How Can You Help the Homeless?

Since it's early in our new year, 2018, thought I'd post some ideas.  These ideas are ways you can help the homeless.  Maybe you've been here to the blog, Bridge and Beyond before; but have forgotten ways to help the homeless.........maybe you're new to reading this blog.  In either case, here's some ideas of things you can do to make life better for a homeless Man, Women, or Child.

• If you knit, or crochet or loom...the most obvious way to help is to knit, crochet, or loom hats, scarves, mittens, slippers, and afghans.
• If you don't knit, crochet or loom, but know someone who does ....buy them yarn to encourage them to knit, crochet or loom something to donate to Bridge and Beyond.
• If you don't knit, crochet or loom, and don't know the first thing about buying yarn, offer to pay postage for someone who does knit, crochet or loom and would make and donate something for Bridge and Beyond.
• Whether you knit, crochet, or loom or not..........visit the blog daily.  Why?  How does that help?  It helps traffic to the blog, which helps with the search engine optimization of the blog, which helps more people find us easier when searching for charities to knit, crochet or loom for.
• Take your blog visit a step farther, leave a comment.  Why?  The more time spent on the blog also aids the search engine optimization (SEO), and it encourages others to leave comments.  If you're a blogger you can leave your name and url to your blog.  Please leave the blog url, not a google+page url.  I'll return the visit, but can't if you're google+
• Regardless of whether or not you're a knitter, crocheter, or loomer or not......spread the word by sharing the link to the blog in your email contacts, and on your social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest etc.
• If you knit, crochet, or loom in public (planes, lunch at work, etc) have a card or two with you with the name and url of the blog.  Why?  People often ask what you're making when you're knitting, crocheting and or looming in public, right?  When they do tell them what you're making and why........offer them the card so they can check out the blog
• What is the url?  http://homelessbridge.blogspot.com/    you can also tell them to google Bridge and Beyond.
• Share the link to the Facebook Group    https://www.facebook.com/groups/246918975439091/?ref=bookmarks
• If you are not a knitter, crocheter or loomer, you can help by collecting personal care items which are needed all year long.  They are needed in Summer, Spring, Fall, and Winter.  You can buy personal care items, or you can collect items from hotels when you and your friends and family travel.
• Socks......store bought socks are always needed.  You don't need to be a knitter, crocheter, or loomer to donate socks.  Socks for men is the primary need.  When living outdoors the danger of wet cold feet is very real.  To have warm dry socks to change into can help keep people alive.

**Did you see our donation stats for the last 5 years?
----Thank you to those who donated in 2017

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.

Thank you !

Today is January 1, 2018.  Bridge and Beyond began in December of 2009, reflections and donation totals for the previous 5 years were posted as my last post of the year 2017, and can be found HERE.  Please do take time to read the post if you haven't already, and add your thoughts.

As we kick off the year 2018, I wanted to again thank everyone who donated during the year 2017 to help the homeless and those in need.  If you're new to the blog, we're always looking for new pairs of helping hands.

Thank you to:

AnneMarie
Ann M
Barbara F
Barbara H
Beth G
Beverly S
Bianca C
Bruce B
Carol W
Christina D
Christine H
Cindy K
Connor W
Cynthia B
Dad
DeeAnn H
Delores M
Donna 
Donna S
Ella S
Emily K
Emma P
Felicity
Gail B
Girl Scouts
Jane B
Jane C
Jason D
Joy D
Juli B
Julian G
Karla T
Karen S
Laurin A
Linda S
Lisa N
Lisa Z
Maggie P
Maria Z
Marsha M
Mary D
Melinda G
Melissa P
Nikki S
Patty C
Paulette J
Phyllis G
Ruth A
Sandie P
Sandra
Sandra R
Sarah S
Shelby M
Sue S
Susie J
Verlene

I hope I didn't miss anyone, as I went back through all the tags/labels on the posts to pick up names.  If I did, my apologizes.

As I type, I've been working on an afghan which I hope to have finished very soon.  Wanted to try and get one more done by the close of 2017, and it just didn't happen.  What are you all working on?

I leave you with a quote from a comment on the previous reflections post that seems very appropriate.

 "There will always be people in need, so if everyone would just make one more hat, scarf or pair of mittens we would have a great new 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.

Good Bye 2017 and Hello 2018

2017 is close coming to an end.  It's been a tough year in many ways, and a good year in others.  I'm sure that's true for many of you reading this blog.  Some of you come and read and post comments, others come and read, but are shy about posting comments.  Some that come also donate, others share our blog and it's mission with friends and co-workers.  It takes many things to be successful as a grass roots charity.

Some of you may know how long Bridge and Beyond has been in existence, others perhaps not.  This blog, Bridge and Beyond and it's mission began in December of 2008.  We started small with donations initially only for men, and due to great growth in a very short period of time added shelters that serve women as well as men.  Not long after that we added children through  several schools in the area, as well as working with Homeless Families Foundation.  We physically deliver to fewer locations now, as we have more consolidation.

Charities go through peaks and valleys.  Prior to my starting Bridge and Beyond, I witnessed this with other charities I supported around the country.  Some came to a screeching halt in short periods of time.  Grass roots longevity takes far more work, I think, than many folks realize.  We are now 9 years old here on Bridge and Beyond.  I consider that a remarkable accomplishment with so many people deserving of our thanks to make it happen.

Below you see our stats for the last 5 years, from 2013 forward.  You can see, a steady down turn in donations since 2013.  I've also taken the time to list the 5 year averages for each item, with the exception of rain poncho's which is a 4 year average; as it wasn't counted separately this past year.  We've maintained pretty well with afghans being donated, this year in part to our friend Marsha M. who donated 22 afghans. Thank you!

I point all this out because I wonder if it's time for some reflection.  Do we still help people?Yes we do, but certainly far fewer.  Would we do better if we focused differently?  I am open to discussion on this.  Are we stretched too thin?  What stands out to me is how much higher the average is on most items vs what we've donated in the last couple of years.  If for example we stopped making and donating cotton washcloths, would we be more successful at collecting and donating hats and scarves?

I thank you all for your support via donations, blog visits, and blog comments; as well as those who share our links in their social media outlets.  I am however, wondering if we've run our course?  I have no immediate plans to delete Bridge and Beyond, I am just trying to think realistically what our future holds.  If you have thoughts you would like to share, please leave comments.  If you're shy about doing that, please use the contact form on the right hand side of the blog to reach me.  If you have my email addy, feel free to make contact that way as well.

Again I think you all, and hope you have a happy and safe New Years.

	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	AVG
HATS	1053	971	468	516	371	675.4
SCARVES	666	590	196	371	256	415.6
SOCKS	281	199	201	135	29	169
AFGHANS	55	32	24	36	32	35.8
SLIPPERS	153	121	105	91	53	104.6
COTTON CLOTHS	577	334	454	236	314	383
MITTENS	300	130	123	108	120	156.2
RAIN PONCHO	213	61	105	211	N/A	147.5

**Rain poncho’s weren’t counted this past year, they were mixed in with misc as there were so few.

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.

Donated Knitted Afghan Helps Warm Families in Need

Just finished knitting this large family size afghan.  Some of the yarn was donated, some of the yarn is from my stash.  Just need to launder it and get it blocked.  I used some variety in texture by having some stripes garter stitch and others purl.  I mixed things up a bit with some color work knitting with 2 colors.

As mentioned, it's sized for a family ghan.  Took me longer than I would have liked to get this one finished, but I'm happy to have it off the needles now.  I had several crocheted ghans going at the same time and recently got those finished....a mad dash to the end of the year with trying to finish up as many work in progress projects as I can.  No doubt many of you are doing the same thing.  That's not to say I'll get all those WIP done, but have made really good headway.  How bout you?

It's not looking like we'll make several of our goals for the year, as donations are down, but we are making good headway.  Donations with charities all have peaks and valleys.  Last years totals were down from the previous year, as that year was a banner year.  We strive to do the best we can folks, and know that each individual hat keep's one person warmer then they otherwise would be.  Likewise with scarves, or our afghans.

Keep up the good work folks, and please keep checking in to how we end up for the year.

DONATIONS 2017

HATS:  143

SCARVES (Gators, Infinity Scarves)  114

MITTENS:  +12

SLIPPERS: 38

RAIN PONCHOS: 205

COTTON WASHCLOTHS: +78

AFGHANS: 6-5=5
SOCKS: 106

Misc, Ponchos, shawls, headbands etc aren't counted but very much appreciated.

**We started the year with the number of items we had donated last year, 2016; and will subtract our donations from that.  Using the end number for 2016 as the goal for the each item.  So, as the year continues you will see numbers decrease.  Our goal is to meet and surpass the number of items donated last 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.