Friday, January 17, 2014

Charitable Crafting Opportunities

In the new year thoughts turn to bettering ourselves and our world, so I've assembled some local opportunities to put your fibercrafting skills to charitable use.

  • Our Savior Lutheran Church of Hanover holds Disaster Relief Quilting sessions twice a month, making tied quilts for refugees and disaster victims. Their schedule is through the link; the next session is Monday, January 20th, 10-3. Most sessions are at the church, but that one will be at Dartmouth. No sewing skills are necessary! Address and directions (to the church, not the Dartmouth location).
  • The New Hampshire Children's Trust has a program called CLICK for babies in which volunteers knit or crochet purple infant hats. PURPLE is an acronym for traits of infant crying, and the goal of the hats is to remind new parents the amount of crying is normal and temporary, and prevent shaking of infants and other harmful actions. Dartmouth-Hitchcock and Alice Peck Day both participate, and finished hats may be mailed in or dropped off.
  • A group meets each Thursday evening at the VA in White River Junction to knit and crochet warm items for homeless veterans, including squares to stitch into blankets, mittens, hats, and socks. Coordinated by Margaret French, they meet 5:00-7:00 in room 215 of building 31. Address and directions.
  • Periodically White River Yarns coordinates knitting events, such as a recently completed drive to make scarves for grandmothers in Africa. To find out about other such events, sign up for their email newsletter.
  • For non-local charitable crafting opportunities, check out Crochet Spot for crochet and knitting, and All Free Sewing for sewing.

Finally, a warning about disasters, natural and otherwise: It's tempting to respond by making things and sending them, but resist! In the immediate aftermath of a disaster, the biggest need is for food, water, and repairs, and other items using up transportation and distribution resources are a hindrance rather than a help. Working locally or through an established group helps ensure your crafting skills are beneficial. Alternatively, make items to sell locally and donate the money to disaster relief.

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