“Little Bundles of Joy” Press Kit By Stephanie Bivins
Table of Contents
1.)
Fact Sheet
2.)
Biography
3.)
Local Press Release
4.)
National Press Release
5.)
30-Second Broadcast Release
6.)
60-Second Broadcast Release
7.)
Three Photos with Captions
8.)
Position Paper
9.)
Pitch Letter
April 28, 2009 Fact Sheet- Little Bundles of Joy Opening Celebration Who Joy Bloomberg announces the opening of her new store Little Bundles of Joy What The store sells baby toys, highchairs, carriers, playpens and strollers. The store also offers a parenting class and free daycare to those in need of it. Where The store is located at 1232 Highway 72 in Madison, Ala. When The store’s grand opening will be on May 3, at 2 p.m. The ribbon will be cut by Mayor Diana Warden. Why Bloomberg wants children everywhere to benefit from the child-friendly products and services that Little Bundles of Joy offers. Benefits At Little Bundles of Joy’s grand opening vendors such as Chick-fil-A, Firehouse Subs and Arby’s will be giving out free food. There will be a raffle for a free baby crib, and the toys will be set up for children to play with. Sign-ups for the parenting class and free daycare will also be made available. Quote “Children are the future. That’s why I’m committed to providing great childcare and toys that are not only safe for children, but that are fun for them to play with,” Bloomberg said. Background on the Founder Joy Bloomberg grew up as an orphan, and she is committed to giving children of all backgrounds affordable toys and free childcare because she experienced the lack of these things at the orphanage. Background on the Organization Little Bundles of Joy is Bloomberg’s way of giving back to all of those people who donated their time to her at the orphanage and whose money paid for her to go to college. Information Contact Stephanie Millhouse, public relations director (956) 602-4874
Little Bundles of Joy 1232 Highway 72 Madison, AL 35758 Contact: Stephanie Millhouse (956) 602-4874 (office) millhsj@auburn.edu
For Immediate Release
An Inside Look at Joy Bloomberg and her Dream MADISON, Ala. (July 3) — Little Bundles of Joy’s success is the result of a dream Joy Bloomberg had when she lived at the orphanage in Huntsville, Ala. Opening a toy store full of stuffed animals, trucks, trains, dolls, beach balls, jump ropes and virtually anything imaginable would be all she needed to help fund her real dream, offering a daycare free to families in need. “Volunteers and donations have been the key to making this free daycare a reality,” Bloomberg said. Bloomberg knows the impact a volunteer can have in a person’s life. “I experienced tough times while I was at the orphanage, but I also had many fond memories there because of the people who donated their time to play with me and help me with my schoolwork,” Bloomberg said. Bloomberg’s parents Jim and Suzie passed away in a car wreck when she was only 6 months old. Since there were no other family members around to care for her, she went to live at the orphanage where she stayed until she graduated from Bob Jones High School in 2002. After high school, Bloomberg left Huntsville and went to school at Auburn University on scholarship. While she was there, she got her bachelor’s degree in business and her minor in human development and family studies. -more-
P. 2 An Inside Look at Joy Bloomberg and her Dream
Upon graduation, Bloomberg was prepared to start her own business where she could create a fun environment for kids to go before or after school while their parents were at work. “Little Bundles of Joy is a safe haven for children to be themselves and receive love and attention from people who want to make time for them,” Bloomberg said. Bloomberg’s store in Madison has been open for two months now, and the toys are restocked weekly because they are selling out so fast. The free daycare program now has 75 children involved, as opposed to last month’s 60 children. There are 30 volunteers who come in and work different shifts throughout the week. The volunteers watch, tutor, care for, feed and play with the kids. “I’m looking forward to all of the exciting things in store for the company, and I hope that Little Bundles of Joy will continue to bless people throughout Madison,” Bloomberg said. ###
Little Bundles of Joy 1232 Highway 72 Madison, AL 35758 Contact: Stephanie Millhouse (956) 602-4874 (office) millhsj@auburn.edu
For Immediate Release
Local Store Little Bundles of Joy’s Business is Booming MADISON, Ala. (June 3) – Little Bundles of Joy has sold more toys in one month than any other toy retailer in Madison, Ala. has sold after being in business for three months. The reason for this can be explained by the items’ excellent quality and the reasonable price the toys are sold at. Joy Bloomberg, the fonder of Little Bundles of Joy, set up her toy store in the heart of Madison on one of the busiest roads in the area, Highway 72. The strategic location and colorful building catches people’s attention. This is one reason so many people are drawn to visit. “I want the toy store to be a safe, fun place where parents can take their children after work to reward them with an inexpensive toy for their good report card, or for them to let their child pick out a birthday present for a friend,” Bloomberg said. The store has not only been attracting families for a shopping excursion, but it has been inviting single parents to take advantage of Little Bundles of Joy’s free daycare program. “At this point in my life I cannot afford to pay for daycare, and I am truly thankful for Joy Bloomberg and all of the volunteers that make it possible for my son Johnny to have a safe place to come while I am at work,” Sharon Mill, a single mother said. Mill and 59 other single parents facing hard times are also utilizing the free daycare service. The children are entertained and cared for by the volunteers Monday through Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. -more-
P.2 Local Store Little Bundles of Joy’s Business is Booming
“I enjoy playing with the kids.” Kimie Jones, a volunteer at Little Bundles of Joy said. “It makes me feel good to be making a difference in a child’s life, and I am glad that they can have a safe environment to be in while their parents are at work.” Bloomberg has had rapid toy sales, plenty of volunteer support, 60 children join the free daycare program, and she also has a parenting class that is offered every Tuesday and Thursday night from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The class teaches parents about the different stages in their child’s development and how to best parent the child during each stage. “It is my hope that the parenting class will better equip parents to understand, discipline and unconditionally love their kids,” Bloomberg said. ###
Little Bundles of Joy 1232 Highway 72 Madison, AL 35758 Contact: Stephanie Millhouse (956) 602-4874 (office) millhsj@auburn.edu
For Immediate Release
Little Bundles of Joy’s Free Daycare is Sweeping the Nation ATLANTA (June 3) — Little Bundles of Joy opened a little over a month ago in Madison, Ala., selling inexpensive quality toys for children, but the store also offers free daycare, and it is this idea that is now being implemented throughout the U.S. Joy Bloomberg grew up in an orphanage where she and her three friends Ronnie Smith, Carl Owen and Savannah Hall, also orphans, devised a plan to help underprivileged children, like themselves, grow up having fun in a safe environment, regardless of whether they had parents or not or what their parent’s financial background was. The four friends have stayed in contact and now Smith, who lives in Atlanta, has opened a chain to Bloomberg’s Little Bundles of Joy where he sells the same types of toys and offers the free daycare to parents in need. Owen and Hall are now engaged, and they plan on opening the third Little Bundles of Joy chain in Los Angeles right after their marriage which will take place in October. “The dream we all shared eight years ago is becoming a reality, and I am excited about the lives we are going to impact for the better,” Hall said. Bloomberg has already made several trips to the Atlanta store to help Smith get things running, and she has been e-mailing her future partners in California with tips on getting their business started. -more-
P.2 Little Bundles of Joy’s Free Daycare is Sweeping the Nation
“It is a lot of work to have a company to run and on top of that to be getting two more companies up and going, but I know it will all be worth it. It already has been paying off tremendously in people’s lives, including my own,” Bloomberg said. Little Bundles of Joy’s store in Los Angles already has 45 kids on the list to begin daycare when the store opens. The store in Atlanta has 55 kids currently involved with the free daycare, and the program shows promise for continually growth. ###
Little Bundles of Joy Free Daycare Stephanie Millhouse
:30 9 lines Kill Date 6/3/09
Little Bundles of Joy’s daycare for preschoolers through eighth graders is a big hit.
The free daycare is offered from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and so far,
60 kids have been signed up.
Many of the volunteers were orphans like the founder, Joy Bloomberg, and give at least a
few hours of their time each week to help out.
Kickball, finger painting, drawing and playing on the playground are just a few of the
activities the children can take part in.
Little Bundles of Joy is off to a strong start with the growing support from parents,
volunteers and donations
(end)
Little Bundles of Joy Free Daycare Stephanie Millhouse
:60 17 lines Kill Date 6/3/09
Little Bundles of Joy’s daycare for preschoolers through eighth graders is a big hit.
Since the store opened a month ago in May, 60 kids have been signed up for the free
daycare.
Parents love it because they don’t have to rush home from work, and the kids get to have
fun with other kids their age.
Games such as “Duck Duck Goose” and “Ring Around the Rosie” are a few favorites
played by the children.
Kickball, soccer and exploring the brand new playground are also activities that help
keep the children active.
For rainy days, finger-painting, drawing and watching cartoons occupy the kids.
Daycare is offered from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
(more)
Little Bundles of Joy Free Daycare 2-2-2
There is one volunteer for every five children, which provides plenty of supervision and
attention.
Many of the volunteers were orphans like the founder, Joy Bloomberg, and gives at least
a few hours of their time a week to help out.
Little Bundles of Joy is off to a strong start with the growing support from parents,
volunteers and donations.
(end)
Photo Caption 1
At Joy Bloomberg’s Little Bundles of Joy toy store, stuffed animals are one of the top sellers. Name brands such as TY are sold at a low price of $4.99. If a retired beanie baby is still on the shelf the price does not go up. New shipments of beanie babies and other stuffed animals arrive every Wednesday at 11 a.m.
Photo Caption 2
At Little Bundles of Joy’s daycare, finger painting is an all time favorite of the children. One of the walls in the daycare is covered with each of the children’s handprints in a rainbow of colors. The children are taught that they are each unique with their very own identity and set of distinct fingerprints.
Photo Caption 3
The playground called Joy’s Castle was built by a group of volunteers from Asbury United Methodist Church. The project took a month to complete prior to the opening of Little Bundles of Joy’s daycare. The children can slide, swing, climb, run, jiggle on the jiggly bridge and be pushed on the tire swing. The manicured lawn also provides a great freeze tag arena.
Call for Action
Support is needed for Little Bundles of Joy’s Free Daycare Program By Stephanie Millhouse Little Bundles of Joy has a staff of qualified volunteers and employees that work at the free daycare and store. More volunteers are always appreciated because our number of children has grown to more than 60 kids. Volunteering ranges from helping the kids with their schoolwork to helping organize a kickball game and then supervising it. Volunteers can work with groups of kids or give them one on one attention. There are opportunities to teach arts and crafts, read children’s stories, plan field trips and prepare and serve meals. Volunteers make it possible for Little Bundles of Joy to offer a free daycare program. The volunteers are the ones who can impact a child’s life by being a positive role model for them and a friend. Some people may say that you have to have a lot of experience with kids to be good at this type of job or that you need to be ready to make a huge time commitment before you decide to get involved. Neither of these aspects is required to be a volunteer at Little Bundles of Joy. If you come in with a desire to serve, you will be making a difference in children’s lives. There are different roles for everyone and dedicating a lot of time is not a necessity. Whether you volunteer one hour a week or six hours a day, your time is valued and will be put to good use. Time is the most valuable thing you can give and when you freely spend it on others, you will see how it blesses them. With so many great programs to donate your time and money too, why is Little Bundles of Joy such a good option? When you volunteer at our daycare, you can pick your hours and what activities you want to be a part of. You get to experience the children and be with them first hand. You can visually have a name and a face with the child you are spending time with, and you have the opportunity to build a relationship with him or her. To get involved as a volunteer for Little Bundles of Joy please stop by our store on Highway 72 across the street from Kohl’s, and ask to speak with the owner, Joy Bloomberg, or Stephanie Millhouse, the public relations practitioner. You may reach Millhouse at millhsj@auburn.edu or at the office telephone (956) 602-4874.
Little Bundles of Joy’s Daycare 1232 Highway 72 Madison, AL 35758 Mr. Joe Smoothie Newspaper Beat Reporter The Huntsville Times 2317 Memorial Road Huntsville, AL 36832 July 3, 2009 Dear Mr. Smoothie: Little Bundles of Joy will host a carnival to raise money to help support the children who attend its free daycare. There are more than 2,000 people who have already bought their tickets including Mayor Diana Warden and her family. The carnival will be held next Saturday on July 10, and it will last from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. There will be pony rides, a carousel, bumper cars, a ring toss, arcade games, clowns making balloons, two roller coasters, flying swings and a magic show. The famous country stars the Mason Dixon band will also be performing. Tickets are $8 a person, and all of the proceeds go to fund Little Bundles of Joy’s Daycare program. Cotton candy, popcorn, Domino’s Pizza, barbecue, Snow Biz and ice cream will be available for purchase. These companies are donating all of their profits to Little Bundles of Joy’s daycare. This story would have a high human interest level, and it would provide your audiences with a familyfriendly option for the weekend. Channel 14, FOX NEWS and CNN have already bought their tickets and have been conducting interviews for their stories. People throughout Alabama and Tennessee are traveling to Madison with their families to attend the carnival. This is the first carnival that has been put on by Little Bundles of Joy, and people are ready to show their support. Little Bundles of Joy was started two months ago by Joy Bloomberg, an orphan who grew up in Huntsville, Ala. The carnival is a way to gain awareness about Bloomberg’s toy store and the free daycare that currently takes care of 60 children, as well as earn money to keep the daycare free for the people who cannot afford it. With the prominent Mason Dixon band, well known figures attending like Mayor Warden, the massive ticket sales, traveling attendees and the cause Little Bundles of Joy stands for, writing a story that will capture readers’ attention and encourage more people to attend should be an easy task. Sincerely,
Stephanie Millhouse PR Practitioner