Mission Statement

Operations for Bridge and Beyond will cease on Dec 31, 2021, last mailing date should be Dec 24th

GOAL FOR AFGHANS

Afghans
Goal: 30
Start: #24
Current: 26
0.8666%
START
END

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Assembling Mountain Meadow Afghan

Reviewing pictures in my designed and waiting to be assembled folder, I came across this afghan to be.  It's one I didn't name at the time I designed it; but as I look at it this morning, Mountain Meadow came to me.  Green for meadows, browns, little bit of purple for the haze that often appears over mountains, and some yellow...not much for sunshine?

It may take some doing, to find this in my stash since it's not named and since I've not been able to get downstairs to my stash in several months due to the broken foot; however.........am expecting to get the go ahead for minimal stairs today after my physical therapy, provided things go well.

As we're blogging in alphabetical order and today is letter M, thought I'd share this with you.  There are 9 strips that will need to be edged and joined.  I think it will require some adding on to make it an appropriate size to keep someone warm.  These strips were donated as scarves some time back, but they are really not sized properly for scarves, so I thought this would be a good use of them.  When I get donations that don't meet our needs (size, color, fiber wise), I try very hard to find another purpose or method of use so that the donation  can still take place.  

If you've not looked before, please notice the tabs across the top of the blog for each item we knit/crochet/loom and donate.  Those tabs contain information necessary for our donations to meet the needs of those we serve.  If you have any questions, please use the contact form in the right sidebar, leave a comment, or send me an email.

**The counts on our progress bars are current. All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated. The Power of One is awesome, and when we work together The Power of One becomes The Power of Many.

Saturday, May 26, 2018

The Blues Have It

Thanks go out to The Barry Family for this thoughtful donation of warm hats and a scarf.  They are all blue, which is always such a good color.  It's a good color because it's dark and doesn't show dirt easily..and it's a good color because it works well for men or for women.  The hat on left may look a little purple depending on your screen, but it is blue.  Both the hats are wonderfully stretchy with the nice long look you see on the right.  I folded up the brim on left so you could see these design both ways.  Ribbed knitted hats work so well for multiple sizes heads because of the stretch and the variety of how it's worn.

Many many thanks Barry Family for your thoughtness, and please keep up the good work and know what you do matters.

**The counts on our progress bars are current. All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated. The Power of One is awesome, and when we work together The Power of One becomes The Power of Many.

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Love, Loitering and The Law

*clicking on image takes you to the article by Ariel Aberg-Riger
Blogging in Alphabetical Order brings us to the letter L.  Doing a google search for words that start with the letter L that have a connection to Homelessness I came up with a substantial list.  Here are a few that hit me:

  • Loitering
  • Loss
  • Law
Additionally I thought of:


  • Loom
  • Love
The picture above really hit me.  Though it was made to illustrate some things that have happened lately and the law and loitering, it seemed a worthwhile graphic of the meaning of the word.  So, if you're sitting taking in sun in a park...no one considers that loitering....unless you're sleeping there, or look to be camped there for some time.


But, Homeless often do in fact loiter.  They loiter at fast food restaurants until they are asked to leave, they loiter at libraries until they are asked to leave.   They loiter to get warm, to get out of rain, to get away from the cold, or the hot sun.  They loiter because even if they have a night in a shelter...they're not permitted to be there during the day and so have to loiter somewhere.

There are laws about loitering.  Problem is, there is so much interpretation.  

The last two times I blogged for the letter L I blogged about Looming and Love.
Clicking on the loom picture takes you to one of those posts.

LOVE...I believe everything we do here on Bridge and Beyond for the benefit of others is an expression of LOVE.

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Kindness, Giving Away Kindness and Blogging in Alphabetical Order

Blogging in Alphabetical order brings us to the letter K today.  In the two previous rounds of blogging in Alphabetical Order I've blogged about Kindness and knitting for the letters K.  I really didn't come up with any new word for this, the 3rd round of doing so.

Do you know a knitter, or a crocheter?  If you could give a yarn boutique like the pretty one above.  That would be a wonderful act of kindness.  Give it for nothing specific...in that it's not Easter, or Christmas, or someone's Birthday or Mother's Day etc.  Just give it, as an act of kindness.  Trust me.....it will be well received.  

Craft a note to go with your yarn boutique to spread the kindness yet further.  In your note say something like I just wanted to share some kindness from me to you......and suggest you do the same, by using this yarn to knit/crochet something you can donate to someone in need..........yet again sharing more kindness.  

Maybe you have favorite charities you could include in your note to help the person think of charities or to have something to select from?


Maybe you would prefer something like above.  Spotted this on Facebook and thought it worth a share.  You could print this and include it with your yarn boutique.

If you do anything like this, please let me know.  Take a picture of your arrangement with your yarn, or your note...I'll share it here on blog to help encourage others to reach out in similar fashion.  If you would prefer not to include your name with the post, simply let me know.  I know some of you big hearted people are a bit shy.  Contact me by leaving a comment here on the post, or by using the contact form in the right side bar, or by emailing me at sandycrochet@gmail.com

**The counts on our progress bars are current. All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated. The Power of One is awesome, and when we work together The Power of One becomes The Power of Many.

Friday, May 18, 2018

New Afghan Needs Name, Blogging in Alphabetical Order, Jobless and Judgement

This is the beginning (2nd picture I've taken) of the afghan I'm currently working on.  Will take some time before this one is ready to donate, as it's only about 7.25 inches when the picture was taken.  It's a bit larger now and has one additional color, green.  Not sold on a name yet..Lines of Jewels (lines because it will be striped?), Striped Jewels, Jewel Palette?  Thoughts?

Blogging in Alphabetical order brings us to J.  Some words I came upon associated with homeless are jobless, and judgement.

It's so easy to pass judgement on others.  Sadly, we all do it naturally.  We must fight our instincts to not pass judgement on others.  That becomes, I think even harder when thinking about Homeless People.  Often people judge homeless people to be lazy, to be criminals to be bad people.........when none of that may be true.  Living on the streets is NOT easy, to stay alive alone means you're not lazy; but that stereotype judgement exists.  Maybe the person is homeless because they lost their job, maybe they lost their job through no fault of their own, maybe they lost their job due to health issues.  So many possibilities.  A child may be homeless through no fault of their own.  Military often come back from service broken, be it physical or mental or both.  Certainly that's not their fault and they should not be judged.  

Being jobless when homeless is very difficult.  How do you apply for a job when you have no address?  How do you apply for a job when you have no means of cleaning up?  How do you apply for a job when you no phone or other means of being contacted?

Difficult problems being homeless, being jobless and being judged unjustly.

Sunday, May 13, 2018

Blogging in Alphabetical Order, Illness in Homeless


In keeping with blogging in alphabetical order between posts that share donations, we're now at the letter I.

Last time through the alphabet, I blogged about Making an Investment.  
The previous time the letter I was about Inspiration.

Doing a google search for words that start with the letter I, that have a connection to Homelessness I found the following:
Illness
Insecure
Invisible.........among other words.

ILLNESS, jumped out at me.  Doing a bit of research I found a list of the top 10 Health Issues that Homeless People suffer from.

Mortality...and unintential injuries (bruises, cuts, and burns).  Homeless have a higher risk of death.  Listed as some of the highest risks of morbidity and morality are falls and being hit by motor vehicle.  Also listed is overdoses from drugs or alcohol or both.

Exposure is listed a major hazard with frostbite, hypothermia and freezing in cold weather, and severe sunburns, and heatstroke in hot weather due to dehydration.

Suicide is also listed, as is violence.  Violence stats were a combination of assault, rape and murder against the Homeless.

The warm items we knit, crochet or loom can help ward of freezing and hypothermia.  Perhaps sunscreen is something that should be considered for personal care items during the hot months?  First aid kits?  Aloe for both burns and sunburn?

If you have other thoughts about how we might bridge some of the need in this area, please leave a comment or send me a note via the contact form in the right sidebar.  Thank you for reading this blog, Thank you for helping in whatever way you can.

Been awhile since I've listed the alphabetical blogging blogs.  If you've not read or commented on A-H this time round, please do so.



3rd List Blogging in Alphabetical Order.
A=afghans Resurecting Learning Logs.
B=Barnacle Bill and Blogging in Alphabetical Order
C=A Cocoon of Yarn, Blogging in Alphabetical Order
D=Blogging in Alphabetical Order, D=Dog & Homeless
E=Ends, Blogging Alphabetically
F=FEAR, Fibers, and Fun Colors Matter
G=Donald Gould, Homeless in Sarasota, Florida
H=Hard Life, Hovel, Homeless & More, So Sad

**The counts on our progress bars are current. All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated. The Power of One is awesome, and when we work together The Power of One becomes The Power of Many.

Where are You and Your Yarn From?

I'm trying to identify where everyone is from, partially for fun. Take a look at the map. Also, believe it will aid me in cases where we have several people with the same name. Please look at the lists of bloggers and non bloggers and see if I have the state you hail from. If not, please leave a comment and let me know.

Additionally, we've had help from Scotland, England, Germany Puerto Rico, Canada, and France! They don't appear on the map, but their help is still greatly appreciated.

Where The People Who Donate Come From, is your state represented?