As you may know, when Tole Friends was incorporated and given non-profit status by the IRS, it was with the provision that we donate painted items for charity, not money donations.

A charity was chosen that is borderless and not restricted to any certain town, state or country.  This charity gives the members of the list the opportunity to use their artistic talents to bless the lives of the grieving parents.

This is the Memory Box Program.

This program allows our members to decide freely if and how much they wish to participate. It is a program that represents our art and has meaning to the person both giving and receiving it. It also is not a financial burden on anyone wishing to participate.

Painting and giving a Memory Box in itself is a wonderful contribution of our art to a worthy charity, where our work will become a cherished heirloom for a grieving family.


This is an invitation to our membership to contribute to the Memory Box Program with one or more painted boxes. There is no obligation for anyone to participate and there isn’t any monthly minimum.

Paint a box when you want to test a new technique, when you have a little extra time, or simply want to touch another’s heart with your art.

Marie Gemmil is the administrator of the Memory Box Program and also a member of TF. If you have any questions, please write to her at mgemmil@windstream.net . If you have a question that might be of general interest, please send it to the list.

Brenda Rickman is the chair of Tole Friend's Charity Commitee; she will update anything via the mailing list and also can be reached through charity@tolefriends.com to answer any question you may have.

When you have painted a box, or boxes, contact Marie and she’ll send you a name and address of a hospital that needs your boxes. These boxes are usually painted on paper mache boxes. When you go to the web site you’ll find the information on where to purchase them and any other information concerning size, etc.

Be sure to keep all tracking slips and Post Office receipts for mailed Memory Boxes in order to send these to the Charity Committee to be included in our grant and other incentive programs that will be announced very soon.

There is a great need of boxes for the parents of these babies who have died and Marie has a waiting list of hospitals who would love to be included in this program. Tole Friends can make a huge difference.  It is a place to keep their few precious memories and help to alleviate the suffering of parents who go home without their baby.

For those members of Tole Friends who have already painted for the Memory Box Program. We thank you and hope that you keep up the good work.

From time to time Marie will be posting to the list that she needs boxes in certain areas of the country. We are sure that our members will meet the challenge and help this program.

Sincerely,
The Tole Friends Board and the Charity Committee