Charity of the Month: August

Sometimes having a featured Charity of the Month is quite disheartening, because, every month, something new seems to happen that deserves help.

This month, I'm going to donate 10% of pattern proceeds to an old favourite: MSF. With the flooding in Pakistan and the continued need in Haiti, this fantastic organization could do with every penny we can give them.

Charity of the Month: July, Oxfam West Africa Appeal

 Photo: Cristina Vázquez Moreno

Right now, several countries in West Africa (including Niger, Chad, and Mali) are suffering from one of the worst droughts, and one of the worst famines, in over a decade. Current low rain levels are leaving millions of people at risk of starvation, and destroying their livlihoods.

Fortunately, fantastic organizations like Oxfam are there to help. Oxfam are raising funds for a £7m appeal to send aid to West Africa. Every Dollar (Pound, Euro) can go a long way, with £60 enough to feed a family for a month.

So this month I'll be giving a little more than I usually can. In July, 20% (instead of the usual 10%) of sale proceeds from my patterns will go to Oxfam's West Africa Appeal, where the money will be used to distribute food as well as bolster up the local economy by trading with local merchants--a rare and extremely helpful double-whammy benefit from a charity.



So that's 20% of pattern sales at my store this month. Of you can go directly to Oxfam and donate, and read more about what's going on.

Thank you for your help!

CotM June: The Donna Louise Trust

The Sale might be over, but we have a new charity for the month of June!

In June, 10% of my pattern proceeds will be donated to The Donna Louise Trust, a hospice in Shropshire and South Cheshire that provides respite and end of life care for ill children.

It's heartbreaking to think that a place like this is even necessary, but this place where children can spend their last days with care, activities, and surrounded by the people who love them isn't only a benefit to the community and the country as a whole, but is just necessary. It seems like a wonderful place where children can just be children to the end.

Go check it out.

February Charity of the Month: British Red Cross Haiti Appeal

Continuing into February with Haiti support, I'm taking Emily's suggestion for February, with the Charity of the Month being the British Red Cross.

The need in Haiti is so overwhelming right now, but it's heartening to see the difference that is finally being made there. I've also been reading a fellow Raveler's blog (she's a Canadian who was working at an orphanage near Port-au-Prince, and has been able to update her blog following the earthquake). Obvious warning: This blog does contain images that will be disturbing, and might not be for everyone's constitution.

Starting February 1st through February 28th, 10% of all pattern proceeds will go to the British Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund.

 

Thank you to everyone for your suggestions, and I'll definitely be working my way through them in the coming months!  You helped me to raise £200 (that's about $320 USD) to give to Doctors without Borders/MSF. I (very obviously) couldn't have done it without you!

The Charity of the Month pattern giveaway is still running until Midnight tonight (GMT), so get the name of your favorite charities in there and, maybe, win yourself a pattern!

Charity of the Month Giveaway

Through Help for Haiti, you have helped me raise over £150 for MSF/Doctors without Borders so far. Thank you!

As I've mentioned before, I usually (after January) donate at least 10% (often more) of my income to charity, and since a significant portion of my income comes from pattern sales, why not ask my customers and readers what charity they'd like to see featured? Each month, I will pick a new charity, and each month that charity will receive 10% of my pattern proceeds.

Post in the comments section of this post with your favorite charity (any charity!) and I will randomly select 5 people (perhaps more, depending on how many comments I get) to receive a free pattern of their choice from my Ravelry store. Anyone who mentions this contest on Ravelry or their blog/twitter/facebook, etc. and posts about it here (separate entry from the original, please), will get an extra entry. Please only 2 entries max per person (1 for charity suggestion, 1 for mentioning this somewhere else).

You have until 11:59pm GMT on February 1st to comment, so let's get charitable!