If you've got some time and room on your needles (or hook or under your presser foot), please consider participating in a drive to provide handknit (or crocheted or sewn) items for homeless teens through a shelter in New York City called
Sylvia's Place. Sylvia's Place is an emergency shelter open 365 days a year, from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. It provides food, beds, clothing, showers and other services for teens who have three strikes against them: they are young, they are homeless and they are gay/lesbian/bi/transgendered. One aspect that is especially fun from the crafter's standpoint is that there is so much flexibility in what you can make to help:
- Sweaters
- Hats
- Scarves/Shawls/Shrugs
- Mittens
- Gloves/Fingerless Gloves
- Legwarmers
- Socks
- Slippers
- Blankets/Afghans
- Pillows/Throw Pillows/Pillowcases
- Washcloths/Dishcloths/Dish Towels
- Bags (Market bags/Handbags/Tote bags)
If you belong to Ravelry, you can go to the stickied thread in the Knitters for Obama group and read more about it. There is a mailing address in the introduction to the thread. The shelter is in need of items on an on-going basis, so you can mail whatever you wish to send whenever you finish it. I've already done some hats and am going to figure out some other items to make. Machine wash is good but not essential, so long as you tag the items that need handwashing.
We're also collecting handmade stuffed animals and toys for neglected and abused children in the Chicago area, and there is a separate stickied thread with the details on that collection.
Both collections are going to continue through the summer, so if you're looking for small, portable projects to knit while traveling or in the park or on the beach, a quick hat or set of fingerless gloves would be just the ticket.
UPDATED: Just learned that the month of June has been
declared "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month" by President Obama. Perfect tie-in, no?
3 comments:
thanks, carol...I was looking for something small whilst tending the TNNA booth (#953 if anyone is interested in stopping by).
this year marks the 40th anniversary of the stonewall riots - google it if you are not familiar with gay history.
I wish I had the time to help out with this (full time grad student, part time job, and applying/interviewing for jobs...I'm lucky if I remember to eat more than once a day). But I wanted to thank you for publicizing this. A friend is doing her masters of social work and used to work with a charity that provides services to glbtq homeless teens and she said it was the hardest thing to do. Not only are they often abandoned by their families and friends...but many homeless charities in NYC are faith based and won't provide services to glbtq teens.
Actually, June has been recognized as LGBT month for a while in the federal govt. We've been celebrating it at my office since I've been there (6 years). It looks like Obama is emphasizing it for this year. Still, I can't believe it's been 40 years since Stonewall.
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