The Guild’s Charities
Posted November 9th, 2006 by paulettel
The Guild’s Charities is one of 9 posts by paulettel.
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The West Coast Knitters Guild supports several charities, here is an overview of what their goals are and how our members contribute to them.
CHIMO Crisis Services, Nova House
Nova House, a transition house for abused women and children is the guild’s main charity. Year round we knit afghans, and garments for the residents but we also sell knitted items. All proceeds raised are donated to CHIMO for Nova House. The WCKG was recognized as a silver level sustaining donor in 2003 and a bronze level sustaining donor in 2004.
Project Linus & Project Linus Canada
Members knit small Linus blankets year round, but on Make a Blanket Day in February, we knit our blankets in public. In 2003 we tried to complete a 12 square blanket from 9:30 AM until 5:00 PM. Members knit squares in the morning and as they were finished, the squares were joined. By 5:00 PM only 2 rows remained to be joined.
Project Linus Be Blanketeer Day is held annually on the third Saturday in February.
ICROSS
International Community for the Relief of Starvation and Suffering
Small knitted dollies are used as packing material around medicines sent to Kenya. Members knit and contributed close to 100 dollies.
Salvation Army Knit for Kids
Lewsicraft stores across Canada collect hats, scarves, mitts, socks and sweaters year round for the Salvation Army Knit for Kids program. From October to early December, Lewiscraft will refund the cost of certain yarns used to knit a garment for Knit for Kids.
On the first Saturday in October, WCKG members knit all day at Lewsicraft in Richmond Centre to launch the Knit for Kids program. Sadly with the closing of Lewiscraft in 2006, this event no longer continues. However, the Salvation Army continues to receive handmade items for the needy year round.
Teddies for Tragedies
The people who care for children in third world countries are asking for knitted teddy bears. They have found that children who have a teddy to cuddle get better quicker than those who don’t have one. Each child keeps his/her own teddy to take home, so doctors need a continual supply.
If you would like to help us in our support of these charities, or would like to let us know about another charity with a knitting connection, please contact us. To support any of these charities directly, please follow the links to their websites for more information. And remember that with donation matching programs or bulk purchasing, every dollar you donate can sometimes mean 2 or 3 times as much in value for the charity’s programs.
