Charity Knitting

Here are some service projects that you may want to support, to use your leftover yarn and deplete your stash.

In your neighborhood - contact the organization directly to find out if they accept donations, and if there are any restrictions:

• Local nursing homes, hospice,  and rehab facilities frequently accept donations of prayer shawls, afghans and lap robes.
• Hospitals may have need for newborn hats, preemie and regular. 
• Hospitals may have a program for supplying mothers who are without family support with layettes.
• Schools may need extra hats, gloves, and scarves for students who come to school not prepared for the weather.
• Churches or social service agencies may collect hats, gloves, scarves and socks for homeless or indigent neighbors. 
• Charitable knitting clubs at churches or guilds may accept your donation to support their mission (and may ask you to join them).  They may also accept direct donations of your unused stash.  
• Local knitting clubs may plan "yarn bombings" to promote knitting.  I have never participated in one of these but it seems like it would be a really fun activity.  Although some may take the view that it wastes resources that could be used to warm someone up.  

Wider area: 

• Foster Care to Success:  the Red Scarf Project.  - supports kids "graduating" out of foster care
• Knit Michigan!  - support for cancer patients
• Warm Up America!  -  distributes warm clothing and afghans to those in need (nationwide) 
• Afghans for Afghans - distributes blankets in war-torn Afghanistan
• Bundles of Love - distributes basic supplies to families of newborns 
• Angel Outfitters - distributes teeny clothing to bereaved families of stillborn children

Political activism: 

• March for our Lives - responding to Florida mass shooting, deadline coming soon! 
• Pussyhat Project -  I don't think I need to explain this, as it has been widely distributed in media.  But people are still donning them to show their support for women's issues!
• Yarn Mission - combating racism 

Promotion of Knitting (and crochet) 

• Knit in Public Day  - promotes knitting by encouraging knitters to get out
• TNNA Foundation - teaching division of the organization that promotes needle arts for the industry

As always, check out any organization that you plan to contribute to, just to make sure that the the organization's administration is actually following through with their mission.  One source of that information is Charity Watch.  Listing these organizations on my page does not signify my endorsement or that I have personally checked them out.