The Penguins Don't Need Sweaters

There's a viral thing going around the Internet about how oily penguins need sweaters.  They don't.  Not anymore.  So, any sweater you donate is being sold commercially and you're knitting for who-knows-what.

However, charity crafting is awesome and I've posted individual sites before.  I'm going to put a list here of charities I have personally donated to that I feel are reputable.  There are many others, so feel free to explore but read all the fine print to make sure they aren't just taking your stuff for their own gain.  Do your research to make sure they are reputable and stable.

Some charities are for one specific purpose with a short time limit.  Some are perpetual.  Make sure you meet deadlines if there are some so it doesn't become another penguin fiasco.

Also, please consider keeping your efforts local and determine the best use for your efforts.  For example, in my area there are always food drives going on for the food bank.  But the more I learned about it I realized that I can go buy a can of soup for $1 and feed one person OR I can donate $1 to the foodbank and they can feed 10 people on that dollar.  In that case, money is better.  Way better.

So, your hat that goes off to some big company three states away will end up going who-knows-where, but your hat donated to the local children's hospital will go to a kid who needs it, a kid that's just miles from you. And what about knitting socks for people in the hospital or nursing home.  A gift to a lonely older person is such a delight and way bigger than the effort you put into your creation.  You can see the results right in front of you.

I'm not knocking donating to a big cause, I'm just saying that you need to really examine your motivation, your recipients, what you have to offer, etc and decide what you want to do after a little bit of soul searching.

Okay, now get started.  As I said, these are some of my favorites and have been tried-and-true for me:

Arkansas Children's Hospital Knitting for Noggins
Craft Hope
Knit-a-Square
More Love Letters

Another favorite of mine, but I don't know if they take crafted items:  The One, Inc.  (Meeting the needs of the rural homeless.)


Happy Crafting!  Spread the Love!

Humane Society of West Texas

My friend Ginny recently started a blog on behalf of the Humane Society of West Texas.

Most of you reading this will have your own local causes to support, but if you don't mind taking one small minute to go visit the blog and at least leave a comment to say hi or to tell her to keep up the good work or just any little thing to inspire her to keep moving... what a good deed for you to do today!

In general, humane societies do fabulous work on behalf of animals who cannot advocate for themselves. In my area in particular we do not have a humane society nearby and only got an animal shelter a few years ago. We're a small rural community with not a lot of dollars to utilize and so many, many animals are euthenized.

This is why people are such strong proponents of spay and neuter programs.

So, if you don't mind taking a moment, go give my pal Ginny a little love over at the blog for the Humane Society of West Texas. And if you know any West Texans, pass the word!

And if you want to do something local -- why not call your local shelter and ask what they need. Did you know $5 will buy a bag of cat food? Did you know it costs about $35 to spay or neuter a pet? An hour of your time per day to wash or feed animals is priceless!

[photo credit: terry bain]