Christmas is coming and knowing that my some in my family do not appreciate the hand made gifts, the best thing I can do with my hand made items is donate them to those who need things like hats, gloves, scarves, afghans, shawls, etc. So below is a list of places that like hand made items and know the true value of these items.
Charity Knitting
Local Needs
Look in your own neighborhood first; most communities have service organizations that will accept knitted items. The Salvation Army, churches and synagogues, abused women's shelters, crisis pregnancy centers, homeless shelters, hospitals and animal shelters all have needs that may be met by local knitters.
In Lebanon, we have Dawn's Light at Urbancrest Baptist Church.
Other Opportunities
If you prefer to look further abroad for your charitable donations, check out the following:
Caps for Kids provides needy children with cozy hats to keep them warm. Nearly one million caps, along with other children's accessories, have been knitted and crocheted by volunteers since the program began. The hats are given to nonprofit, nondenominational agencies in the communities of the donors.
Through participating stores across the country and the organizers of the program, caps are collected and distributed to agencies serving children.
To obtain the name of a registered store in your area, write to the address below:
Newborns in Need makes and donates baby gowns, blankets, and other essential baby items to hospitals, homeless shelters and other organizations that provide for premature and newborn infants. All items are donated completely free of charge.
The Precious Pals Program was begun by The Knitting Guild of America as a means of providing immediate comfort to children in crisis, who often wonder if there is anyone who cares about them. Precious Pals let them know that they are cared about and loved. According to one police officer, the Pals are invaluable, since the children sometimes tell the animal what happened, then the animal "tells" the investigating officer.
Simply purchase (or knit!) an animal, knit an outfit for it, and bring it to the Knitting Guild's conference/convention of your choice or mail it to the address below.
The Knitting Guild of America
2692 Richmond Road, Suite 205
Lexington, KY 40509
(800) 969-6069
www.tkga.com
Warm Up America! sponsored by the Yarn Council of America, encourages participants to work with family members, neighbors and friends to make complete afghans and distribute them in their own community. When this is not possible, the Council will gladly accept sections, strips or completed afghans. They distribute the completed blankets to social service agencies that contact our office.
To participate, knit or crochet one or more 7-inch by 9-inch rectangles. Join your section to 48 others to complete a full-size afghan or send it to Warm Up America! to join. The original Warm Up America! afghan resembles a patchwork quilt of many textures and colors. Of course, you can knit or crochet more than one section or complete an entire afghan in any pattern or color yarn you wish.
Children in Common packs and sends boxes of relief supplies overseas to eastern European orphanages. These orphanages are bleak and very cold, and the children need warm hats, mittens, scarves, socks and sweaters. Items to fit any child between newborn to age 16 are needed. Socks should be for kids age 3 and older, slippers for young and old alike.
Warmth and durability should be considered and natural fibers are a real plus (wool and wool blends). Items are hand carried over to orphanages in Russia and Lithuania by parents traveling to adopt a child. They are received warmly and are most appreciated by the women who run the orphanages. Good clothing is at a minimum and children share, with no real "ownership" of items, due to their scarcity.
Children in Common
c/o Adoptions Together
5740 Executive Drive #108
Baltimore, MD 21228
410-869-0620
www.childrenincommon.org
The Hugs for Homeless Animals/Snuggles Project was founded in 1996 to comfort shelter animals. Most shelter animals are kept in areas with stainless steel braces and hard plastic flooring or even bare concrete floors. Security blankets (called "snuggles") are made from leftover scraps of yarn or fabric and donated directly to any of the participating shelters. These shelters have specifically requested snuggles and understand how they should be used. Since size and appearance do not matter, this is a good learn-to-knit project, and a good way to use up leftover yarn. Blankets should be made from acrylic yarn so they can be washed.
Suggested size guidelines are:
14 x 14-inches for cats and small animals24 x 24-inches for cats and small to medium dogs36 x 36-inches for medium to large dogs
The Web site has a list of approved shelters:
