Working for the Homeless

As most of you know, I've been out of town.  Hubby and I managed to escape the last 2 snow storms by getting out of dodge...heading to a warmer part of the country, South Carolina.  While it's not bathing suit weather, and I came back just as un-tanned as before....it is a nice break from ice, freezing rain, and snow.  It's a nice break from having to scrape the car windows.  Our homeless friends don't get that break though, they are truly stuck.  As I sip hot coffee, wearing a fleece indoors and wait for the house to warm up from the night time setting of 55; I considered myself blessed and lucky.  I have a roof over my head, warm clothes, and I was able to take a breather...the weather is tiring...even with a roof over your head.  Imagine how both physically and mentally our homeless around the country feel.

Thank you for this welcome home present.  These boxes represent knitted and crocheted kindness from many pairs of helping hands.  You who spend your time, talent, money, and energy caring for others...people you will never meet face to face are truly a special kind of person.  I value you all so very much.  In the days to follow you'll see the beautiful and thoughtful donations from: RoseMarie from Tennessee, Barbara F from New York, SSeger from Michigan, Dorothy M from Virginia, Cheryl B from Ohio, Susan Alcover from Florida, and Sara G from Pennsylvania.

Please keep your hands and yarn busy folks, it's only 20 here today with colder temps in the horizon, and possibly more snow in the next 2-3 days.

Spent almost the entire day yesterday opening, photographing, and counting the donations.  Sent out email and Facebook thanks and notifications.  Today will be spent writing and scheduling blog posts, and making a delivery to Homeless Families Foundation.  Took me 4 or 5 trips to get all the bags in the car........it is really loaded.  The trunk is full and part of the backseat folks!  An awesome and much needed donation thanks to you all.

Keep up the good work.

I'm currently working on 2 afghans, one knitted and one crocheted.  What are you all working on for Bridge and Beyond?

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.

Donating Knitted and or Crocheted Mittens

Mittens, these are examples of some wonderful knitted mittens, tagged with size in a variety of colors and sizes.  Mittens are one of those item we always have requests for and the never seem to have enough of.  They aren't the easiest thing to make and many of us who knit and or crochet can't make them, so we truly appreciate those who can.

In doing a google search I found some interesting information about mittens.  The first thing that took me by surprise were a fair number of people who said Michigan was shaped like a mitten....really, I'm pretty georgaphically challenged, but never heard that before, or saw it.  Do you think it is when you look at a map of Michigan?  Being a Buckeye, of course we tend to refer to it as the state up north, lol.

I found an interesting defination of gloves,  mittens, fingerless gloves, and gauntlets.  This was helpful to me, beause I tend to lump everything that is an imcomplete glove as wrists warmers, fingerless gloves etc.

Gloves are a garmet that completely covers the hand and has separatations for each finger.
Mittens are a garmet that completely covers the hand but, has only a separate space for the thumb and the one larger one for the 4 fingers.  Mittens are warmer then gloves as they keep all the fingers together.  Fingerless gloves are incomplete gloves with separate finger areas and part of the fingers are covered, while a mitten that doesn't cover the whole hand has an opening for all 4 fingers and a separate area with partial covering for the thumb is called a gauntlet.

In Homers Odyssey's Laertes (don't know how to make umlaut above the e on Laertes) is said to be walking in the garden wearing a pair of gloves.  Apparently this means gloves have been around a long time, but apparently this translations is only 1 translation and the line doesn't appear in others.

Gauntlets were worn in the middle ages by soldiers, as part of their defense.  Ladies in the 13th century wore gloves that covered their hands and came up to their elbows made of fine linen and silk.  In the 16th century Queen Elizabeth is said to have worn gloves made of very soft chicken skin and called attention to herself by putting them on and taking them off frequently.

Kings and Emperors wore gloves, as did Popes, Bishops and Cardinals who celebated Mass back as far as the 10th century.  Some felt it was for cleaniness, while others thought it just part of pompt and ceremony.

I keep saying I must learn how to knit mittens, though I've not yet tried my hand, it is a goal for the upcoming year.

Our donations are as follows:

2011......258
2012......300 (+42 then the previous year
2013......178 (-122 less then the previous year
2014......130 (-170 less then the previous year

average 216 over the last several years which is 86 less then our most recent year.


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.

Please Donate Rain Poncho's to the Homeless

I did a google search for poncho's and didn't come up with anything super interesting; but will share what I found.  The Spanish word, punchu means outer garmet to keep warm.  Futher on it mentions rain poncho's as a garmet made of light weight water tight material.  The garmet was worn by Native American peoples of teh Andes in pre-historic times and is popular in South American.  It's a garmet without seams traditionally and was often worn by our Western Cowboys as well as the people in Mexico.

There was a fad back in the sixties with knitted and crocheted poncho's long before Martha Stewart tried to cash in on the fame of said item.  Oh wait, she did cash in by using the pattern designed by a woman she was prison with, but sadly Martha got the fame and credit and I dare say the mone behind it.  Some people have a knack of falling into it and coming out smelling like a rose.  Wish I remembered the real designers name, once upon a time I knew it.

At any rate folks we collect rain poncho's which aids the homeless living out in the elements all year long as well as those making their way to and from shelter living, and those getting back on their feet through assistance at the shelters standing waiting for a bus to take them to work.

Our donation numbers are:

2011......210
2012......213 (+3 from the previous year
2013......208 (-5 then the previous year
2014......61 (-152 then the previous year

We've averaged 173 which is 112 more then we collected and donated this past year.

Rain poncho's are another item everyone can help with, you do not need to be a knitter, or crocheter to help.  Please spread the word to your non knitting and crocheting friends.

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.

Bridge and Beyond, Charity Helps the Homeless

Folks I wanted to share a sweet review of our Bridge and Beyond.  One day while doing a google search in order to write a blg post, I accidentially came across this post.  I thought it was very nice and wanted to share with  you all who make this possible.  I need to do a follow up with the poster, as we don't collect the squares anymore to possilbly update that portion of her review.  We still have plenty on hand in need of being assembled, and will only return to collecting squares when those are all completed.

http://www.loomahat.com/bridge-and-beyond/

The red afghan is one from quite some time back, one of my pesonal favorites, but I always like to post a picture with a log post, so nabbed this one.  The squares here were lots of different sizes and piecing it together was a bit of job, with lots of filler in the red yarn that brought it all together.

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.

New Helping Hands Aid Ohio's Homeless

Thank you Edith D for this thoughtful donation of knitted scarves.  Edith is our newest pair of helping hands.  Many thanks for joining us here Edith.  Edith has knitted several different sized scarves.  Please click to enlarge so you can see the pretty cable in the bright yellow scarf in the left corner.  What  pretty design.

We're always happy and excitedd when we get new pairs of helping hands here on Bridge and Beyond, and look forward to getting to know you better through your helpful hands with donations and visits and comments here on the blog.

Welcome Edith, hope to see you here often.

2015 Donations:
Hats: 10+8=18
Scarves:
Mittens: 10
Slippers:
Rain Poncho's:
Cotton Washcloths:
Afghans:
Socks:
Fingerless gloves/wrist warmers:
Cowls/Infinity scarves:
Misc: personal care items and anything not listed above

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.

Homeless are People, Like You

All homeless are lazy bums, drug dealers, criminals ...right?  Isn't that what lots of people think, the people who don't want to help them, the people who say feeding them a hot meal will only promote more laziness and dependency?  And because they're all drug dealers, criminals you should be afraid them and wipe out their homes (areas where they collect to live under bridges, vacant lots etc.).  How often I've read such things on facebook and if you've not heard these sentiments from people, read articles supporting these statements and others I'd be surprised.

Meet Anthony Mendez, who as a 9th grade teen lived with his 3 siblings and his mother in South Bronx.  His best friend was shot, and a year later his family evicted from their home end up in a shelter.  Scary and demoralizing no doubt for this kid and his family.  He had to get up at 4:30 in the morning in order to get enough buses to get to school from the shelter.  I wasn't able to post the full story here, but do encourage you all to follow the link below to read his amazing and inspiring story and how he'll be The First Ladies Guest at the State of Union.

Please remember this story, and or the story about Leo Grand I posted HERE the next time you read or hear about all homeless being lazy, and criminals.  Please enlighten those that make these statements.   When someone asks you why you knit, or crochet and donate your gifts of kindness and Christian Love remember these success stories and keep your hands busy caring for others.  YOU are apart of something that truly does matter.  Thank you all, please keep up the good work.

Story Link Click HERE

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.