Crocheted goodies being donated

Thank you Mary H from Ohio for this thoughtful and abundant donation of crocheted goodies. There are 11 brightly colored scarves, sized nice the kids, a pink shawl that I believe one of the ladies/Mom's at one of the 2 family shelters will enjoy wrapping up in, and a Candy Corn Colored crib sized ghan to brighten and warm one of the young children for our project, "Welcome Home" for The Homeless Families Foundation. Nice work Mary, keep up the good work.



2011 Donations:

Scarves 396+11=407
Hats 903
Mittens 247
Socks 318
Squares 551
Rain Ponchos 208
Cotton Washcloths 338
Sweaters/Poncho's 10
Slippers 100
Afghans 43+1=44 (2 sent to our friends at Pine Street)
Misc Items I've not counted misc items like all the personal care items, the neck warmers, head bands, shawl, hot packs, or yarn etc.

This is day 30 in our Jack Otis Memorial Month, tomorrow starts our focus for squares. Please read the details before your knit/crochet/loom and mail. Thank you.

This post is #565...can you believe how fast we zipped by our last mentioned milestone of 400 posts? WOW. Each posts represents the hard and wonderful work you all do, as each post highlights a day of donations from someone...impressive isn't it! Give yourself all a pat on the bag for stellar work.

*****Please avoid open and lacy stitches, if you can see your hand through the item, and or poke your finger through...it's too lacy and not warm enough. *****

Reminder that posting comments helps the blog. How you might ask? Increased comments helps our search engine placement. When we place well in the search engines more folks can find us to help us which in turns means we can help more people. So, please please please. I know many of you visit, and read. Be brave, leave a comment, let us know you were here. Encourage each other and admire each other's work. Be friendly and get to know the other wonderful folks who help. It truly does help the blog which in turns help those we're reaching out too. You do not need to be a blogger to leave comments. Simply type your comment and click the drop down box that says name and url and leave url empty if you don't have a blog. Please use the name and url instead of anonymous. Anonymous doesn't tell us who was here and often ends up in the spam folder which in turn does not help the search engine optimization.

All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated, and all donations keep someone warm. We help, one stitch at a time. YOU truly DO make a difference. THANK YOU!

Donation from Canada

Three warm and very soft knitted hats and a pair of knitted mittens from our newest pair of helping hands, Bonnie B (Panther from Rav) from Canada! These hats are nice and stretching and will fit a good range of head sizes. One can leave the brim rolled once as the orange and brown hats are, or double roll it as the darling turquoise print one is. Thank you so much Bonnie for your thoughtful and well made donations, they are greatly appreciated. Hope to see you here on Bridge and Beyond often.

Today and tomorrow left in our month long Jack Otis Memorial Month. Many thanks to all who read the story about Jack, and my other classmate and friend Bill. I'm always interested in learning others personal stories to share with you all. It's important to understand the homelessness does effect people we know. If you have a story you can share, please email at:
sandycrochet@gmail.com.

**Reminders:
Please include a note with your email, on line profile page and or ID's with your donations so I can contact you to let you know your thoughtful donation arrived.
Things to avoid in your knitting and crocheting: white, lacy stitches, and knotting and cutting your yarn.
***Working calendar lists each of the monthly highlighted items for this past year. I will be posting a new one for the upcoming year of 2012, please stay tuned.
****The blog is updated often, so please take time and read guidelines, some items may have changed since you began donating based on the groups we are donating too.

2011 Donations:

Scarves 386
Hats 900+3=903
Mittens 247
Socks 318
Squares 551
Rain Ponchos 208
Cotton Washcloths 338
Sweaters/Poncho's 10
Slippers 100
Afghans 43 (2 sent to our friends at Pine Street)
Misc Items I've not counted misc items like all the personal care items, the neck warmers, head bands or yarn etc.

December's focus will be squares, please check guidelines before you knit or crochet. Please email me with any questions regarding those guidelines and or times to mail squares.

All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated, and all donations keep someone warm. We help, one stitch at a time. YOU truly DO make a difference. THANK YOU!

Help for Ohio's Homeless from New York

Our good friend AnneMarie has done it again with has, slippers, scarves, and mittens. A variety of sizes and a variety of colors. Awesome work AnneMarie.

AND, 31 more packages of ponchos and 6 dozen more pairs of socks! She sent 3 boxes and as I was opening and photographing here and there to catch up from being out of town, I didn't get all her's together. You may have seen the first installment of socks and rain poncho's HERE.

AND 43 packages of hot packs, most good for up to 8 hours according to the packages and some good for up to 18 hours according to the packages. Awesome donation, and really awesome idea. I must look the next time I'm at Sam's and see if I can get something like this in bulk?

Many many thanks AnneMarie for your thoughtful donation, and your continued support for our folks in need here in Ohio. Please keep up the good work.

Day 28th for our Jack Otis Memorial Month. I would still be interested in sharing any stories you all might have regarding homelessness having a face. Please emaill me if you have a story to share.

December's focus will be squares. Please read details regarding size and color in the side bar or across the top of the blog.

**When someone asks you why take time to make something special for someone you don't know, I think the perfect answer is, "Hope is powerful, giving someone a special hand made item made special for them, gives them Hope."

2011 Donations:

Scarves 395+1=396
Hats 888+12=900
Mittens 242+5=247
Socks 258+60=318
Squares 551
Rain Ponchos 146+62=208
Cotton Washcloths 338
Sweaters/Poncho's 10
Slippers 98+2=100
Afghans 43 (2 sent to our friends at Pine Street)
Misc Items I've not counted misc items like all the personal care items, the neck warmers, head bands or yarn etc.


All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated, and all donations keep someone warm. We help, one stitch at a time. YOU truly DO make a difference. THANK YOU!

Help for Ohio's Homeless from The Sunshine State

27th Day of Jack Otis Memorial Month

Thank you Phyllis G from Florida, The Sunshine State for this thoughtful donation for Ohio's homeless. Phyllis knitted 11 hats, and 11 scarves in a variety of colors and sizes and included 11 pairs of navy blue adult gloves. This is a wonderful donation for the men. Mostly dark male colors, and sizes appropriate. We appreciate your on going support Phyllis and look forward to seeing you here on Bridge and Beyond often with your skillful hands.

Do you belong to a group? A social group, a group at work, or school, or church? Could you print our flyer and post on the bulletin to help spread the word? If so, please do. We'd love to spread the word further, to obtain more helping hands. The more helping hands we have, the more people we can help. Through the last several of years, we've grown and have been able to help additional groups in need. I hope that continues, as the problem of those needing help certainly continues to grow. More and more families need us. We help Men, Women, and Children. We help people here Franklin County (central Ohio), and we help people in Vinton County. We help those living on the street, we help those that live in temporary shelters, we help those who get a hot meal here and there, we help those get a night here and there in a shelter. The list is on going. We need and appreciate your help with the hand made items (knitted and crocheted, and loomed). We need and appreciate your help spreading the word of the cause, be it on your blog, on facebook, on twitter or on your a bulletin board. Thank You!


2011 Donations:

Scarves 384+11=395
Hats 877+11=888
Mittens 231+11=242
Socks 258
Squares 551
Rain Ponchos 146
Cotton Washcloths 338
Sweaters/Poncho's 10
Slippers 98
Afghans 43 (2 sent to our friends at Pine Street)
Misc Items I've not counted misc items like all the personal care items, the neck warmers, head bands or yarn etc.


All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated, and all donations keep someone warm. We help, one stitch at a time. YOU truly DO make a difference. THANK YOU!

Warming Hands is Colorful

A warm, and very colorful donation of 10 pairs of mittens here from Patty L from Ohio. (gloves) A good variety of sizes here to warm different sized hands. The kids will love them. Thank you Patty for your thoughtful donation.

This is Day 26 in The Jack Otis Memorial Month. 4 more days folks, you still have time...keep your hooks and needles flying. It's cold and the men are in need.

**Reminder for those knitters and crocheters who furry pets like to lay on your donations, please do your best to remove the dog and cat hair...those lint roller things work well. If your items are washable, washing them in cold water and fluffy dry (I never use hot, even when the label says it's ok), also helps. Additionally, washing items is a great way to soften some of the rougher yarns. This helps all the recipients with allergies, as well as me when I open the boxes. THANKS**


2011 Donations:

Scarves 384
Hats 877
Mittens 221+10=231
Socks 258
Squares 551
Rain Ponchos 146
Cotton Washcloths 338
Sweaters/Poncho's 10
Slippers 98
Afghans 43 (2 sent to our friends at Pine Street)
Misc Items I've not counted misc items like all the personal care items, the neck warmers, head bands or yarn etc.

***Reviewing our numbers above makes me wonder if we can heat 500 for scarves? Or 300 for mittens? ***

All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated, and all donations keep someone warm. We help, one stitch at a time. YOU truly DO make a difference. THANK YOU!

Fabulous Knitting being Donated

Thank you Pat E for this thoughtful donation. Knitted wonderfulness here folks! Take a look at the darling little sweater, the 10 pair of fabulously made mittens in lots of different sizes, and a red scarf! Lovely, truly lovely Pat. Much appreciate your continued support of the cause with your knitted donations. Keep up the good work!

2011 Donations:

Scarves 383+1=384
Hats 877
Mittens 211+10=221
Socks 258
Squares 551
Rain Ponchos 146
Cotton Washcloths 338
Sweaters/Poncho's 9+1=10
Slippers 98
Afghans 43 (2 sent to our friends at Pine Street)
Misc Items I've not counted misc items like all the personal care items, the neck warmers, head bands or yarn etc.

This is Day 25 for Jack Otis Memorial Month. If you've missed reading about, please click on his picture in the side bar.

Next month, Dec we're once again activating "Give a Square". Please read about it, also in the side bar before you make your squares. Sizes, colors, purpose etc all the info is there.

TIPS:
If you like to keep track of your donations, print the blog post where your's are highlighted.
Use double thickness when knitting or crocheting slippers for extra warmth and durability
Avoid white yarn for the dirt factor
Avoid lacy, open see through stitches and patterns. We're going for warmth and durability. If you can poke your finger through your stitches, try a smaller hook/needle and or different stitch.
Avoid tying a knot and cutting your yarn when you change colors or add new yarn, ALWAYS leave tails of several inches and work them into your work.

All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated, and all donations keep someone warm. We help, one stitch at a time. YOU truly DO make a difference. THANK YOU!