Blanket for Haiti - Post Trip Follow Up

Thank you again to all that took part in collecting blankets for Haiti.  The fact that they came from all over the country is still blowing me away! 

(If you would like to know more about this project please use the google search on my blog and search for, "Blankets for Haiti".  There are quite a few posts regarding this.)

Here is an email that I received from my friend, D, this week:

I wanted to thank you again for all of your prayers and support with our effort in Haiti. As I write this, the second building is on it's way to be erected in Haiti. Praise God!

God did amazing things on our trip. In spite of many obstacles (foundation not being ready, flat tires, boarder issues, no sleep, truck carrying building having a wreck) we were able to see the first building be erected. Soon after we left the work continued, the building now has a foundation and concrete floor!

As always when you have the privilege to be a part of this kind of work it is you that comes back changed. Our Dominican team was so fun to get to know... even with a language barrier. Two of the pastors from Haiti were even able to make the trip to learn how to build and erect the building we made in the DR. We traveled with 6 extra pieces of luggage filled with blankets that were sent to Gladys with Ebenezer to go to the children at her orphanage (http://www.worldwidevillage.org/). Although, I never got to see them distributed, Pastor Joel assured me that they would be very well received and that the children would love them.

I am excited for what is to come in Haiti and for how I might be able to be apart of it in the future. Please continue to pray for the poor and wandering and the need for shelter in Haiti.

Thank you again for your support.
D

Blankets for Haiti - Trip Details and Prayer Requests

Here is an email from my friend, D, who is going on the trip. At the end you will also see links to the organizations they are working with. Please keep the team in your prayers.

"We are staying with TIME ministries in the Dominican Republic to fabricate and construct two large buildings that will be going to Ebenezer with World Wide Village in Haiti. Ebenezer is a bible theology school and orphanage. The buildings will be used during the rainy season to provide shelter until they are able to repair their facility which has been structurally compromised by the earthquake. Later, we will be using the structures as a base to prefabricate homes that will be distributed to those that need them.

Additionally, a lovely missionary family called the Livesay's, are involved with World Wide Village in Haiti and were there when the earthquake happened. Since then, they have had to move their family back to the States, but if it is God's will they will return to their calling in Haiti... part of their ministry is prenatal care.

With that said, the blankets, will be sent with the building to Haiti** and might end up with the orphanage or with the prenatal care ministry as baby's are born. Either way, very cool!

We are traveling by automobile on March 26th to MIA (Miami International Airport) where our flights take off for the DR on March 27th. We travel back to the States on April 4th to MIA and will then drive back to Ohio. We still haven't come across a 12 or 15 passenger van to get to MIA in... but we still have 4 days... so we are still praying for that :) General prayers for safety and safe travel would be appreciated. Also that God would show us how we can be used while we are in the DR. We are open to anything and don't want to miss an opportunity!

Below are links to the various ministries that we will be in contact with. The Livesay's blog is my favorite and gives such a real picture of what has gone on and very real things to pray for. Thanks so much!"

D

Time Ministries
World Wide Village
http://www.worldwidevillage.org/ebenezer-discipleship-training-center
http://livesayhaiti.blogspot.com/

** Because border crossing between Dominican Republic and Haiti has become more challenging the team will actually be staying in the Dominican Republic and the structure they are building along with the blankets will be sent with Haitian pastors back in to Haiti.

There is more great news! The team is planning to make this an ongoing project and hopes to take ongoing short term trips to The Dominican Republic and Haiti to build housing structures!

When the team returns, D will share pictures with me and I'll pass them along to all of you!

Blankets for Haiti - On their way!

I'm sorry I don't have a final count on how many blankets I received but as you can see from the photos, there were A LOT! Thank you all so very much.

Please keep the team of people going to Haiti in your prayers. They will be leaving this Friday, March 26th.

I will be posting later in the week with some specific prayer requests and more details about their trip.

Blankets for Haiti - Thanks Again!

Thanks again to all who sent blankets! I will update about the trip as I know more information from the team and hope to share pictures when they return. I haven't had a chance to do a blanket count but I have an entire walk in closet full of boxes of them!

Thanks again to:
Jamie, NC
Daree, AL
?, Carol Stream, IL
Carrie, NC
Vicki, OH
Holly, OR
Castlewood Canyon Girls Youth Group, CO
Nan, CO
Rachel, OH
Gina, WV
Stefanie, MD
Theresa and friends, NJ
Sarah and her preschoolers, OH
Sue, Ontario
Roxanna, OH
Kimberly, UT
Barbara, CA

If I have left your name off please give yourself credit in the comments! Isn't it fun that the blankets came from so many different places?

A Letter (Blankets for Haiti)

** Whether or not you are participating in the Blanket for Haiti project, I think you will be encouraged by the compassion of this young lady. Here is the letter I received from her attached to one of two very large boxes of blankets! **

Hello,

My name is H and I am in the eighth grade. When I heard about the earthquake in Haiti and the terrible destruction it had caused, I was extremely upset. I felt desperate to do something (anything) to help.

Therefore I decided to make fleece blankets for the Haitian children and really any of the earthquake survivors. My Mother and I spent seven hours making blankets and honestly I have never felt so proud just to be myself. However, I knew I could do more... So, I began collecting new or gently used stuffed animals and teddy bears (from students and teachers at my school) for the orphans. I knew that these items would be a much needed source of comfort for anyone who has survived this awful natural disaster. While collecting teddy bears, I was shocked when my younger (six year old) brother came up to me with four stuffed animals and said, "These are for the little kids in Haiti." I had not realized how much he cared about others or how much he had been paying attention to our family discussions. Through this community service work I feel as though I have bonded with my family by helping others and I have discovered that I do someday want to change the world. I am hoping these donations help, by causing even just a smile.

There are more teddy bears than blankets but hopefully those who really need a source of comfort will get something. I was wondering if there was any chance you could take photographs of your trip and possibly mail them to me.

I would like to thank you for helping me donate small items of comfort to children in Haiti. What you are doing is extremely motivating and I am inspired by your compassion for others. Overall, I appreciate what you are doing for the world. Thank you for doing all you can to benefit the lives of others.

Sincerely,

H

** Wow! I am so blown away by this young lady. Thank you H (and her Mom, S) for agreeing to let me share your letter (which may I add, is very well written!). I think people like H will be making huge changes in our world!**

Blankets for Haiti - Updates

I think I have received blankets everyday this week! Actually, a fellow Ohioan just dropped off several bags of blankets as she was passing thru town. She made them with the 3, 4 and 5 year old kids that she teaches along with their parents. What a great lesson for those little ones!

Continue to check the flickr group if you would like to see pictures of the blankets and also feel free to add your own. I'll admit that I am beginning to lose track of where these are coming from so, if you see yours please give yourself credit in the comments!

(Speaking of Flickr, if you are a quilter and looking for a virtual quilting bee, I am starting one. You can find the page for QUILTING newBEEs. Any level quilter is welcome to join but we will mostly be beginners. As of right now we still need 9 members.)

Blankets For Haiti - A To-do List Reminder For Me!

I received 5 more blankets today! Check out the Flickr group pool for the full collection and post your own blanket pictures there too.

These came from Nancy in WA and are absolutely beautiful! (sorry it's sideways)
This lovely red one came from my friend, Rachel. She made it over the weekend and brought it to our Mom's group this morning.Once again I am reminded of my to-do this winter of learning to knit and/or crochet!

Blankets for Haiti - The First Blankets Arrive!

It is a snowy day here in Ohio - we are expected to get around 6 inches and it's coming down fast (look out my windows in the picture). I received two large boxes from NJ which contained 8 blankets. Thank you so much Theresa, Linda, Rosie, Jane, Debbie, Debbie and Cathy. I hope you ladies had fun making the blankets together. Theresa also sent me a super cute card with flowers and a sun on it - a good reminder that spring will come eventually!

I also posted a picture of the blankets in the Blankets For Haiti flickr pool. Feel free to post pictures of your blankets or works in progress there! Stop by and check out the cute cupcake quilt that Stefanie posted.

P.S. My two little boys (3years and 20months) think that getting packages at the door is just about the coolest thing ever especially when they spot the big delivery trucks!

Blankets for Haiti - Sewing Seeds Project

I want to bring to your attention another individuals efforts to bring lovely handmade things to Haiti. Randi, at "I Have To Say" has a project going called, Sewing Seeds.
She will be collecting simple skirts to send to Haiti for a missionary friend of hers to pass out to the children they serve lunch to on a daily basis. The deadline for skirts is, Friday, March 5th, 2010. Please see her blog for more details.

Blankets for Haiti - Travonna Coffee House Benefit Show

Last night, my husband and a slew of others played a benefit show for Haiti. Around 200 people came and over $1,100 was raised for the Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund. Many thanks to our friend, Heather, who organized the show!

Blankets for Haiti - Donating Store Bought Blankets

Have you heard about the eight year old girl, Hannah, who wants to collect 10,000 blankets and sleeping bags to send to Haiti? I love how kids dream BIG. We have so much to learn from them. We need to dream big too and stop being afraid all the time. If we did, it would change the world! Check out her little website here.

Blankets for Haiti - Crochet Projects

I have no idea how to crochet and will admit that I can't even tell the difference between knitting and crochet but if you know how to crochet there is a project that I have been made aware of called, "Hugs 2 Haiti" that you may be interested in. Please check this site out for more details.

Blankets for Haiti - Hope

Hope. God is doing amazing things! Did you hear about the man that was trapped for 2 weeks and was rescued - alive!

This verse seems to be fitting for the situation and a good one to pray for all of those that are working to bring hope to Haiti (including you!):
"We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 1:3)

I have been so encouraged by the stories that I am receiving via blog comments and email regarding all of you who are sewing/knitting/crocheting blankets for those in Haiti. I would like to share some of them with you. They come from Hawaii to North Carolina and Canada to Louisiana and everywhere in between! Please note that I removed people's names, email addresses, etc. and shortened some of them a bit but the message is still there. Be encouraged as you read them. Have Hope.


We have a group of 3rd grade girls who call themselves the Teeny Tiny Team! Their mission is to help people. They recently made fleece blankets and really want to get them to the children in Haiti. Thank you so much to you and all.

My 13 year old is in 8th grade at middle school and when the earthquake happened in Haiti she was so upset and wanted to help so she started making fleece blankets and collecting teddy bears for children. Now a week later I have praying that she has not failed as I am struggling to find a way to get them to Haiti – everyone wants money. I have spent hours looking, phoning people and praying that my thoughtful daughter will succeed and not be put off helping in the future. Today I found your blog and am now in tears while writing this email but if I can mail you the blankets and bears will you please take them with you to Haiti?

I would love to make blankets to take to Haiti. I needed a project so I would feel like I am making a difference. I will start tonight please write back. God Bless you.

I am a volunteer at a public school in East Harlem, New York. We are looking to get our middle schoolers involved in service and were planning to make blankets with them. I stumbled upon your blog and we would like to have the children donate these to the victims in Haiti.

I was so happy to find this venture, since I think the approach of hand-delivering the blankets is a great one, and we will be assured of the blankets getting to the children. One of the blankets I am sending is a sample I had knitted for a magazine that I design for, and another was a class sample that I had knitted over the course of several weeks. The course is not running and I am left with a lovely blanket. I was hoping to find somewhere to send it, and then I found you! God is good...nothing is ever wasted in His economy.

I'm sewing away.... I am so excited...I've been so worried and concerned because I couldn't find anywhere that could take the blankets that I was making. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Thank you, I'm a new project linus coordinator for 3 counties and I'm glad we can help. The ladies that sew on my regular sew days have been asking to make blankets for Haiti. They were happy to know that we can make blankets to help.


Oh my gosh...I wanted our preschool to make blankets for Haiti and I did not know who to send them to...you are an angel! Can you handle a lot of blankets? We have about 18 children who would participate but there may be other preschools that want in.

I’ve been out of work since April 2009 & don’t have extra $$ to assist. I was so glad to come upon your post & see a non-monetary way I could help.

I actually have no idea who you are. I found you because...I knew of a church that collected blankets and handed them out in the aftermath of Katrina; I wondered if anyone would be distributing blankets in Haiti. Behold! God is good. God bless these individuals who are going to serve and to minister to the very enormous needs of the people of Haiti!

My girlfriend and I went through hurricane Katrina and we remember the kindness of all those strangers who gave so many things, things that didn't meet needs so much as brought smiles, things like handmade jewelry to replace things that were lost. Just brought a smile to our face then and we thought it might be nice to make some things and we just need a channel through which to send them.

Hi! I work at a church in Washington State and my youth have fleece to make blankets with. I wasn't sure how to get them to real people in Haiti, and low and behold, I googled "Blankets for Haiti" and up you popped! God is doing something here through you...and it's pretty amazing.

I've donated what we can for now in cash, but I have fabric sitting around that I would love to put to good use!

I am a Fibers major at the Savannah College of Art and Design. A group of us is hoping to set up a donation on-campus to make quilts for Haiti.

I have a bunch of simple, but warm blankets I am making to send to the people of Haiti. I live in Hawaii. I like the idea of giving then some comfort and a warm blanket can help.

This is AWESOME!!! I have been searching for a place to send my blankets. A few days after this disaster I was praying for these people and felt that God laid it on my heart to make blankets. I am currently out of work and don't have the ability to send a monetary donation, but I sent out a call for fabric donations or money for fabric. I received 4 totes of fabric plus money for more. WOW!!! I'm starting with the easiest fabrics to work with and making simple blankets. Some of the fabrics aren't the most beautiful, but it's only in America where we look at such things. I'm making blankets for babies, children, and adults of differing weights, especially given the differing fabrics I've been given. Thank you so much for doing this! Blessings to everyone who is sewing away!!!


Thank you all so much for all you are doing! You may have noticed I created a "Blankets for Haiti" button (its on my right sidebar). You are welcome to put it on your blogs if you would like to help spread the word and show that you are participating. This is the first time I have ever made one so, I probably won't be much help with all the technical stuff. If you try it please let me know if it works!
Have hope!

Blankets for Haiti - Updates and Reminders

If you have questions about the Blankets for Haiti project please read through the posts I have previously written. The first one was on Thursday, January 14th.

Again here are some answers to some frequently asked questions.

How do I get the blankets to you?
Please email me directly. You can find my email address on my profile. (I am not posting it here because I started to receive a lot of junk mail when I did.)

When do you need the blankets by?
Friday, March 12, 2010

I have other things I would like to donate. Can I send something other than blankets?
At this time I am only collecting blankets. If I hear of other opportunities to donate items, I will let you know. Thanks for your understanding.

I live in the same area as you area. Can I meet up with you in person to give you the blankets?
Please email me and we can discuss this option. One option is to come to the Haiti Benefit show at Travonna Coffee shop on Friday the 29th. If you plan to do this please let me know via email.

I've made some blankets. Can I share pictures with everyone?
Yes, please do! You can write a blog post and send me the link AND you can post them in the Blankets for Haiti Flickr Group.

Are you going on this trip?
No I am not personally going to Haiti but friends of mine are. I am collecting the blankets for them to take.

Can you tell me more about the people going on the trip?
Yes. Some of them attend Vineyard Church of Columbus. (www.vineyardcolumbus.org) They are going on the trip through TIME Ministries. (www.timeministries.org) Also, please read this post.

Please contact me with other questions you may have.

Blankets for Haiti - An Update From the Team

EDIT - Apparently the link to TIME ministries link below is not working. Please go to www.timeministries.org if you would like to learn more about them. Thanks.

I just received an email from my friend, D, and I am sharing it below. It gives an update from the team she is a part of that will be going to Haiti in March and also an email that they just received from TIME ministries (the organization that they are working with for their trip). The email gives specific things to pray about if you are the praying type.

*******
Sarah,
Thank you for all you are doing. It seems very apparent that God's blessing is all over this.

Here is the latest from our team:
The ministry/ church that we are connected with the in Dominican Republic, TIME Ministries, is working to connect with a similar size ministry in Haiti. Noe, the organizer and friend of ours in the DR, has sent two former Haitians, currently DR citizens, to check out the situation in Port-au-Prince, check in with the pastors we have connections with and help define the needs we can fill. It is very certain that we will be helping smaller ministries that will otherwise be overlooked by larger organizations. TIME feels that because of the wide-spread political corruption in Haiti, that a lot of the money will never reach the Haitian people. It makes what we are trying to do more real since we have direct connections with the church and it's people in Haiti. It occurs to me that I might not have told you that I have had connections with this church in the DR for over 10 years now. Their heart and ministry is very real and true. Here is what we have just heard from TIME:

Dear Friends,
We know that the Christian community in the US and, as well, around the world are shocked and grieved at the terrible devastation in Haiti as a result of the recent earthquake. The staff of TIME DR along with the IBQ church is especially affected due to the proximity to Haiti. The pictures and details from Haiti fill the news non-stop and are horrific, probably more here because of proximity and many relationships of family and friends. The young man outside my room right now who is working on the TIME house has two sisters in Haiti but cannot get in contact. He waits to hear if they have survived and in what condition.

TIME and IBQ want to help, but as yet they cannot communicate with the Haitian friends. Their plans are to wait until they can talk to them and then take aid directly to their Christian brothers in need. They say that because of corruption, most of the aid will never reach the poorest. So they plan to begin their outreach in 2-4 weeks, after world attention has moved on to the next crisis and the average Haitian is forgotten. Then they will begin their targeted ministry to Haitian brothers and sisters in Christ. Wise to the ways of the world and the difficult lives of the poor, are these Dominican Christians.

TIME will work with the Dominican church and will facilitate these ministries. Contributions should be sent to TIME Ministries, Attention Haiti Relief. If there are individuals or churches who are interested in helping through mission trips, we have contacts on the border of Haiti (a chapel was built there last year). In addition the prediction is that Haitian refugees will begin flooding the Dominican Republic, quickly overwhelming their resources.

We must work, for the night is coming. Please pray and give as God directs.

Dorretta Brown
Time Ministries Founder
Vice-President of Development

Please continue to pray for our two 'scouts' in Haiti that they return safely. The boarders might be hard for them to navigate due to the large number of people seeking refuge in the DR. Also, I am passing along a blog site that will give you a real picture of what is going on in Haiti. http://livesayhaiti.blogspot.com These people are missionaries in Haiti and people that are on our hearts to help out. Their blog makes the tragedy more tangibly and real. It also gives us real prayers to pray for real people in a tragedy that seems so huge. Here is a recent prayer from their blog that would be good for us all to echo.

Lord -
We need you. Help the people of Haiti. Help them see pieces of hope in this nightmare. Help us connect with people on a personal level. Help us know what it is they need from you today and guide each person on this island that is attempting to be love today. Amen.
*********
I will continue to give updates from the team as I receive them. Please keep them in your prayers! Thanks again for all your help!

Blankets for Haiti - Thanks Rain from about.com

Thanks to Rain from about.com for posting about the Blankets for Haiti project in her diy fashion newsletter (I have no idea how she learned about the project - apparently word is spreading!). She has lots of other great opportunities to help out listed too. You can check it out here. And just to clarify, the blankets do not need to be knitted as she mentioned. I don't even know how to knit :) (but it is on my to-do list for this winter).

For more info about the project please go to my post here and if you still have questions feel free to contact me.

Blankets for Haiti - MLK Day

"Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better."
- MLK Jr.

If you have had a chance to be creative and work on your blankets please post pictures of your works in progress in the flickr group. It is so fun and encouraging to look at what everyone is making! God's provision on this project is amazing.

Please be patient if I do not return your emails immediately. Just when I thought we were all on the mend my son has come down with pink eye. I have been busy cleaning and disinfecting everything in sight!

I'll leave you with a message my Aunt left me today that really encouraged me:
"What compassion; the efforts that are going forth by so many including you and your mission friends. If you would like to donate the blankets that I made for S and R, my feeling would not be hurt. There are a magnitude of needs for these people. I know there are priorities of survival and recovery at this crucial time for water and food but a hand delivered blanket will give a child something to hold onto when all else is crumbling around them. God bless everyone who has prayed and led a helping hand or heart in this crises. I look at these times as a test by God for us to listen and obey what has been laid heavily on our hearts according to his Word." Aunt P

Blankets for Haiti - Flickr Group

If you would like to show your works in progress and/or completed blankets for Haiti, I have created a Flickr group. (Someone please let me know if it's not working.) I just created my own Flickr account today so, I won't be any good for answering questions about how to use the site - sorry! My experience so far is that it is very user friendly.

If you have questions concerning this project please see the following posts:
Blankets For Haiti - Part 1
Blankets For Haiti - Part 2
Blankets For Haiti - Part 3
Learning to Quilt (for blanket ideas)

If you still have questions, feel free to contact me. Thanks again!

P.S. Rachel, a woman I have been in contact with over the past few days, has started a blog with links she finds to help those in Haiti with your crafting skills. Check it out here.

Learning To Quilt

While working on the Blankets for Haiti project I have had several people mention to me that they do not know how to quilt but would like to learn.

Let me continue this post by saying, I am not an expert quilter by any means. I am very much a beginner (you'll see lots of imperfections in the photos). One of my goals for 2010 is to become a better quilter. I have found the blogging world a valuable place to find tutorials, patterns, Q&A's, and lots of inspiration. I've also checked out tons of books from the library and even splurged on a few quilting magazines.

If you have never made a quilt before I think this, "Me and My Girl Tutorial" would be a perfect first. The quilt was actually made by a mother and her young daughter using bandannas.

I have really been enjoying the quick and easy to follow tutorials on the Missouri Quilt Co.'s site. Reading blogs like "Red Pepper Quilts" and "Oh, Fransson!" are also really inspiring. You may also want to peruse the posts from "Sew, Mama, Sew's" quilting month; they cover a wide range of topics and skill levels.

I've found that when it comes down to it plain old practice is what really works. I just finished up this quilt last night for Quilts For Kids. There are several patterns listed on the organizations website that are easy to follow. This quilt uses the "Four Patch Quilt Pattern". If you would like to see other quilts I have attempted to make, use the google search on my blog and search, "quilt" (I tried it myself and they all pop up).

This is by no means an exhaustive list of resources; there are lots of amazing sites, blogs, forums, etc. out there to venture to. If you are a quilter, what sites do you like to visit? Do you have a favorite quilting book? How did you learn? What new skill do you want to learn in 2010?

Blankets for Haiti - Part 3

The willingness of so many to help is amazing! Today I heard from a woman in Ohio who doesn't have a job but has "lots of yarn and needles" and another who went through Katrina and "remembers the kindness of all those strangers". God's provision is amazing as only He knows how big this "project" will become and needs to be. The kindness of so many keeps pointing me to God and his love for us. His heart is really being shown by so many of you.

If you have questions please read Part 1 and Part 2 of the Blankets for Haiti posts and then, if you still have questions, feel free to contact me. I am trying to check my email and blog more frequently to keep up!

One question I have gotten several times is if you can send more than blankets at this time. For now, I am only going to collect blankets. If I hear of other opportunities I will notify you of them (here on the blog) as they come.

Recap about the blankets:
Handmade. New. Clean. PIN FREE. Any size or style is welcome. Put lots of love in them.
I will be collecting blankets until Friday, March 12th to send with the team. Please message me for an address when your blankets are complete.

If you are local (Columbus, OH) area, some friends of mine (including my husband) are talented musicians and are putting on two benefit shows in the upcoming weeks. I'm copying and pasting the details from the Facebook invite I received:

Travonna Coffee House Haiti Benefit Show
STYLE: Acoustic, Pop, Rock, Low key, awesomeness.
DATE: Friday, January 29th
PLACE: At the Travonna Coffee House in the Short North
TIME: 7pm (come to get a seat at 6:30!!)
COVER: None: Donations for Haiti

Vonn's Jazz/Blues Haiti Benefit Show
STYLE: 18+, Jazz/Blues/Funk/Soul, Classy, Lounge style, cool cats.
DATE:Monday, February 1st
PLACE: At Vonn Jazz/Blues in Worthington
TIME: 7pm-11pm
COVER: None, just donations for Haiti if you feel led!