Rad Bad Beanies

14, count 'em, 14 Rad Bad Beanies for the cause. Please, please if you have some extra hats to donate give this charity a look see and send them a couple of hats. Those kids really appreciate the love.
Peace~ Dawn

AnySoldier.com

Regardless of your views on the war, the fact is we have troops who could use our verbal and practical support. I found this organization on the web, and when I tooled around a bit, saw that some troops are requesting socks for cold feet. Or stitch up some sachet bags with sweet smelling potpourri as air freshener (I noticed air freshener was on almost all the lists of special requests). I think I might make some rice bags as heat therapy for sore muscles. The desert gets so cold at night, and their trailers and tents aren't exactly the coziest.

Maybe you could knit a few pairs of socks and send them to someone from your home state. Check it out. Very informative, personal, and heartwarming. www.anysoldier.com

Charity that takes Quilt Squares?

Okay, I've been very dilatory this year. Downright negligent in my charity crafting.
I sort of went on sabbatical after making so much stuff to fund our missions trip to Russia.
But I am ready to hunker down at my sewing machine, since I don't knit or crochet.

Anyone know of a charity that takes quilt squares? I have pretty much concluded that it takes
so much time for me to do a whole quilt (the way I like, that is) that I can't stick to a 25 things commitment unless I break down my goals into smaller bits. Hence, squares instead of whole quilts.

Sure, I could scour sites on my own, but I really prefer word-of-mouth advertising, so to speak.
Ideally, a charity that:
-serves cold countries
-isn't terribly popular (and therefore in greater need, perhaps)
-has a web site of pictures
-communicates personally with donors , if possible

Thanks, everyone.

SOLAK Quilt Square #1

I finished my first project for charity. I know I'm way behind for stitching 25 things this year, but thought I'd get a start, so I could go into the new year with a strong start.

I stitched this for SOLAK (Stitches of Love and Kindness) which stitch quilts for kids.

Rad Bad Beanies Project

Rad Bad Beanies Project wants to collect 24 beanies by January 1, 2008. Beanies can be knit, crocheted, or sewn. Acrylic yarn is preferred (easy to wash) and use fleece for the sewn beanies.

Just one more week left to go in the 25 Things for Charity contest. Remember, sending something to the Rad Bad Beanies Project or Afghans for Afghans will count as two entries.

My Homeless Project

I am so excited to be a part of this group! I had been feeling a little overwhelmed with the enormity of my self imposed task of making hats for the homeless. It is nice to be a part of a large group of people who help others in need.

I have to step onto my soap box for a moment so please bear with me.

I am a 911 dispatcher so I am very conscious of the number of people out there that are living in the streets. No - not the actual statistics - but the real live people that have nowhere to go. It is absolutely heart breaking.

A lot of the people I see are homeless because they have no choice, down on their luck through a series of misfortunes beyond their control. Some of them, many of the ones that I see in my lobby, are people that are not all together there. Some are even wards of another state that have wandered away. Harmless but displaced, and in need of help. How does a ward of the state become homeless??? Isn't there a system in place for these people? Do the courts just say "Ok, now your a ward of the State, See ya!" and send them out the door??? It really ticks me off.

This is the worst time of year, it is starting to get cold the P.A.D.S Shelters (Public Action to Deliver Shelter and Supportive Services) are just now opening up, and their locations change every night of the week. I guess in the warmer months people are supposed to fend for themselves. I wish we had a better system in this country.

When I see a homeless person at Thanksgiving and Christmas it tears me up. Sometimes empathy is replaced with sympathy, but I am only human. It is worse when they have children.
Many of us will purchase a meal for the unfortunate soul we come across prior to taking them to the next shelter. Shelters will only take pre packaged foods, I can understand their reason behind it but it is a shame we are not able give them more, we get a lot of gifts of food that cannot be given to a shelter.

Back in September or early October we had a cold spell, and a homeless man in our lobby for the night. I had been making scarves out of my stash yarn and decided to donate them. Then I saw this man in the lobby and I thought how he is here because he is cold and has nowhere to go, the shelter is not open yet.

It was then as I left the building for the night and walked past this man sleeping in the lobby that I decided hats would be of more use than a scarf.

I currently have 9 hats for donation, I would have had more but I needed to take care of my kids winter covering needs too.

And 5 scarves, I figure a woman would be more likely to wear a scarf than a man, especially since all but one is of the fluffy kind. I had hoped to have more completed by now, because I want to take some to the shelter in the next week or so. That's a total of 14 items so far! ( I love the no rule - rule)
Hats have become my constant take a long project. I have a lot of synthetic yarn that be a good wash and wear type hat, and hopefully warm enough to make a difference in someones comfort. It makes a good "smuggle into work project" and fits nicely in my lunch box.



Hats are not on the P.A.D.S. wish list but I am sure they will be happy to accept them. I was also hoping to enlist the aid of some of my knitting and crocheting friends, but so far I have not be able to generate any help.
My 16 year old nephew and his friends have crochet night (go figure) and they are all self taught crocheters. I am thinking maybe I can enlist their help this winter, they are all pretty charity minded. A couple of years ago they went door to door to collect food items for the local food pantry. Good boys, they are!
Anyone wishing to add a hat to my basket is more than welcome to look me up at Nat Red Knits or send me an email.

Stepping down from the soapbox now.

Can't look at these without smiling

Baby socks for the current focus project for Afghans for Afghans. Great way to use up left over sock yarn and really just so damn cute to look at.
Diane

Two New Members

Welcome to Mary Jo and Jeanne!

Don't forget, the contest goes until November 30th.

~ Cindy

Spitfire

I stitched this for Macauley at StitchForPleasureStitchForCharity who was looking for transportation items.

This is my first posting here so I hope I did this right.

This Blog Gets National Notice!

Hi Everyone!

I want to thank EVERYONE for all their efforts they have been doing not only for San Diego Wild Fire Blankets Project but for all the charities that we touch!

I also wanted to let everyone know that our group has recieved a bit of national attention so hopefully we will have more people joining us soon. Please check out the following article: Giving meets Web 2.0 by Amy Houk from MarketWatch for Dow Jones

And thank you again EVERYONE that is helping every charity!! You all ROCK!! - GeorgeAnne

Just too cute

Baby socks for Afghans for Afghans for their current challenge. The foot is 3". I think my family is over thinking that me putting them on my fingers and walking across the table is cute.
Diane

Scarves, Scarves, and more Scarves!

i have been on a huge scarf kick in the last few weeks. here they are:






there is one more but i have not taken a picture of it yet! it is black, white, and grey. these scarves and a bunch more that my church knitting group is working on are going to a local charity here in nashville called Room in the Inn (RITI). Here is a description of the program as well as last year's statistics:

It works like this: Each day, the 12 to 14 churches offering shelter that night are listed on a large board; most churches are asked to provide shelter one night a week. As homeless people report to Room in the Inn for shelter, they are entered into the computer system, which assigns them to one of the churches at random. Each church provides transportation, a hot evening meal and breakfast, and a warm, safe place to sleep.

In the past year,
28,522 beds were provided to
1,033 different individuals
(46% first-time guests)

More than 150 congregations served 72,217 meals
16,804 snacks and offered
12,658 showers

29,373 volunteers provided
11,030 hours and drove 155,242 miles in order to offer safe shelter for the homeless in Nashville.

here is their website: http://www.chd-nashville.org/room-in-the-inn.html

my church has long been involved in this wonderful ministry. we host 12 men once a month. i wish we could do more but we are a VERY small congragation and are doing all we can do! these scarves are likely to go to the homeless women who are also aided by this program. let me know if you have any questions!

i blog here: http://midwifeknits.blogspot.com/

Mother Bear Project

I was doing some stumbling and found this great charity project. It is called Mother Bear Project. This charity sends hand knit or crocheted bears to kids with HIV/AIDS.

This site has a great photo gallery where you can see the kids with their donated bears. You have to check it out.

A New Member

Welcome to Linda!

A reminder our 25 Things for Charity contest is on! Read more about it here.

SAN DIGEO WILD FIRES BLANKET PROJECT

I HAVE 5-8IN. SQUARES AND 2 BABY BLANKETS TO SEND TO THE SAN DEIGO WILD FIRE BLANKET PROJECT.


HERE IS THE LINK IF ANYONE WANTS TO DONATE.

I'LL TRY TO GET THESE IN THE MAIL MONDAY.

HERE IS THE LINK TO MY BLOG.