Charity Crafting - Part 1

This term any Quidditch item donated to charity will receive bonus points. It's a great way to craft for those in need and earn some extra points for Hufflepuff. To help you find places to send these items the Huffleblog staff has done some research and complied a list of some favorite charities of our fellow housemates. The response was overwhelming so this is the first installment of charity knitting groups. Look for more coming next week!

Knitters for Newtown
Website: Knitters for Newtown
Ravelry Group: Knitters for Newtown
Items Accepted: 8"x8" Blanket Squares
Sharon of Three Irish Girls began this charity after the Newtown, CT shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school. Their goal is to give handmade blankets to the mothers (and other family members if enough squares are collected) of the victims. They hope for these blankets to be sent around Mother's Day. They have a contact who will make sure the blankets get to the correct families and don't languish in a warehouse somewhere. The squares need to be 8"x8" and be delivered to Three Irish Girls by March 31st so they can be assembled in time.
Sharon has also released two exclusive colorways and 20% of the sales price is being donated to the Sandy Hook School Support Fund. They have already donated their goal of $10,000 but the colorways and direct donation options are still on the website so money is still being collected.
 
Bundles of Joy
Ravelry Group: Bundles of Joy
Items Accepted: Baby items including blankets, sweaters, hats, outfits, socks, snug sacks, mittens, and more
Co-founded by msoyster, a Hufflepuff! This charity benefits the OB ward at the Pine Ridge Indian Health Services Hospital in South Dakota. Most babies born at the hospital live in severe poverty and without handmade and store bought items donated would go home in only a diaper. Donations for the OB Ward are taken year round and they also do other collections for different age groups at the Pine Ridge Reservation

Mittens for Akkol
Ravelry Group: Mittens for Akkol
Items Accepted: Socks, vests, sweaters, mittens, scarves, and hats knit in 75% or greater wool or animal fiber for children ages 3 to 16 (especially items size 8 to adult are needed for the older children)
Mittens for Akkol was originally founded to knit mittens for children in the orphanage in Akkol, Kazakhstan and has since expanded into other items. In Akkol snow begins to fall in August and melts in April. Temperatures in the midwinter can reach -40 degrees farenheit. Because of this items must be extremely warm and made with at least 75% animal fibers. Mittens for Akkol also puts together coordinating knit sets for graduates of the orphanage and includes personal notes to the graduates encouraging them in life after the orphanage.

afghans for Afghans
Website: afghans for Afghans
Ravelry Group: Fans of afghans for Afghans
Items Accepted: Blankets (complete, not squares), sweaters, vests, hats, mittens and socks in adult and child sizes. Please use animal fibers.
afghans for Afghans brings comfort and warmth to the adults and children of Afghanistan who suffer from war, oppression, poverty, and sickness. They run many campaigns throughout the year which can be found on their website and their Ravelry group.

Knit-a-Square
Website: Knit-a-Square
Ravelry Group: Knit-a-Square
Items Accepted: 8"x8" blanket squares are the main focus but they also accept hats, sweaters, toys, and more.
Knit-a-Square uses blanket squares to construct blankets for AIDS orphans in South Africa. There are 1.4 million orphans in South Africa and many lost parents to the AIDS epidemic. These blankets bring children warmth and comfort as do many other hand knit items.

600 Monsters Strong
Ravelry Group: 600 Monsters Strong
Items Accepted: Handmade stuffed toys. Please read pattern guidelines on the Ravelry group first
600 Monsters Strong began with the desire to knit or crochet a stuffed animal for each child affected by the Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting and now strives to bring monster friends to any child affected by gun violence and other traumatic events.

Handmade Especially for You
Website: Handmade Especially for You
Ravelry Group: Handmade Especially for You
Items Accepted: Scarves and yarn to make scarves
Handmade Especially For You provides hand made scarves to women who have escaped abuse. Many of the women who receive these scarves have never received a gift, not to mention a hand made one. When they arrive at shelters often all they have is the clothes on their backs and their children. These scarves are often very comforting, and celebrate the women entering a new stage of their lives.

Mother Bear Project
Website: Mother Bear Project
Ravelry Group: Mother Bear Project
Items Accepted: Hand-knit and crocheted bears but you must use one of their patterns
The Mother Bear Project provides handmade bears to children in Africa, primarily ones who have been affected by the AIDS epidemic. You must use a pattern from the Mother Bear Project which are available for $3 on their website or in the Knitting for Peace book. Pictures of children receiving their bears are posted in the website.

There are many other knitting/crochet charities out there. Feel free to keep sending them to baxgirl by PM on Ravelry for the next charity post! Also, don't forget your local charities. Contact maternity wards regarding donations of baby items, shelters regarding warm clothing and accessories, animal shelters regarding pet toys, or anything else you can think of!