OLIVIA WRITES: In the new year, I think it would be cool if I could contribute to some kind of charity. I can knit, sew a little, and do most kinds of crafty stuff. I can also play music, but I’m not sure how that could help anybody. If you have any ideas about organizations that I could help out with, I’d love to know!
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Great question! I love to knit, craft, and play piano too. 🙂 For knitting, here is the link to an organization called Warm Up America. http://www.warmupamerica.org/ My local library system hosts events every fall for the 7″x9″ squares, which is what made me think of them, but it looks like they also accept lots of other items, so take a look around the website. That’s the only specific charity that I can think of, but here are some general suggestions: knit or sew baby items and donate to a local pregnancy center; knit or sew warm things like hats and scarves and gloves and donate to a homeless shelter; find a nursing home or hospital where you can play music. Sorry I don’t have lots of specific things. I would suggest trying to find organizations that spread the gospel along with whatever else they do, because that’s really the most important thing you can share with someone.
I was thinking pregnancy center too! Nice ideas!
If you’re the right type of person, a nursing home can be a great ministry.
Dana had some great ideas. Just to add to that, here are some more:
Crafty stuff could be a great way to encourage missionaries and their kids. One organization you can trust is To Every Tribe (www.toeverytribe.org)
For finding crisis pregnancy center (PRC) the Pregnancy Resource Network has a listing of all the PRCs in the US, Canada, and I think a few other countries. (www.pregnancynet.org)
Sorry but the other charities I care about are local.
Also, some charities hurt more then they help so be sure you study before you get too envolved. Reading the mission statement and statement of faith is a good place to start.
Hey Olivia! I’m gonna echo @disqus_nMHdIM6csN:disqus’s idea and say that I’ve never known a nursing home to turn down a young musician willing to entertain residents. That might be one way you could use your musical talents! I hope that helps a bit 🙂
Olivia, The best one I can think of is from personal experience is The Cupcake Kids {thecupcakekids.org}. It is a wonderful way to raise funds for the imprisoned children of Africa that the ministry Sixty Feet {www.sixtyfeet.org} reaches. All you do is host a cupcake sale and 100% goes to the kids–projects in Africa. http://www.thecupcakekids.org/how-to/ I have had two, the first before I went on my first missions trip to Uganda with Sixty Feet, and the second one after that trip: http://heartbeatforuganda.blogspot.com/2014/06/cupcakes-for-africa.html Hope you will prayerfully consider this fun & creative way to serve these children right from home. 🙂
Haha, I knit too. These are good ideas.
Blythswood are always looking for warm clothes and hats, gloves and scarfs (you probably know them as the shoebox appeal but they do stuff all year round). My mum and I knit stuff throughout the year because hats and gloves are easy and quick so you can make loads and there’s hundreds of lovely patterns out there. Also, pregnancy crisis centres and things like the Special Care Baby Unit (or whatever the equivalent is over there) at your local hospital may be looking for things like blankets and clothes for babies, particularly premmies. If you want any nice knitting patterns, I can give you lots 🙂
Also, for music, you can go busking (you need to check licensing rules for where you are but in the UK you can busk without a license as long as you aren’t causing an obstruction) and give the money to a good cause. You’d be surprised how much you can raise. Or like the others have said, go to a sheltered complex or an old folks’ home near you and offer to play for them even once a month. They’ll love it and you’ll learn a lot of new songs. It’s good to have some old favourites up your sleeve for that. It depends what you play. I play fiddle so it’s easy enough done. (again if you need ideas or sheet music…)
There’s loads you can do to help! Hope you find something. Like I say, as a knitter too I have loads of patterns for things like lovely warm arran jumpers for grown ups, hats, gloves, scarves, adorable baby patterns… You name it! So if you are looking for anything let me know 🙂
Thanks for the suggestions!
I’m definitely considering the bake sale and playing at our local nursing home. Now if I can only summon up the courage to get my youth group on board (plus ask my local farmers market whether they would allow us to do that on their grounds or not.)
Here’s the thing, I forgot to say that I mostly loom knit or just free knit (in other words, I’ve never actually used a pattern before) but I probably could learn to use a pattern pretty quickly, or even ask the lady downtown at the knitting shop to show me how.
As far as music goes, I have the great opportunity of playing at the farmers market, and although I’ve only tried once and only made $10 since it was really cold and rainy, one of my violin teacher’s other students does the same thing and has made over $50 in a day before 😀 so hopefully with some fiddle tunes and free Saturdays, it will be a good way to make some money.
My friend,
There are literally thousands of charities you can take a part in.
1. Donate stuff to the Goodwill or another donating center.
2. Volunteer at a community center, Salvation Army, school, etc.
3. Sell dough (cookie or pizza), candy (See’s), pictures, crafts, something!
4. Gather dry goods to send over sees.
5. Support Christian ministries like your church, Ligonier Ministries, Loose Change to Loose Chains, Brown Bag Ministry, etc.
6. Make care packages for missionaries and soldiers over seas.
7. Host a charity event at your home.
8. Raise awareness about abortion, drug, and rape victims; homeless people, slavery, etc.
9. Invite strangers, friends, church family, etc. over to your house a for a club, hangout time, social, party,
10. Tutor someone in something you are really good at like school subjects such as math and science, like a craft such as carpentry or welding, like an art form such as photography or painting, and like music such as drumming or singing.
11. Adopt a street, road, or highway and clean up the liter.
12. Council someone who has experienced a traumatizing event in their life.
13. Love your mom, dad, brother, sister, cousin, niece, nephew, and so on.
14. Write letters to prisoners.
15. Do something nice for your Mom.
16. Do something nice for your Dad.
17. Author a book and give your profits to a trustworthy organization.
18. Have a clothing, food, etc. drive.
19-1,000,000. ____________ (Your ideas here.)
In the end, the possibilities are endless. You don’t actually have to join a charity or give a to charity just be charitable.
Basically, find an interest, passion, and cause. Then go join it!
http://www.wiphan.org/ This is the organization my family is with here in Zambia. If you’re interested in sponsoring a child or selling crafts to raise money for the organization/sponsorship of a child you’re more than welcome. And since I live here, if you sponsor a child I can keep you updated with pictures and even help you pick a child if you wanted. =) You can also sponsor children through World Vision and Compassion International…and tons of others I just don’t know about! haha…
Other things I can think of: (btw, I haven’t read all the comments)
-My friend and I in the U.S. went to sing at a local nursing home shortly before I moved. It was so much fun and everyone really seemed to enjoy it! We baked some cookies to take to them and they were so smiley and cheery… =) Then we asked one of the employees if there were any people there in the nursing home who were just extra lonely and had no visitors. The employee told us about a specific woman; so we went to her room and played her a song and then she just talked and talked and was telling us how hard of a day she was having…opened up to these random teenage girls in her room! And then the three of us prayed together for her situation…it was so rewarding!! Even more so than playing for everyone honestly!!
-Homeless shelters are great places to volunteer!!
-If you have long hair you could cut it and send it to Locks of Love…
-Since you mentioned you can knit and sew, I knew a lady who used to knit (or sew works just as well) baby’s outfits and take them to hte local pregnancy crisis center and give them to the girls about to have children and then take the opportunity to share the gospel with and encourage them.!!!!
Hope this helps!!
donate to a pro life group. Be part of a walk for life rally
The live ppreformance idea sounds good but the bake sale idea not that much. What if not enough people make food?
it could be a disaster!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good suggestions, but I don’t have money, and I’m not sure whether a twelve year can do fundraiser stuff without an adult, so not sure whether I can do either of tjose
whoops! too many !’s!
start a disability support group. OR just help out at church!
you made a typo. *those not tjose.
@Olivia W. By bake sale are you meaning the cupcake sale for the kids in Africa? Just curious if you were referring to my post or not. :)) It took courage on my part too. I had to present the ministry before the missions board at the church our family was a part of at the time to ask permission to do the Cupcake Kids Sale. At that point in my life I was only sixteen and struggled with shyness. The Lord can give you the courage for whatever it is! I’ve learned from experience. Just ask Him.
Yep, I did mean the cupcake thing 🙂
Wow, that does sounds hard!
It wasn’t too bad! 😉 I was thankful for the opportunity. They just wanted to know about it to see what the ministry Sixty Feet did, what their beliefs were, etc. Here is a video clip…it describes the Cupcake Kids in a nutshell:
Are you a fiddler?? 😀
Learning to read patterns is easy enough but hats can be done on a loom and blankets can be free knitted…
Well, since I’m a violinist who likes to play fiddle music sometimes, I suppose you could call me a fiddler! 🙂
Cool! I’m a fiddler who occasionally plays violin 😛