets in the mail, when I found out that another baby girl was born to a deployed Marine.

This set will be going out to a newborn in Texas.

Sending her and her parents congratulations and best wishes!

Three Baby Girls

These three sets are going out this week to 3 newborn baby girls and their moms. Their daddy's are all deployed right now in Iraq.

I hope these blankets will help keep the girls warm and cozy until their daddy's come home.

Congratulations to the new moms! Hope you and your babies are doing well.