Giving Something Back

image courtesy of: http://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/dps/em/cert_volunteer.aspx

When I was a teenager I was actively involved in community service. I was in the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls – a service organization for girls ages 11 to 20. It was a big part of my life. In high school I volunteered at my elementary school – helping with their yearly fundraising activities. I spent time working at another local elementary school helping struggling first graders learn to read. With several of my friends from school, I also made “vials for life” for our local hospitals and senior citizens.  In college, I continued volunteering at local middle schools helping kids with reading.

Needless to say, volunteering and giving back to my community was a big part of my every day life.  The last month of so I have found myself drawn to online charity projects and the more I think about it the more I realize just how much I miss the volunteering aspect of my life. I know how blessed I am in my life; for all our struggles, we are so very lucky. My husband has a good job, we have a beautiful home, and our daughter is amazing.  With all the blessings in our lives I have done some deep thinking and prayer and decided that it is time to start giving back when and where I can.

Here are some opportunities that I have found – please leave comments with ones you have found.  Let’s help make the coming holiday season wonderful for everyone!

This first one is easy peasy. You don’t even have to make anything. Lily Pad Quilting is asking for everyone to donate 1 yard of cotton fabric and if you can – to throw in a spool of thread. I don’t know about you but I had plenty of fabric in my stash to donate a yard.

One of my Bee Mates for Sew Bee Blissful, Lyanna from Purple Panda Quilts works with Foster Children – and she has set a goal to make 50 stockings by December 1st to donate to the kids she works with. Please take a few moments to check out her site and if you can, please make a stocking!  Her first tutorial will be up today!

One of my favorite blogs – Zia Maria Designs – recently blogged about another charity crafting blog called Craft Hope. They do some amazing charity work and run the gamut with the different types of projects they do.

Another project that I do every month is do. Good Stitches, this is a virtual quilting bee and each quilt that is completed is donated to a specific charity based on which circle you are in.  This bee is run and organized by Rachel from Stitched in Color.  Every month you make two blocks and send them to the group quilter for that month.  October will be my second month and so far I am loving it and the blocks are really stretching my sewing skills.

One of the blogs I follow – Tonya’s Sewing Room – is asking for blankets for her local chapter of Project Linus – can you help her?!?

Do you do volunteer? Are there other groups that I should have mentioned that I missed?  I hope you will join me in doing some great work for good causes this holiday season. Let’s make this a great holiday season for as many people as we can.