Sewing for Haiti
I know there are a lot of sewers/craftsters here. This would be a good chance to combine your talents with your compassion. Send me a message or leave a comment if you want to get involved with this project. Thanks.
I originally posted the following on my personal blog: gu-choki-pa.blogspot.com
Like you, I've been deeply affected by this news. Besides for the financial support that I donated to the American Red Cross, I (like you) want to do more to help. I may be limited by means and materials, but I do have a stash of fabric and a sewing machine. A while back there was a project for sending baby caps to Haiti and I was thinking of doing something similar. Perhaps baby blankets? I'm no quilter but I think I could manage some simple baby quilts. I'll keep looking for an organization to contribute this to but in the meantime, I can get sewing. Would you care to join me? We could pool our blankets and send them in one package to make it easier.
Edited to add: Thanks to a tip, I found this site: Craft Hope with an address for Giving Children Hope. Problem solved. Now let's get sewing/knitting/making.
Edited (again) to add a comment left by Jenise from Giving Children Hope:
"Hi, this is Jenise from Giving Children Hope. You can see our news report here http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=weather/earthquake_center&id=7... and the story on our website here http://www.gchope.org/earthquake-rocks-haiti.html
Yes, this is a community effort. The story is so heart-breaking I keep bursting into tears. It is tragic. If you can help - we all need to help Haiti!"
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to find an organization that accepts material donations. i remember looking when teh tsunamis happened a few years ago and coming up empty.
organizations that seemed pretty ethical and did good were:
american friends service committee
my local red cross happened to be a very large regional one, so they accepted clothing. but i was actually lukewarm about that particular organization, so i looked and looked. the closest thing was the Friends in philadelphia, but that was almost 100 miles from me. most organizations ask for money. it sucks, but that's what they do.
a lot of people, when katrina happened, just formed their own organizations. they scraped it all together and had stuff shipped or just brought truckloads of water and food themselves. you may have to do that. i know it's another country but it's probably that, or donating cash.
i would donate, but i just unloaded most of my possessions and i don't have anything left to give.
and i wish more organizations would accept them. it's a sad fact taht nonprofit agencies do make deals, and do take a substantial cut for themselves. when you give $100, about $30 or even less is spent on material goods for people in need. but when you give a hat, someone somewhere gets a hat. direct is way better. plus it doesn't only involve people with disposable income, of whom i am not one. so right now i'm at a loss, with no money, and little in terms of material goods.
anyway, i believe most of the reason they want money is so they can take some for their administrative costs, i.e. their own salaries. it sucks, but it's true and you just have to do some poking around to find the least of all evils, kwim?
i think you're doing a great thing.
I would love to help. I just got a sewing machine again, and I'm praying it works. The thrift store man said it does, so here's hoping. If you start up anything or know of a way to help, let me know.
A friend of mine started a project in Haiti building water towers for fresh water. I'm hoping he'll have a way to get needed items to the people.
My heart hurts. I have little money but I can make a little time and a little blanket, hat, dress, whatever.
Keep us posted!
"Thou shalt not" might reach the head, but it takes "Once upon a time..." to reach the heart. -Philip Pullman
a couple more organizations for people who are donating cash and want choices:
edited to remove the link to yele haiti. i just read that it's a scam, set up by wycleff jean, and it's under investigation for funneling money to him and a member of its board.
classy, wyclef. real fucking classy.
another edit:
i feel a bit bad for repeating that up there, i just read his denial of any wrongdoing and i'm wondering if the shit he's getting from the government has to do with his organization being independent of USAID or the other big orgs that play ball.
i don't know if anyone was reading it or not, being that most of you are making stuff rather than making cash donations, but i wanted to clear that up since it is public and all that.
i'd love to join in! i agree 100% with what you said: "it's a human longing that stems from our hearts and i think clicking "donate" on websites doesn't satisfy that urge completely. so i am trying to balance their needs with my needs. my hands want to help and sewing is a small, simple act that i can do for the good of someone else." so true, and so elequently put, mama.
i was going to post the craft hope link on facebook with your quote as a reminder to people that there's more they can do than just donate $$, but the link here seems to be busted. i had another idea though, that could reach alot of people fairly quickly: what about starting a Crafters For Hope facebook group?? it would be a quick and easy way to communicate with everyone who wants to join you, and you'd be able to reach aloooot of people. if you're not on interested in doing that i think i may start it myself, if you don't mind? your idea is wonderful and could really have a big impact if it were to reach alot of people!
hey:
sorry about the link, i fixed it. i give you permission (not that you needed it 
) to start a facebook group. i am not a big facebooker and only use it to network with fellow teachers. i'll join the group though if you make it. that's a great idea. craft for hope is doing a different project (an etsy shop with donated handmade goods + profits go to doctors without borders) which is equally cool but i don't think i have the energy to make anything that someone would want to buy (i have high standards). i did get a comment from children for hope that i added to the original message above. i like their work so i think it is a worthy organization. thanks for helping me with this. we could also start a flickr group of our finished goods to generate ideas and motivation. i look forward to seeing what everyone makes. take care.
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money is definitely what they need right now. some other good organizations are doctors without borders and partners in health.
my reasoning for thinking of making baby blankets (or small patchwork blankets) is that there are going to be homeless families and orphans. i remember the earthquake in kashmir left thousands of children without families. at times like these, i think we want to act immediately in a physical way. which is why people really want to volunteer and physically be present. it's a human longing that stems from our hearts and i think clicking "donate" on websites doesn't satisfy that urge completely. so i am trying to balance their needs with my needs. my hands want to help and sewing is a small, simple act that i can do for the good of someone else.