Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Basics Charity Challenge - Comment Post




For the month of February I will be once again issuing a Challenge to all of you.

Last year I started the Basics Charity Challenge. You can read what sparked it here.

The response was wonderful! So many donations were made to local shelters and we gave away a lot of 'prizes as thank yous, that I've decided to do it again.

This year I have set up a Flickr group so you can upload a photo of your donations.

So what is a basic?

 In our daily lives we have a lot of things we think of as basics.
This morning you brushed your teeth with a toothbrush and tooth paste.
 You used toilet paper.
Had soap to wash your hands.
Put on some deodorant.
 Ran a brush through your hair.
Maybe took a shower with shampoo, conditioner, body wash and a razor.
Put some make-up on.
You were able to put on clean underwear and socks, that no one else has ever worn.
In the kitchen did you grab some paper towels to clean up a little spill?
At some point during the day you probably grabbed a coffee or tea.
Used some tissue to blow your nose. Maybe sanitized your hands after.
I could go on but you probably have the point by now. We have a LOT of things that we consider basics. 
  In each of our communities there are places that people don’t have the very basic things we all take for granted. Shelters- for abused women/children, homeless, men’s missions, - exist in virtual every community. They are a necessary safety net for people in our communities who for an array of reasons need help. But these shelters are almost always in need of the basic items. Many of the people have had to leave everything behind, or don’t have anything to begin with.
Last year I received many emails from people telling me how either they or someone they know had had to use a shelter, and how much these very basic items can mean.
If you are lucky enough to never had need of a shelter, are protected and loved by your spouse, been supported by family and friends, give thanks by helping those who aren’t.
Spread the word, blog, tweet, facebook, tell your guild, email your friends. Let’s see how many people we can get to help out their community. The best way to solve a problem is to be involved.


The Challenge is this:
Go drive past your nearest shelter for abused women/children or the homeless.
See if there is a sign, if not call. Ask what they need. Check online, they probably have a website and most have a list of what is needed at that particular time.
Shelters are always in need of things like paper towels, toilet paper, new underwear, new socks, diapers, new hairbrushes, shampoo, tampons/pads, baby hygiene items, hand soap/sanitizer etc
Next time you are at the store pick up a few of the items for the list. Take a picture of the items and then go drop them off at the shelter or drop off point.
 
If your community doesn’t have a shelter, or its location is confidential and there is no drop off point for donations, you can donate through the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.Or in Canada the United Way provides funds to many shelters. If  you are international there is the Red Cross.
 Add your picture to the Flickr group so you can upload a photo of your donations. If you don't have an account, they're free, you can email me the picture and I will put it up for you. You can also send me the picture to upload if you wish to be anonymous. Leave a comment on this post telling me you did, with your flickr id or the first part of your email address.The flickr pictures are NOT a requirement.
In advance Thank you. Thank you for caring for your community members, for taking the time to donate.

Note- the code for the button is
<a href="http://www.caraquilts.com" title="Basic Charity Challenge 2012 by cara quilts, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7023/6756949067_e292530f91_o.png" width="159" height="146" alt="Basic Charity Challenge 2012"></a>

The prizes!
More are coming!




Kate Spain is donating a jelly roll of Fandango!


Robert Kaufman fabrics is donating 2 fat quarter bundles!




C & T Publishing (Stash Books) is donating 2 books (ebooks if non-US winner)



Fat Quarter Shop is giving prizes!
Photobucket


Rachel Griffith of p.s.i.quilt is donating some of her patterns!

Kelly from I Have A Notion is donating 2 prizes!

Cloud 9 Fabrics is donating!


Marmalde Fabrics is donating a $40 gift certificate again this year!

Sew Chelle is donating a $20 g.c as well!

Robin Wilson is giving away some King Tut from Superior Threads, from her shop, Ormondbeach!

I expect like last year we'll have more prizes soon!!

32 comments:

@pril said...

What a great idea!

@pril
KoolBeenz-blog.blogspot.com
For-the-Love-of-Pie.blogspot.com

Kristy said...

This is wonderful!!! I'm sharing a link on my facebook page now and will also share on my blog soon too! Love to see this and the challenge to others! :)

Katina said...

I emailed you a picture. Thanks for reminding us to share!!

Brita said...

What a great challenge. I enjoy keeping up with your blog, so here's the Versatile Blogger Award: http://scrapsofhappiness.blogspot.com/2012/02/versatile-blogger-award-what.html

grendelskin said...

Last year I donated a quilt to my favorite safe-house fundraising auction after taking a Laurie Schiffrin class and producing a batik lovely. This year I took a class on Judy Niemeyer's "Total Eclipse" pattern, again all in batiks, so I guess I know where this one needs to go! WIP photo in the Flickr pool.

Paige said...

I found your blog through Quilt Dad's post. I love this idea and will be checking into my local shelters and their needs! starfishlover615 at hotmail dot com

nlcalendar said...

I love your idea of Charity quilts - the group I belong to make "Comfort Quilts" for many, many people. Last year we made 30+ and this year 5 so far. About one/week.

Jocelyn said...

Fun!! A few years ago I committed my stash-spending to spoil a Single Mom at a local residence that helps women transition from shelters to their own apartments. It was great fun and I've kept it up each Christmas since. This past year was very thin for me financially, so I got a local salon to donate a few manicures and babysat the kids so their mom's could go get pampered. :)

quilterliz said...

Count me in! What a good project!

Marlene@FlareFabrics said...

Michelle at Quilt Gallery pointed me your way. What a wonderful idea. It's always important to remember how much we have - and how little it can take to make help someone else,

kinter said...

What about cash donations? Do those count? How many entries?

kinter said...

No, sorry, I meant how many entries are we allowed to do? That last comment makes me sound awful! ;-)

Nanbon44 said...

I have been donating for years with my Mom. three years ago I joined a online group that cross stitches squares and they are sent to be made to quilts. I started stitching for them and when they needed someone to quilt I stepped in. to date I have made 50 quilts using the squares they stitch. The World of Charity Stitching is the groups name, here is there web site. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WOCS/
you can also visit WOCS blog at http://www.worldofcharitystitching.blogspot.com/ or visit my site at nanbon44.blogspot.com to see the quilts that are made and donated to ill children, abused women and children's shelter or seniors in a nursing home.

maeve said...

Wonderful that so many are participating in such an effort. I am on the board of a free medical clinic and annually at Christmas we fill clear bags full of personal items (all donated by people in the community) to include the things you mentioned plus socks, gloves, and so on, and we give a bag as a little token of the joy of Christmas to each patient. We have over 3,500 patients. So I love what you are doing here, it's such a great thing! All of us here are blessed to have enough that we can share with someone else.

Kristy said...

I've shared the challenge several times on facebook and posted on my blog today! Thanks for inspiring us all to THINK & GIVE!

Peggy said...

I have been cross stitching and sewing for charity for four years and also belong to the groups, World of Charity Stitching and Love Quilts. Stitching for charity has brought tranquility and a sense of peace to my life, where before I was just going through the motions. I am also sewing some baby bibs for Kristy's Hopeful Threads posting - so far only one is sewn, but I have cut out two more and will be making several to send to China for those sweet babies. I hope to even get my granddaughter to help make some of them.
Peggy
peggy_verdongibbs@att.net
http://keepmeinstitches-peggy.blogspot.com

Peggy said...

I posted your button on my blog too.
Thanks, Peggy
peggy_verdongibbs@att.net
http://keepmeinstitches-peggy.blogspot.com

KatieQ said...

I've been meaning to do a blog post about the challenge all month. I finally managed to write one today.

http://saltmarshpath.blogspot.com/2012/02/caras-basics-charity-challenge.html
I have my donation items ready to go. I just need some tote bags to put them in. I'll post a picture to the flicker group as soon as they are packed.

Cassandra {Sleeping or Sewing} said...

Just got home from dropping my donation off at SafePlace. Since I recently lost my job so I shopped my pantry, closet, and supply closet. When stuff is on sale I buy extra stuff so it's just parting with extra unused/unopened items.

I need a new business/office wardrobe so I donated several (in great condition) dress slacks/skirts/shirts that were either too big, or too small.

Thanks for the inspiration to give. I may be out of a job, but I'm still blessed, and have to remember things could always be worst. :-)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/57787703@N05/6916494725/in/photostream

Dana - Old Red Barn Co. said...

My friend Sally (grendleskin) gave me the heads up on this great challenge earlier today via email. I was at the grocery store when I got the email so added a cartful of paper goods to my order and drove the stuff directly to our local battered women's shelter. Not because I need to win prizes . . . but because it is a good thing to do. Also, I've shared the info on my QAL group on Flickr (1700+ members) and will FB and Tweet about it right as soon as I'm done here! :)

Jolene said...

I uploaded a pic of 2 nicu baby quilts so far. I have more planned.... I have a personal connection for the baby quilts, so I want them to be extra special. jojojomaba

supersara20 said...

I donated $50 to the local food bank. Obviously I don't want to post a picture of the check... how can I enter without doing that?

~Laurie~ said...

Finally got my donations together - going to drop them off this week! I will add my picture to your Flickr group :)

Kritta22 said...

I donated a lap size quilt to the cancer center in my town

tisha @ quiltytherapy said...

I dropped off my donation to the Wheeler Mission in Indy.

Jodi - usairdoll said...

Just emailed you a photo of food dropped to Sacramento Food Bank.

Thank you Cara for reminding us to share and think of others. Thank you Sponsors for supporting Cara and her Basic Charity Challenge 2012.

usairdoll(at)gmail(dot)com

Beth said...

This is such a lovely idea. I've been intending all month to post the photos of my donations, and here I am at the last minute letting you know that my pics are on Flickr under the user name wordy_girl. I chose a local shelter, Turning Point, and a charitable organization about an hour away in Portland--they'll be accepting my Bernina Bernette. Thanks for doing this, Cara! I've marked my daytimer for next year, to get an earlier start.

Beth said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jacqueline said...

So of course I forgot to photo the box and of course before my friend got to work the volunteers had put everything away. However, the local shelter rec 15 zippy pouches, tooth paste, tooth brushes, deodorant, hair brushes, travel size shampoo & conditioner. All items were donated by local businesses - with the exception of the zippies - I made those. =) I hope they are well loved.

KatieQ said...

I dropped my items off at the Danbury Women's Shelter yesterday. Unfortunately, the flicker group will not let me add my photos. The 2 photos can be found at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33403505@N08/6938448623/in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33403505@N08/6938403021/

The director was very gracious. She told me she was on her way to the shelter and would deliver them to women she knew would enjoy them. I foolishly thought the administrative building also housed families. Due to the personal situations that brought many of the women to the shelter, they are housed at an undisclosed location. I never really thought about the need for secrecy because I've never been in that situation. Another wake up call for me. Thank you Cara for hosting this challenge again this year.

Shannon said...

At the beginning of the month, I donated our dishes, and an extra set of silverware, and a toaster oven to our midwives. They are opening a birth center so they can serve more families. They do whatever they can to take a woman on as a client, regardless of financial situation. I admire these ladies so much, and I am so grateful for them. The silverware I received as a bridal shower gift from my husband's now-deceased grandmother. She was such a cool lady. But there's no reason I should have two full sets of silverware, and I know this gift will be cherished. I'll probably get new dishes eventually, but for now we are using my grandmother's china, which has been fun. Isn't it fun how much you can receive, by giving things away? Thanks for your work to do the Basics Challenge Cara!

Pam @Threading My Way said...

I've joined in with Kristy, from Hopeful Threads and have made some bibs for children undergoing cleft palate surgery with Love Without Boundaries. I've uploaded a photo to Flickr... Threading My Way