ESSS Charity Report October 2023
Since our last report we have donated 83 items to 5 charities. This includes 47 scarves, 1 cowl, 16 hats, 2 Preemie hats, 11 pairs of newborn mittens, 1 blanket, 2 lapghans, and 3 cute little bears.
This gives us a YTD total of 587 items. Well done!
Some additional info
Former member Christine Brean moved to Ohio recently to live with her daughter. She says to say Hi to everyone and she misses us. Thankfully she has found a local knitting group near where she now lives.
Please let me know if you know of any knitting groups in East LA? Preferably free / low cost / church based.
Our scarf numbers for Especially Handmade for You have really started to soar and most of this is due to our new member Debbie Magyar who eagerly knits about 8 scarves per month. Thank you Debbie!
We also received a nice donation from Suzana Rockhold, my friend who visited a few months ago. She made out like a bandit in the raffle and would love to become a member. However, she realizes that she already has a full plate and rather than send items for the raffle she chose to make a monetary donation. Thank you, Suzana. If you ever find the time come and join us.
The knitting support group run by Yarn Angels, at Cancer Support Network in the Rolling Hills Plaza is going very well. Several members have started knitting scarves for Especially Handmade for You. Their completed scarves are added to our total which helps our numbers nicely. If you would like more information about this group please see me.
Please remember to log to charity donations on either the log sheet at the meetings or on the Ravelry thread.
If you take a scarf kit, log it and please bring it back. If you can’t finish or change your mind and don’t want to knit it, bring it back. The log for the scarf kits just tracks who has taken a kit or returned a completed one, it is not part of the charity report so don't forget to log your finished scarves on the log sheet or Ravelry thread. Remember we only get kits replaced based on the number of completed scarves we turn in.
Thank you
Click here to see the latest thank you letter from Interval House
Interval House has politely requested that we focus our donations on hats and scarves for men, women and children.
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.
Please remember to post your items for charity on the Ravelry thread or notify me by email.
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.
See the Gallery page (click here) for some charity project photos
Cathy shared a lovely "Thank You" letter we received from Interval House (click here to read it)
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.
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.”
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 2022, 507 items were given to various charities by our members! Even though 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.
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!)