Sunny Florida Helps Warm Ohio's Homeless.

Woot Woot.  Look at this awesome afghan.  It's lovely and crocheted in the very traditional granny style method with black edging and joining.  So many fun colors.  AND everyone loves a true granny square afghan.  These colors are perfect for men or women.  Our friend and long time supporter, Sandra R from sunny Florida has done it again with this generous donation of knitted and crocheted goodies.

She's knitted hats in a variety of colors and sizes, and her always popular mittens!!  She's also included the traditional Grandma's favorite (corner to corner) cotton washcloths in her donation, as well as scarves.  Something here for everyone.  Thank you for always tagging your hats with size; the volunteers at the shelters especially appreciate that.

We're hitting some fun milestones here folks with this donation.  Take a look at our goals for Cotton Cloths.......we just surpassed it!  AND look how close we are for both hats and mittens...in both cases we're only 13 from our goal.

I think we're going to end on a high note when Dec 31st rolls around and we close the book on Bridge and Beyond.  Have you read the important announcement?  If not, please click HERE and read. 

In our short almost month when we began in Dec of 2008 we donated 33 hats and 24 scarves, and now look at us.  Those were the items we started with and over the years we donated:

2008    33 Hats and  24 scarves

2009   335 Hats and 123 scarves

2010   592 Hats and 340 scarves

2011   969 Hats and 473 scarves

2012  1052 Hats and 666 scarves

2013  1053 Hats and 666 scarves

2014   971 Hats and  590 scarves

2015   468 Hats and  196 scarves

2016   516 Hats and  371 scarves

2017   371 Hats and  256 scarves

2018   270 Hats and  224 scarves

2019   300 Hats and  212 scarves

2020   351 Hats and  146 scarves

2021   310 Hats and  146 scarves............thus far, as of Oct 30th when this post was written.

So our biggest year for hats was 2013 with 1,053 and our lowest year for hats was 2018 with 270.  That's a whopping 7,591 hats that we've knitted and or crocheted and donated since Dec of 2008.  Think of the 7,591 warmer heads.  Together we all accomplished that.

And our best years for scarves were both 2012 and 2013 with 666 each year.  Our lowest was 2009 with 123.  And our total to date of knitted/crocheted scarves if 4,433.  I wear scarves a lot, so truly know how much warmer those 4,433 people were.  I hope you're all smiling and nodding in agreement.

So while we may be winding down the year and our work with Bridge and Beyond will be ending Dec 31st of this year; each and every person who participated throughout these past 13 years should feel very good about the people that were warmed by our hand crafted goodies.

**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.

Personal Care and Post Office Troubles, And ...

A small collection of personal care items collected on a recent short out of town with hubby.  It was on this trip to Hilton Head, SC a week or so back that I discovered all the problems now associated with doing a mail hold.  It's never been an issue before; but ..........our post office has closed which presented a whole host of problems that never existed before.

1. When your post office closes you can not qualify for a mail hold set up on line, even when signed  into your account.
2. You can not qualify for automated telephone mail hold
3. When you get a live human being, they can not do a mail hold for you
4. You must go in person, stand in line, and fill out a mail hold card (which they may or may not loose)
5. Once back in town you return to the post office nearest you, the one where you filled out the mail hold document and are told you can not pick up your mail there, you must go to the main office.
6. The following day arriving at the main post office after difficulty with finding a parking spot and it takes 3 people to find your mail.  But, hey I lucked out the lady in front of me had been back 3 times and no one could find her mail, nor her mail hold card.

Yes this is one of the reasons I've decided it's time to put an end date to this grassroots charity, Bridge and Beyond.  So, after 13 years Bridge and Beyond's last date will be Dec 31st of this year, 2021.

Hubby and I travel a good bit, and will be increasing time away as he nears retirement.  With mail issues (significant mail delays), and reduced time you can do a mail hold, and above stated problems........it seems the writing was on the wall.  Thus, I have made this decision after considerable thought.

Dec 2, 2008 I wrote my first blog post here on Bridge and Beyond where I asked a group of blog friends if they wanted to help.  It started out quite small.  We were going to help a group of folks living in the elements that a friend, Rae prepared hot meals for on Sat mornings.  Mostly men at the time, a few woman and no children.

In one weeks time, I started receiving emails asking for my address on Dec 8th, and on Dec 9, 2008 I received my first donation from Bunny.  Bunny was an avid supporter of Bridge and Beyond in the early years.  Some of you may remember her.  She moved onto supporting other charities from my memory; but it's a nice memory to remember she was the first donator to this charity, Bridge and Beyond.

I'll will continue to accept donations, and blog about them as the year continues.  AND, I will continue to share some history and memories of how we came to be and how we grew.  Please stay tuned.

**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.

Personal Care Gift Packages Help Homeless.

Thank you Tara B for this thoughtful donation.  Sorry the picture doesn't show up real well.  We were without electricity when I was processing a group of donations.  As you can see, there was some light coming in from the window, but it's not the best.  Please click to enlarge the photo, so you can see details.  In the lower left corner you'll see a soap box with soap in it, a couple of hygiene wipes (the pink packet), and 2 crocheted cotton washcloths...(hard to see as they're tan about the same color as my carpet).  This was all packaged together in a zip lock bag.  Notice all the packages on the fall right, and to the left of the scarf....I opened one package so you could see the contents and I could get a proper count.  What a cleaver way to package these needed personal items, Tara B!

Tara has also included toothbrushes, towards the top left in the picture and 2 crocheted scarves and hats.

This lovely donation will help many people in need.  The packages of personal care items really are like a gift package...very nice indeed.  AND with this donation, look where we are for our goal for cotton washcloths!  Seriously, one away.

***If you didn't read yesterday post, PLEASE DO!  Just scroll back for an important announcement was made yesterday.***

**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.

Lots of Heart at Bridge and Beyond

One day on a recent walk through the neighborhood I spotted this lovely heart made of many colorful stones in someone's' flower bed.  Naturally I stopped and took a picture.  I thought I would share it with you all because there's been lots of heart here at Bridge and Beyond through the years.

I'll be sharing alot of stats in the coming months about where and how we started, back on Dec 2, 2008 and how we got where we are today in 2021.  A loving memory, a reflection as it were.  The reason?

I've made the decision after lots of thought, that Dec 31st, 2021 will be the last day for this grassroots charity, Bridge and Beyond.  There are many factors that played into my making this decision; but one is substantial changes in mail services.  My post office has closed down which has caused problems for me regarding holding mail when we travel.  We are away from home more each year and I see that increasing as my husband moves into retirement.  

Please know that each and everyone of you who visits the blog, who's donated through the years has made it possible for Bridge and Beyond to help Homeless for 13 years...indeed lots of heart.

Please continue to visit, as there are donations to see and stories and stats about Bridge and Beyond to see and read about between now and Dec 31st.

**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.

Crocheted Afghans Warm those in Need

Thank you AnneMarie D for this donation of crocheted afghans.  This first afghan is a shell type corner to corner, then edge round and round like a big granny style.  I love this color combination of purples and turquoise with lots of shading.  I can see either a teen wrapping up in this or a woman.  Lovely colors!

This 2nd afghan is a big granny, but with lots of different types of stitches.  Please click to enlarge the picture so you can see the variety of the stitches.  I think from looking there are double crochets, V-Stitches, Popcorn Stitches (or puff stitches), and perhaps others.  Beautiful work.  Again I know the ladies will love this!

Many thanks AnneMarie.  Please know you've made people happy and warm when they snuggle up in these afghans.

**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.

A Generous Donation of Knitted Warmth for the Homeless

WOW!  2 boxes!  Phyllis G, has been very busy and has knitted lots of goodies to donate.  In this first picture she has the always popular cotton washcloths.  As you know, they are used in a variety of ways.  Folks getting a shower at a shelter often get one...so much softer than a store bought cloth.  They're put into welcome home bags for folks when they transition from shelter to a more permanent housing situation and can be used as a dish cloth or personal wash cloth, and our friends living out in the elements get good use from them as well.

She's also included scarves with matching hats, mittens and slippers!  And you all know how excited I get when we get mittens!!  Way to go Phyllis.  

I do hope you've scrolled down, cause there's more!!  More mittens, scarves, hats, and slippers.  This group is a larger size than the first picture.  Awesome to have a variety of sizes and colors.  Some perfect for the younger set, some for women, some for men and some that work for either a man or a woman.  But... scroll some more, please.

I told you, there were two boxes of donations.  I can only put so many in one photograph in order for you to see them.  And remember, you can always click pictures to enlarge them.

**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.