2020 has been a year, to say the least. I had been getting caught up in the upsetting fact that I wasn't able to see my family for Thanksgiving and was feeling pretty sad and helpless in the situation the world is in now. I was talking to our neighbor coming back from a walk with Finley and he told me his wife had passed away of stage 4 brain cancer unexpectedly, then learned some co-workers recently lost their parents, and a family friend told us she had breast cancer... Hearing all of these things really put it in perspective for me. I should be (and am!) so grateful for all of my blessings and that I've been more fortunate than many with this pandemic situation. I think the helplessness and lack of seeing my family just put me in a slump.
It made me realize that even the smallest things we do can have an impact- and if you impact just one person- that make's a difference in that one person's life- and that's something! I was just feeling so helpless and wanted to do something, anything to make am impact. Instead of feeling like we can't do enough, just do what you can. I decided to start looking for charities that accepted crocheted donations and came across "Warm up America". I figured this would be perfect because we shouldn't really be going anywhere in regards to volunteering PLUS it uses up all of that leftover yarn you have laying around (and we know most crocheters have some).
(My leftover yarn bin after I made all of these squares- I have plenty more I can make!)
Warm Up America is AMAZING and makes it's so easy for anyone, anywhere and of any skill level to help! They ask for 7" x 9" squares and then assemble them into blankets to be sent to various charities. (You can also volunteer to assemble the blankets!) Some of the charities they send them to are women's shelters, nursing homes, children's hospitals, hospitals and hospices, veteran's homes, and churches. They also ask for hats, scarves, lapghans, and baby clothing- so you have many options to help.
I've been trying to use up some of my *many* bins of yarn and thought- how perfect is this? Those small leftover skeins from projects that have been just sitting there could be used to create something that could keep someone warm and hopefully make them feel better- even if it's just a little bit! I've made almost 30 squares (*rectangles) that I'm excited to send off.
Here is the site if you'd like to join the #crochetforgood movement-- Warm Up America.
Share with me your makes on social media- I'd love to see your squares of love or other #crochetforgood items. Tag me on FB @ DarlingDanaDesigns or Insta @DarlingDanaDesignsMN. Let's make an impact, one stitch at a time!
Looking for more charities? There are a lot of local charities that ask for homemade items. Here in MN we have quite a few- crocheted and knit goods are def appreciated here with the cold weather- check out the list below if you're looking for some more ideas or search for your specific state if you want to keep it local!
Where to Donate your Crocheted (or Knitted) Goods:
Warm Up America asks for squares (to make afghans), hats, lapghans, and baby clothing and sends the donations all over the country!
Hennepin Healthcare asks for hats for NICU or Cancer Patients as well as Surgery dolls and mittens for the burn unit.
Shriners Hospitals of Minneapolis asks for crochet/knit hats, scarves, mittens, booties and slippers.
Children's of Minnesota asks for crocheted or knit blankets.
Bundles of Love is looking for a variety of crocheted/knit/sewn goods to donate or sell at their craft fairs where proceeds are donated.
Operation Gratitude asks for scarves and hats to send in care packages for troops. They ask for muted colors to match uniforms- and you can include a note that get's sent in the package to the recipient- how sweet! (Thank you to a follower for sharing this one! I love to see this list grow!)
I've also reached out to local schools during hat and mitten drives- and they accept homemade items as well! The opportunities are endless!
Get out there (or stay home- there's a pandemic going on!) and make a difference. #crochetforgood
Happy Crocheting!
~Dana
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