Happy May First Bridge and Beyond

Whew........made it through the month of April and the A-Z challenge.  It took some doing to come up with something for each letter of the alphabet that had something to do with homeless and or what we do here on Bridge and Beyond.  I visited 253 blogs (as of the April 26th when this scheduled post was written).  That is the number from the linky.  Every blog I visited I read the post and left a comment except those that were closed to comments, had to join google+ and a few things like that.  Then I visited those folks in my right sidebar almost daily so no clue how many visits that comes out to.  Currently that blog log is 24 blogs, though the number wasn't consistent.  As soon as someone visited and left comments, I added them to the blog log...so it grew, I visited them back, but after several visits if they didn't visit back I removed them from the linky love blog log list...so it shrank.  Am in need of going through and nixing a few more so it's a current list.

 I also visited everyone on my regular blog list at least twice during the month of April, also in hopes of reciprocal visits which didn't really happen.  Many on that list no longer blog, haven't updated in several years etc.  The 2nd time through I deleted quite a few of those links as well as dead links.  I liked having folks on their that had donated, but they've moved on and inactive links actually hurt Bridge and Beyond with regard to SEO, so I felt it was time to clean that list up.

Next up I visited everyone listed with profile pages, ie Ravelry and or Facebook and left private messages trying to encourage blog visits.  That proved not to be worthwhile.  As stated in the paragraph above, many of those pages aren't current.  I will be over the next week re-visited and deleted those inactive links as well.

And...that brings us to today, May 1st.  Nice way to start the new month with this pretty donation from our good friend Sandie P from Louisiana.  Please click to see the picture better so you can see the details in her darling hat.  I LOVE this hat.  It's stylish and quite warm as it has ear flaps.  Sandie what pattern did you use for this?

As always, please keep up the good work Sandie!

2015 DONATIONS:
Hats: 179+1=180
Scarves 67+1=68
Mittens/Gloves/Wrist Warmers: 45
Slippers: 63
Rain Poncho's:  53
Cotton Washcloths: 109
Afghans: 7
Socks: 126
Cowls 12
Shawls 1
Misc: items like personal care and things don't fit into above categories aren't counted

We're still having very cool nights with frost, and temps some days still hover around 50-60, so it's still not warm, if you don't have a good roof over your head.  Please keep knitting and crocheting, the need still exists.

**If you missed any of the A-Z Challenge posts, please please do stop and read them. And it's still not to late to leave comments folks.   My hope is to further educate people about what it's like to be homeless, to better understand the nature of this sad situation.  The more we know, the better chance we have of helping.  I also desperately want to dispel the notion that it couldn't happen to you and your loved ones.

A=Afghans, Family Heirlooms
B= Bridge and Beyond, Behind the Scenes
C=What is Crochet
D=Donations
E=Exposure Kills Homeless Vet
F= Crying and Homeless and Freezing Temperature
G= Gubbio, A Homeless Project, St. Boniface Church
H=Hobo and Homelessness
I= Inspiration
J= What is Joy
K=Knitting
L=Knitting Looms
M=Mittens, Knitted, Crocheted or Loomed
N=Caring for the Needy
O=Jack Otis, Classmate, Homeless
P=Policing the Homeless
Q=Quilting Can Warm Those in Need
R=Helping Homeless with Rain Poncho's and Recycling
S=Shelter Living and the Homeless
T=Tent Cities for Homeless
U=Living Under the Underpasses
V=Homeless Veterans, Rest in Peace
W=Water in Doorways, Sprays Homeless
X=Xenophobia
Y=Yarn Helps Homeless
Z=Finding Zen


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.

Finding Zen

A-Z=Z-Zen
Ok, today's the last day of the A-Z challenge and Z is not an easy letter to come up with anything associated with homelessness and what we do here on Bridge and Beyond.  My goal, my dream would be to hear there is Zero Homeless Population, but I know that won't happen, certainly not in my lifetime.  And how would I show Zero Homeless in a blog post.  This being the last day, maybe a little levity is in order...some of the posts here have been pretty sad, because frankly the situation is sad and there's little good to post about.  However, even in bad circumstances there are people who make the most of the situation, people with a upbeat personality, people who don't let "it" get to them.  This man strikes me as someone like that.

If there's such a thing as Zen, finding Zen in a homeless situation, this picture might represent it.  Look how creative this man is with his drawing on the underpass wall.  Got a birdcage, a dresser and tv and a window with a blind.  Now, I don't call this living life in the lap of luxury by any means, but clearly he has he things organized, and he looks cleaner then most as do his belongings.  Sleeping on an old mattress in an underpass is not a life I would want, but this man......Gotta hand it to him.  Makes me wonder if he has a job, you know homeless do.

I hope those who've visited through A-Z have learned alot about homelessness, and that you'll continue to visit the blog.  I hope some of you have figured out a way you might help, if not here with Bridge and Beyond, locally in some capacity.  Visiting, commenting, those help the blog reach others, so do come back and cheer on all the helping hands.

Tomorrow then is May, but the work here on Bridge and Beyond continues.  We knit and crochet and donate all year long, not just in the winter months.

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.

Yarn Helps Homeless

 Today is Y for the A-Z Challenge, and Y = Yarn.  This cute and rather fun comic was posted both on Facebook and here on my blog, Bridge and Beyond some time back...thought it was good enough to give it another go round.  I'm a person who doesn't like to shop, if you know me, you've heard me say that 1000 times..........yarn shopping excluded from that statement.

Yarn comes in many colors, weights, and textures and can be made into almost anything you can think of with knitting, crocheting, and looming.  This array of yarn was donated.  Some of these colors you might recognize as being part of The Learning Logs Afghan I've been knitting.

You writers and story tellers may think of something entirely different when you see or hear the word yarn, you may think of stories.  People used to sit on the front porches and spin yarns........tell stories.  Well, yarn as pictured here tells stories too.  The story is how it became yarn, how it jumped into someone's shopping basket wanting to find a home, how it called out to the knitter/crocheter about what item it should become, and then how it warms someone on a cold night sleeping outside, and gives both physical and emotional help/warmth and hope.

Yarn is a powerful thing, and what's made from it.......goodness it tells a story.  A story of how someone you don't know, took their precious time to make something out of love and yarn for just you.  And so there are many stories about yarn and Homeless.

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.

Xenophobia

A-Z Challenge = X= Xenophobia.  Not exactly the easiest letter to work with, and then once the word was found, also not easy to find a photo that works.  Fear of foreigners, fear of someone different is the loose definition of the word.  Though the picture doesn't perhaps show fear...fear often manifests itself into mockery and judging of the other party.  Homeless people are often misunderstood, often made fun of, often mistreated, often judge.  They are judged to be lazy, judged to be criminals, judged to be alcoholics and druggies.  We fear what we don't know, what we don't understand.  Some do choose to be homeless, but many don't.  For many it's just something that happens.  They lose their job and they can't pay bills, and they get evicted.  They have a bad illness which wipes them out financially causing the same effect.  They have a drug or alcohol problem which causes them to fall down the same path.  They come back from service to their country broken, they don't fit in, they can't hold a job, they have mental illnesses left untreated.  There are many reason for homelessness.

One of hardest things for a homeless person to fight is in fact the Xenophobia people have.  People look the other way, they don't want to speak to them out of fear.  They don't want to be asked, with perhaps pleading eyes for help of some kind.  They don't want to be judged.  They don't want to be blamed.

What can you do to help Homeless People?  Donate money, donate clothing, donate time at a soup kitchen, smile and say hello when you pass one.  Donate here through Bridge and Beyond through your time with yarn.  Ask what your church does in your community about homelessness.

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.

Water in DoorWays, Sprays Homeless

Certainly
A-Z Challenge = W=Water Showers and Washcloths
Water and Washcloths go together.  Rather then tell the story in words, I've added this video.  When I first saw the clip, it was just what happened, not the interview and I was appalled that a church would do such a thing.  Seeing it, in more detail it's still quite troubling that they did this.  I see they have a problem, but don't believe this was a very Christian way to solve it.  Now with the church being embarrassed, the practice has ended, let's hope they find a solution for their problem that is more charitable.

We knit and crochet cotton washcloths which are huge hit everyone we donate.  They're used by those living out in the elements, by those in the shelters, and those that transition from shelters to permanent housing.  They're used both as washcloth and as a dishcloth when they're packed in the Welcome Home Packs given to those as they move into their permanent housing situation.

If you missed some of the A-Z Challenge posts, please scroll back to yesterday, Sunday where you'll find a complete list to date.  Only 3 more days/letters left XY and Z.

 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.

Sunday Wrap of the A-Z Challenge and the Purple Iris Afghan

Purple Iris after being designed.

Purple Iris after it's been completed!  The colors haven't changed, but you know how different things look with different lighting.  First picture was taken with a bit more natural light in the room, and the completed picture with lots of lights on, as it's a dark dreary rainy cold day here in Central Ohio.  This afghan in waiting traveled to Vermont recently and was assembled beautifully by our friend. Sarah S.  Many many thanks Sarah for taking on this project to lend me a hand, much appreciated.   You matched the lavendar perfectly with your edging and joining.  I think the real color of the ghan is somewhere between the 2 pictures, lol.

Happy Sunday one and all, there is no official A-Z post required on Sunday.  It's suppose to be a day off, however I've tried to keep the momentum going and have posted all the Sunday's in April, hoping for extra coverage for Bridge and Beyond.

For those who may be here the first time, Welcome.  One of the items we make (Knit/crochet) and donate here on Bridge and Beyond is afghans.  There are given as a special Welcome Home Gift to families when they transition from shelter living to their permanent housing situation.  Truly something to celebrate.  We celebrate with them, congratulate them and wish them well for the future with our gifts of homemade afghans.

Again many thanks Sarah!

2015 DONATIONS:
Hats: 179
Scarves 67
Mittens/Gloves/Wrist Warmers: 45
Slippers: 50+13=63
Rain Poncho's:  53
Cotton Washcloths: 109
Afghans: 6+1=7
Socks: 126
Cowls 12
Shawls 1
Misc: items like personal care and things don't fit into above categories aren't counted

**If you missed any of the A-Z Challenge posts, please please do stop and read them.  My hope is to further educate people about what it's like to be homeless, to better understand the nature of this sad situation.  The more we know, the better chance we have of helping.  I also desperately want to dispel the notion that it couldn't happen to you and your loved ones.

A=Afghans, Family Heirlooms
B= Bridge and Beyond, Behind the Scenes
C=What is Crochet
D=Donations
E=Exposure Kills Homeless Vet
F= Crying and Homeless and Freezing Temperature
G= Gubbio, A Homeless Project, St. Boniface Church
H=Hobo and Homelessness
I= Inspiration
J= What is Joy
K=Knitting
L=Knitting Looms
M=Mittens, Knitted, Crocheted or Loomed
N=Caring for the Needy
O=Jack Otis, Classmate, Homeless
P=Policing the Homeless
Q=Quilting Can Warm Those in Need
R=Helping Homeless with Rain Poncho's and Recycling
S=Shelter Living and the Homeless
T=Tent Cities for Homeless
U=Living Under the Underpasses
V=Homeless Veterans, Rest in Peace


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.