ESSS Charity Report March 2025 (by Cathy M and Gillian B (read by Cathy)
Since our last report we have donated 115 items to 4 charities
this includes 1 afghans/blankets, 10 preemie hats, 10 pairs of preemie booties, 3 hats, 1 child's hat, 6 scarves, and 84 stress balls
This gives us a YTD total of 252 items. Well done!
You can report your donations on the sheet at the back of the room OR on the Ravelry website. I check the Ravelry site a few days before our meeting. Please don't report in both places as that confuses me and could lead to an over count. If you’re picking up a kit or returning a scarf for Handmade Especially for you, please remember to use the sign-out/sign-in log.
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Thank you for making sure everything you turn in is nicely finished with all the loose ends worked in and is clean and smells fresh.
If you are making Knitted Knockers and would like to be reimbursed for the cost please see Cathy.
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Long Beach Memorial Hospital has requested Knitted Knockers for their mastectomy patients. If you are interested in helping please check the Knitted Knockers website http://www.knittedknockers.org for a list of approved yarns and patterns. Bring your completed knockers to the next ESSS meeting. Yes, you may certainly make only one!
If you are finishing up charity items for the holidays I would like to have them by our November meeting. Items received after that will probably have to be held until 2025.
​​​​​​In September, Gillian reminded us about the details for Especially Handmade For You scarf kits (Remember Cathy is no longer coordinating with Especially Handmade for You--see below)
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Cathy M. will no longer be coordinating the scarf kits for Especially Handmade for You. Gillian B. be coordinating this project for now and will try to work with the Especially Handmade people to see if it is feasible for us to continue to support them (it's a big job and there have been some changes to the way they would like us to support them that may not work out for us. Gillian is going to give it a try so for now, contact Gillian if you have questions about Especially Handmade for You.
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Peggy A. is collecting aluminum pop-tops to donate to Ronald McDonald House charity.
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Please remember to log to charity donations on either the log sheet at the meetings or on the Ravelry thread.
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Click here to see the latest thank you letter from Interval House
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Interval House has politely requested that we focus our donations on hats and scarves for men, women and children.
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​Thank you to you, the members, for donating such high quality items – well made, nicely finished, laundered if needed and just ready to use. A credit to the guild.
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Please remember to post your items for charity on the Ravelry thread or notify me by email.
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12 inch squares
If you have squares, preferably 12 inch but any size will do you may give those to me for Yarn Angels of South Bay. They support numerous charities including ones for veterans.
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Cathy shared a lovely "Thank You" letter we received from Interval House (click here to read it)
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Our Charity Reps
Most of our members send their donations directly to the charity of their choice. However, we collect for a few charities at our monthly meetings. Each of these charities has their very own member representative (see below for a chart of who collects for which charities) who kindly delivers our beautiful creations to the charity concerned whether I am here or not. A special thank you to these hardworking members. We really appreciate all they do to make sure our donations arrive safely. See table below for list of reps and the charity they are delivering to.
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Click here for a list of the charities we support. If you have been contributing to a charity that is not listed, let us know so we can add it. Even if you feel your charity or your contribution is small and insignificant it may be an inspiration to others. “Tall oaks from little acorns grow.”
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Please Tell Us What You Donate!
There are many ways of reporting your charity donations:
The Charity Donations thread on the Sliptstitchers’ Ravelry group; the donations sheet at the meeting; Email catherinemcfarlane@sbcglobal.net. When I record your donations from the Ravelry group I will acknowledge it. So if I don’t acknowledge it you know it has not been recorded. I just check this site once a month usually 1-2 days before our meeting. It helps if you start your entry with “Charity Donation” so it will get my attention.
In 2023, 716 items were given to various charities by our members
In 2022, 507 items were given to various charities by our members! During part of that time, we were still unable to meet in person and even when we did start meeting in person, far fewer people were attending meetings. A great job--well done!! It is probable that many donations made during the time we did not meet in person, didn't get reported for the Guild's charity tally, so the number may be even higher. Thank you ESSS members!
In 2021, still in the midst of a pandemic that kept us from meeting in person, 961 items were given to various charities by our members (so there could be more items that just didn't get delivered)
In 2020, 1498 items were given to various charities by our members
(remember this is a year when we were unable to meet in person to give our donations to our wonderful charity reps to pass onto the charities, so while it is down a bit from previous years it is still quite an accomplishment!)
In 2019, 2195 items were given to various charities by our members
In 2018, 1793 items were given to various charities by our members
In 2017, 1501 items were given to charity by our members
In 2016, 1405 items were given to charity
In 2015, 2215 items were given to 36 charities.
In 2014, 1155 items were given to 33 charities.
In 2013, 929 items were donated to 21 charities.
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Our generous members have been donating for many years. In the years before 2013, the guild has donated around 1000 items or more each year (the guild had only about half as many members as we have today!)
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