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

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Busy Hands in Florida Aid Ohio's Homeless

Thank you Susan A from Florida for this wonderful and very generous donation of knitted warm goodies.  Susan has been very busy as you can see.  She's knitted hats, scarves, mittens, and slippers.  She's included several styles of slippers, some appropriate for men others more appropriate for women.  NICE!  Love the variety in sizes and colors you've chosen for all your goodies, many people will be kept warmer because of your donation.  Thank you also for taking the time to attach tags with sizes for your hats, and slippers, much appreciated.

Susan's also included toothbrushes.  Personal care items are always needed and a great way for someone who doesn't knit or crochet to help.

AND you know how excited I get when we get donations of mittens, truly an item we never get enough of.  Folks just the other day I had a request for mittens for kids, so if you're about to cast on might I nudge you to knit/crochet some mittens for children?

Please keep up the good work Susan, hope to see you here often on Bridge and Beyond.

**Susan tells me she used Nola's Slipper Pattern for the sock like bootie style slippers.  I always enjoy knowing, as I know many of you do as well what patterns people have used and liked.

2015 Donations:
Hats: 24+9=33
Scarves:2+3=5
Mittens: 14+3=17
Slippers: 2+7=9
Rain Poncho's: 3
Cotton Washcloths:5
Afghans:
Socks: 7
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.

Friday, February 13, 2015

Toothless and Homeless and Amazing, Doug Seegers

Being Homeless is not the life people lay in bed at night and dream about.  People become homeless for a variety of reasons, we do what we can to help along the way; but every now and then you see, read or hear something like this..............something that makes you smile and say Thank You God.

Please turn on your speakers and enjoy!



The story's Link is HERE


And Proceeds To Blow Everyone Away


This is Doug Seegers, an out-of-work carpenter who was born in New York. He’s a man in his sixties and up until recently he lived off the money he was given by people in the streets of Nashville. In 2012, Aaron Espe, a musician from Minnesota, posted a YouTube video of Doug singing a song he wrote many years ago called “Going Down To The River.” His vibe and his haunting voice made the video go popular, and everyone got the chance to hear his unique voice. This time, he got together with country stars Jill Johnson and Magnus Carlson to sign his original song. The YouTube description says, “This man deserves to get a roof over his head so help him become famous by spreading the word!” It makes me very happy to see someone like him is starting succeed in the most unexpected way!


 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, February 12, 2015

Donations to Help Homeless Men

Yippee for donations for men!  Several days I delivered donations for men, women, and children to Homeless Families Foundation, but for ever bag for men were 3 or so for women.  Please remember the group most often forgotten is the men.  The bulk of homeless living out in the elements are men, both adult and teen.  Please also remember the last homeless person to get a night at a shelter will be man, and they are turned away each and everyday when there's not enough room, and there's hardly ever enough room.

Thank you SSeger for this donation suitable both in size and color for our homeless men.  Even her cotton washcloths are appropriately colored for the men.  LOVE the pattern in the nice brown scarf.  Such awesome texture.  Click to enlarge folks so you can see the details.  What stitch did you use?

Thanks also SSeger for tagging your hats with size!  It is such a huge time saver for many people and takes the guess work for me, as well as those who volunteer at the various shelters.

Please keep up the good work, and thanks so much for your on going support of Bridge and Beyond.

2015 Donations:
Hats: 22+2=24
Scarves:2
Mittens: 14
Slippers: 2
Rain Poncho's: 3
Cotton Washcloths:5
Afghans:
Socks: 4+3=7
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.

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Donations Help the Homeless

Thank you Dorothy M!  What a wonderful and thoughtful donation of goodies you've knitted up for our homeless and others in need.  Dorothy has been a long time supporter of Bridge and Beyond, we so appreciate her efforts.  She's knitted and crocheted slippers, mittens, and hats.  You know how excited I get when someone has the ability to knit mittens!  She's also donated much needed hand warmers, socks, rain poncho's and personal care items.  Love the nice manly colors you've chosen for the hats and that you nicely tagged your mittens, slippers, and hats with the size!

Keep up the good work Dorothy, YOU are awesome!

Folks when I made deliveries yesterday to Homeless Families Foundation I saw first hand how some of our hand crafted donations are being used.  Not only does Homeless Families Foundation work with families one on one to help them with housing, job search and training....but those in the area in need, who may not be "their" clients are able to enter the entryway (sorta of room between 2 doors) where some of our goods are laid out so those outside and cold can come in to obtain what they need.  I recognized some of our work and it brought a smile to my face.  They don't want to shut the locals out because they aren't a family when they need help, even though "the family" is their focus.  It was heartwarming to me to know how far reaching our donations are.  I hope you all feel the same and PLEASE KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

Upcoming blog posts for donations from: RoseMarie, Cheryl B, SSeger, Barbara F, Susan A, and myself.  Please frequent the blog and do try and leave comments.  Remember with the changes in blogspot...you can no longer leave the url portion of name and url blank, you can though use your RAV, or Facebook or other profile links/url there.

2015 Donations:
Hats: 18+4=22
Scarves:
Mittens: 10+4=14
Slippers: 2
Rain Poncho's: 3
Cotton Washcloths:
Afghans:
Socks: 4
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.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

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.

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

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.

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?