Project #9: Idaho - Northwest Children's Home

Ready, Set, GO!
On to Idaho! This month, BlueRaven has suggested that we send our items to Northwest Children’s Home, Inc. in Lewiston. The Home has been helping orphaned, abandoned and abused children since 1908.

The home has undergone many changes over the last 100 years, and has even endured through location changes, changes in child protection laws, and expansion efforts.

“Today, as Northwest Children’s Home looks forward to its second century, it has come a long way from its original mission as an orphanage and home finder for abandoned children. The change from custodial care to treatment programs that had its genesis in the 1930s has resulted in a constant evolution in how the children’s home operates.”

What we are making for THIS PROJECT:
hats
scarves
mittens/gloves
or if you wish, socks and/or slippers

As always, these can be knitted, crocheted, or sewn, and they must be handmade. If you do not knit, crochet, or sew, you can still be involved by purchasing a handmade item from one of the wonderful sellers on Etsy or Artfire. Or, ask a friend to make the item and you provide shipping - then you both get to participate!

DEADLINE:
Deadline to have these items received by the project coordinator is July 15, so please allow appropriate mail time.

As stated above, our volunteer coordinator for this project is BlueRaven for the collection and tally, and knitsforpits will be doing the delivery. The mailing address for this will be announced in the next few days, so stay tuned!

Please let me know if there are any questions, or if I have left out any vital information for this project. Thank you again for your participation!

This project has finished. If you would like to send an item, please email me for the mailing address.

Calling all Suggestions!

Okay, team! I need to flesh out Project #7, and need some suggestions. It will begin just after April 15, so I would like to get it set up within the next week. Prior scheduling has fallen through a bit.

I had a suggestion for North Carolina by a person who is no longer a participant in the project.

I had a suggestion for Wisconsin, but the person suggesting has not been an active participant, so I am still not settled on that state's suggestion.

PurpleMoose made a suggestion for California Lilybugs, but I don't know if we have any members near there.

So, up to now, I have structured the months so that we would have a volunteer coordinator collect, tally, and deliver for us. The perks were that we got an accurate count and some nice photos. This method required that we have suggestions for charities near the home of someone who was willing to be a volunteer.

Since I don't have any current volunteers, and am stalled on projects and states, I think we are going to change it up a bit. We can coordinate with the charity directly, and mail our items to the organization (attn: to whomever is our contact there), with tags that say Sharing Our Gifts, and ask that they hold them all in a group until the end of the month (we specify the date) and then they can tally for us and give us a final count. This will ensure delivery date and relieve the burdens of volunteer coordinating. If the organizations are willing, we might ask them for a final photo of the items as a group.

What do you think?
Do we want to do Lilybugs in CA for this next project, and just deal directly with a member of the organization?

That is the direction in which I am leaning...suggestions appreciated.

POST EDIT:
We have decided to move forward with the current structure in place. We are still going to have a volunteer editor each month to collect, tally, and deliver items to the charity organization. We may have project #7 covered in Colorado with a volunteer coordinator in place. We are working to locate a non-profit in Denver, Colorado that accepts and distributes helmet liners for troops. Stay tuned!

We have had a generous offer by PurpleMoose in Alaska to receive, tally, and ship all items from Alaska to the project state if we lack a volunteer at any time. I hope we do not have to take her up on that offer, but I am grateful all the same.

Happily awaiting all suggestions from all states,
and volunteer(s) offering to coordinate those state(s).

Sharing Our Gifts with Haiti

I have been wondering what I might do to help in Haiti. Having been hit with unemployment by this economy, I do not have funds to send. I have been told by former president Bush to "just send your cash" instead of any blankets or water. (Yahoo news story; Obama, Bush, Clinton)

So, that leaves me aching for those hurt by this tragedy, with no way to help. Today, Craft Hope has provided me with an answer. Craft Hope has opened an Etsy shop called Craft Hope for Haiti, and this shop is run completely on donated items. The full proceeds of sales from this shop will go to the Doctors Without Borders Haiti relief effort.

In just 24 hours, the Craft Hope for Haiti Etsy shop had 162 sales and raised just around $4,000. At the time of this posting, the shop is up to 227 sales! That is a wonderful statistic, and I hope to help keep it growing. In addition, Craft Hope has added a section in the Etsy shop called "kid craft," so if you know any crafty kids who want to get in on helping the Haiti relief effort, here is their opportunity.

Thank you Craft Hope for starting this shop and
giving us another outlet where we may share our gifts,
even when we may be unable to share funds.

Project #2 has been delivered!

Purplemoose of Ravelry has delivered our donations to the Lee Shore Center! They were very happy to receive such a generous helping of warm goodies from all of you wonderful participants. Thank you for your ongoing support.

I love that we have made a difference in the lives of others just by doing something we already love to do. It is like sending bits of love to float around in the universe where they will bump into other bits and spread a little happiness.The final count:

Hats: 30
Mitten pairs: 13
Scarves: 3
Headbands: 3
Slippers: 2 pair

I know we are all busy through the holidays,
but I thank you all for your donations and for
joining in this project with me!

Maggpie's Hat

photo, copyright © maggpie

I have received this very Smart Hat from Maggpie on Ravelry. It is called Smart Hat, and the pattern is available for free download on Ravelry. It is like Christmas in October around here, but I get to have the dual excitement of receiving the gifts and opening the mail packages AND playing St. Nick and delivering them to their future owners.

I LOVE mail, I LOVE yarn, I LOVE textures, and I LOVE giving. Now, I have it all wrapped up on one project. I am loving this arrangement. I will not be the direct mail recipient for all the projects, so will not always get to have such fun and excitement from the post box.

Thank you, Maggpie, for this wonderful hat! It is soft, bulky, and a wonderfully manly color. I am certain that the Veteran receiving this one will appreciate all your hard work.

How are your projects working up?
Have you tweeted the Project today?

Stripey goes to Sacramento

Just wanted to share with you the finished donation sock monkey for the Craft Hope Project #4. He is complete and went out in the mail yesterday to his destination. Amilia fell in love with him and gave him a very warm goodbye. We sent him off with loving thoughts and a note to his new human.

Hop on over to Craft Hope and see the photos of the 101 monkeys they have already received...