Judith left a comment telling me about a blanket drive being coordinated by Project Linus for Haiti (she also has her own challenge going on so visit her blog for more info). That tip led me to trading e-mails with Julie, the Project Coordinator for the Project Linus York County Maine Chapter. Here’s the information she shared:
“The campaign was launched by Heart to Heart. They asked Project Linus to send 10,000 blankets and we did in less then 20 hours!
We have been asked for another 10,000 by the Christian Aid Ministries who are bringing the blankets over to Haiti on a mission. The location of the organization is Pennsylvania and Ohio (website: www.christianaidministries.org). We are sending blankets to them and they ship them over to Haiti.
We are collecting blankets for this project at Mardens. It will go until we fulfill our goal or March 1st, which ever occurs first. Any handmade blanket, any size. Also we are looking for donations of monetary value to ship the blankets from Maine to Heart to Heart and Christian Aid.
If any new organizations contact us after that for blankets, I will let you know!”
You can see more details about this project on the York County Chapter’s Facebook page.
I also contacted my local chapter of Project Linus. You can find yours on the Project Linus website. I was able to sign up for an e-mail newsletter list to keep me up-to-date on local activities.
Other Haiti fundraising news:
- Congress has passed a bill allowing cash donations made after January 11 and before March 1 to be deductible on your 2009 tax return. See the specific requirements on the IRS website.
- The Craft Hope for Haiti Etsy shop has raised over $30,000! They’ve added in a final round of fabulous goods including 10 gorgeous mini quilts from the upcoming book Pretty Little Mini Quilts, three bags from Amy Butler (the actual bags – not patterns!), autographed books from Amanda Soule, and more.
- Anderson Cooper is back in Haiti. I’m glad to see someone with his news clout continue to cover this important story.
Thank you!
I hate to be a fly in the ointment, so to speak, but I wonder if they really need blankets/quilts. Haiti is in the tropics, where it is hot all year long. I know they can bring comfort, but I doubt if they would be needed for warmth.
I was thinking that something like mosquito netting might be more useful. I don’t know if there is a danger of Malaria from mosquitos there, but I’m sure there are a lot of flying insects. I am sure whatever insects there are, have multiplied with all the dead and dying. There is an organization that helps provide mosquito netting for areas in Africa where Malaria is a devastating disease killing children and adults alike. This link: http://www.mosquito-netting.com/index.html , has a lot of information. I’m not sure if it is the one that I originally heard about, but it may be, or might be a jumping-off point for more resources.
It’s just something to think about.
Linda
My hubby is down there right now, although he is in the Dominican Republic providing support, we’re not sure if he’ll actually be going into Haiti or not.
Linda: I’m not qualified to say what’s needed either. I do think we can trust that these missionary organizations on the ground there know what specific items can be put to use. Given the current living conditions I think the blankets appear to be useful for general bedding for the thousands that are homeless and living in tents and under tarps and other makeshift shelter.
Mama Urchin: Cool! I look forward to hearing about his experiences.
Kathy, You’re right. They can be used as something to lay ON if nothing else. I can’t imagine the hardship and horror that they are going through. I have read of newborns going hungry because their moms were so malnourished that they had no milk to breastfeed. This is such a reality check for those of us who are so lucky to live where their is clean water and abundant food. I didn’t know until after the earthquake that Haiti was the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and the second poorest in the world! It seems a shame that a country so physically close to us could be in such dire straits. I hope that all of the food and other donations are getting to the people in a timely manner. I know there was a problem at first.
Linda
The comments above are so meaningful and I love reading what bright and caring women discuss. I really appreciate this effort and will do my best to participate. I like to this that every little bit counts. Thank you for this ladies. You rock my world!
So wonderful to see Christian Aid Ministries mentioned. We personally know many people involved in this wonderful organization. They do so much good and you can fully trust what they do with your money/donations. I would encourage anyone to visit their page and see what they are about!
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