New News, and Sad News

Hello all!! Sorry I haven't posted in a long time. As most of you know, I am expecting my fourth child in April and the beginning of the pregnancy was very rough, so I've been absent from the computer for much of that time.

Special thanks to the following people:

Terri in Ohio, for donating 9 hats.
Marcy for donating 1 scarf and 12 dishcloths
Melinda in PA for donating 7 squares
Shanda in NC for donating yarn, 1 blanket, 1 pair of booties, and 3 hats
Linda in CT for donating some money, 3 blankets, 7 hats, and 3 scarves
Myra in IL for donating 1 pair of socks and 11 hats
Diane in NM for donating 8 squares

Our number for 2011 (and the very beginning of 2012) is 418. Thank you to all who contributed to this project again this past year!

I still have more items that need to be sent off to places and I plan to do that this week. I will let you know where everything goes.

And now for some sad news. I have decided that, for a number of reasons, I am going to dissolve Knits For Needs. Actually, if someone else is interested in taking over, please let me know asap and I'll get you started. That way, Knits For Needs can stick around and continue to grow. All of the rest of our items will be donated this week, including some yarn we still have, and our remaining funds will be donated to a worthy knitting charity (ideas?). Thank you to all of our loyal supporters and contributors. This has been a wonderful experience and I wish I could keep it going, but my life has changed drastically and I can no longer run the charity. Since its humble beginnings in early 2009, Knits For Needs donated 2,112 items to people in need!! Again, please let me know if you would like to take over the charity asap.

I'll post again soon when I ship the remaining items!! And... a very late Happy New Year to you!!

N GA Knitting Guild Meeting

Last night I met with the North Georgia Knitting Guild to speak on behalf of our beloved charity, Knits For Needs. Naturally, I am wide awake at 4am Friday morning because I am so darned excited about how the meeting went and also about the future of KFN!

There were about 40 people in attendance, all knitting away, while I informed them about what we do here at KFN. Everyone was full of questions, ideas, and gratitude for the wonderful things we are doing together to make a difference in the lives of people in need. I was so pleasantly surprised to find that they had already collected some items for us and also made a sizable monetary donation to assist with our shipping costs! This awesome group donated: 3 super-cute knit toys (for a baby? possibly they could even be cat toys for shelter cats?), 4 hats, 2 scarves, 4 baby sets (tiny little hat & booties), and 8 bears. The bears will be donated to firemen who provide them to children affected by fire. I apologize for the lack of pictures, but, again, it is 4am and the lighting in here leaves much to be desired :)
I would like to send a huge THANK YOU out to all those in attendance for having me, for being so supportive, and for your donations! All indications point to NGKG becoming a huge contributor to our efforts!

As you know, our goal for this year is to provide 3,000 hand-knit/crocheted items to people in need. We have collected 329 items so far, so we have a long way to go, but I am confident we will reach our goal, especially since our donations pick up in the fall and winter months. If you are not sending your items in to KFN but are donating to charity on our behalf, please be sure to let me know so I can count your items.

In other news, I need a person who shares my vision about KFN who would like to brainstorm with me and help me with things I need to learn more about, such as registering as a 501(c)3, taxes, money, etc. As expected, Knits For Needs continues to grow and I need a "right-hand-man"! If you think you are the person for the "job", please let me know via email: knitsforneeds@gmail.com. Preferably, this person would be local and able to physically sit down and discuss subjects with me, but this is not a requirement.

One of the many things I love about Knits For Needs is that we take any and all knit/crocheted items and find homes for them. I feel that there are so many people (and animals!) out there who need a little love and we show it to them by taking our time and skills to reach out and let them know people care about them. Our items will not bring back someone's burned home or cure cancer, but they may just give a person the support, love, and strength they need to go on. I want to show this love to as many people as possible, so, as you know, we do not focus on particular items, but instead we collect and donate anything you knit or crochet. We WILL find homes for your items!


Have a wonderful weekend and happy knitting and crocheting! Go KFN!

New Donation

Hello!! Yes, I am still alive... LIFE getting in the way of KFN right now, but thanks for keeping it going, and I will get more on the ball asap. Contest results are belated, but upcoming.

Thank you to Linda in CT for donating 1 blanket, 5 scarves, 6 hats, and a monetary donation to help with shipping!

Go KFN!! Have a wonderful weekend!

New Donations

Hello! It has been awhile since I updated the blog. I've been super busy with work and finally have a chance to catch everyone up on the goings-on of KFN!

We have many new donations to thank people for:

- Alicia and her mother: 38 hats, 3 blankets, 1 sweater, and 1 scarf
- quirkyvirgo: 16 blanket squares
-Lorraine in SC: 4 hats, 2 scarves, and a monetary donation
-Nancy: 8 hats, 3 scarves
- Karen in GA: 3 hats, 1 shawl, and 3 scarves

Thank you very much for all you do for people in need!! Remember, not all of these items come directly to us in Atlanta. Some of the items are ones that our members have donated to places. If you are knitting and/or crocheting and donating some of your things, let us know!!

Our current count for 2011 is: 269! Keep knitting/crocheting!!

I plan to finalize our contest winners today, so keep posted, and thanks to everyone who entered!

Knits For Needs in Action

First of all, many thanks to the following people:

Mary in GA (my mom): monetary donation (paid for all of the following shipments!)
Lynn in GA: 7 blankets, 2 blanket squares, 14 hats, 1 cowl, and 2 scarves (wow!)
Myra in IL: 12 hats, 2 scarves, 1 cute purse

Thank you all so much for your support and contributions!!! Our count of donated items is up to 183 for this year so far. Onward to 1,500!

Yesterday I spent hours and hours going through all of our things, separating them, determining where they were going, documenting, etc. I've been behind on this because, as many of you know, I just started working full-time as a pre-k teacher. I've been a stay-at-home mom for 10 years, so, as you can imagine, this has been quite the adjustment for the whole family! It feels great to have finally mailed and delivered some items out, and I'm excited to share this news with you all. Here is what I shipped/delivered yesterday:

20 prayer squares to CT
23 scarves/cowls/shawls to the rape crisis center in MD
12 hats, 1 purse, 6 pairs of socks, and 10 scarves to Timothy's Cupboard in GA
4 lap blankets to my grandmother's nursing home in GA
20 squares to Janet in KY, who collects them and turns them into blankets
(about) 50 baby items to Northside Hospital's preemies in GA (forgot to count them before I boxed them up!)

Sorry for the lack of pictures.. I left my camera at school!

For more information about Knits For Needs, please join us on the following sites:
Ravelry: Knits For Needs
Twitter: @knitsforneeds
Facebook: Knits For Needs

Also, our contest is still going strong. We have about 30 people who have entered and achieved many entries into the drawing, either by tweeting about the contest, writing about us on their blog, or donating knit/crocheted items or monetary donations. The contest ends April 1 - enter today!

Thanks again for supporting Knits For Needs. I'm excited and proud of our growth and look forward to providing more and more people with hand-knit/crocheted items made with love. Thank you for volunteering your time and skills to help those in need!

Coming Together For People In Need

Have I mentioned how I love to find things in our PO Box before? Ok, so I have. Well, won't hurt to say it again! I LOVE finding things in our box!!! Picture me sitting here with a huge smile on my face :) Other than being up at 6am on a Sunday (I can't sleep in!), I am a super happy camper.

Many thanks to Alicia in New Jersey and her mother, Lucila, for creating and donating 26 hats! Here is what Alicia said on Ravelry: "Just mailed 8 hats out to The Ships Project and 18 hats to Operation Beanies for Service Members for a total of 26 hats :) I only made 14 of the hats, my mom made the other 12." You guys rock.

Thank you also to Bonnie, also in New Jersey, and Myra in Connecticut for sending in 5 hats each.

And, last but not least, thanks to Linda, also in CT, for sending in 3 scarves, 5 hats, and a monetary donation.

Our current count for this year is 116. Knits For Needs continues to grow, which means we are helping more people! Now I just need to get on the ball and send some things out... expect a blog post about that coming up.

Our contest is going strong. Lots of people have several entries into the drawing for prizes, through either tweeting about the contest or sending things in. And one person has 5 entries for writing a blog post about us! The contest ends April 1st, so get those things in and spread the word.

I heart KFN! Happy Sunday!

You're Knittin'!

Big thanks to Cheryl in Texas for sending in 2 shawls, 1 cowl, 1 pair of socks, 1 hat, 2 scarves, and a monetary donation! You were quite varied in your knitting preferences... we appreciate that :)

Thanks also to Linda in CT for donating 7 scarves and 7 hats, as well as a monetary donation.

And thank you to Lori in SC who sent in 5 hats to our donation site for the homeless veterans project (read more about that in our group on Ravelry.com).

We appreciate all of you so much!

More to come about an upcoming contest... any ideas about the contest? Can you donate a prize or two? Email me! knitsforneeds@gmail.com

Registering Knits For Needs

I've been looking into registering our charity as a 501(c)3 non-profit, which has been my goal for some time. This would get us our tax exempt status and qualify us as a legitimate non-profit organization. This is wonderful and exciting news, but comes with a price. It looks like it will be right around $1,000 for us to do this, which means we need more funds. After we raise these funds and register, the only other funds we'd need to upkeep would be our shipping funds, which, right now, run about $150/year, which isn't much. However, if we keep growing, this figure will go up as we will be making further shipments, but we are looking into getting more donation sites and hand-delivering more items, which cuts down on the cost of shipping.

I am excited about the direction Knits For Needs is going in, and I think registering as a 501 (c)3 non-profit will further our growth. If you would like to contribute monetarily to our organization, please use the "donate" button on our blog or send funds to: Knits For Needs, PO Box 551, Woodstock, Ga 30188. We would greatly appreciate any and all funds we receive, and thank you so much to the people who have already donated.

As always, keep sending in your knit/crocheted items! This is an ongoing project for us... we collect items throughout the year and donate to people in need throughout the year as well, although the winter months are our busiest times, as far as shipments go. Thank you for your support!

Donate Button & Other News

We now have a "Donate" button on the blog! You can donate via PayPal now, right through the blog. I finally figured out how to do it, thanks to my friend Melissa.. thanks Melissa :)

In other news, I am digging through information on how to get our charity registered and to get it tax-free. I have another friend, also named Melissa, who is going to help me with the process. I'll keep you all posted.

Warm Holiday Heart

Nothing warms my heart like being around family and friends at this time of the year, but this year my heart grows even warmer when I go check our Knits For Needs PO box. There were 5 packages awaiting me yesterday!

Huge thanks to my Aunt Nola up in Michigan for donating some yarn and a sizable monetary donation... we'll keep going for a long time because of your generosity and the generosity of others who support us. Thank you so much!

Thanks also to Lorraine in South Carolina for donating 5 hats and yet another monetary donation! Myra in Illinois sent 2 scarves for the rape crisis center and 2 hats as well... thanks! And Marie in Georgia sent in 4 scarves. Thank you all so much for your support and taking the time to use your skills to help others.

The spirit of Knits For Needs is alive and well! We are up to 1,048 items donated this year :) Happy Holidays!

A Word About Monetary Donations

Hello all :) I just heard from someone on Facebook who said she wants to make donations in her friends' names as Christmas gifts for them. What a great idea! If anyone else is interested in doing the same, or if you simply want to donate for yourself this Holiday Season, as of right now, we have two ways of doing that. You can donate via Paypal by going to Paypal and making a donation using our email address, which is knitsforneeds@gmail.com. Or, you can simply send a check to our address: Knits For Needs, PO Box 551, Woodstock, GA 30188.

I do not have a button for Paypal on our blog because I can't figure out how to do it :) If anyone knows how, please email me: knitsforneeds@gmail.com

Also, since we are not legally registered as a charity yet, I cannot offer receipts for your records. I do, however, guarantee that 100% of all monetary donations we receive go towards shipping and other minor upkeeping, such as renewing the PO Box. I have a separate account called "KFN" in which I keep these funds put aside for our needs. If anyone knows anything about registering as a charity, please email me. I need to start thinking about that since we are really growing!

Again, Happy Holidays!

More Thanks for More Donations

Thank you to Bonnie in New Jersey for sending in 9 beautiful hats! Three of them are going out next week to some kids at a pre-school in Chicago who do not have warm things to wear.

Thanks also to Rhonda in Georgia for donating 2 sweet baby blankets and 6 adorable baby sweaters. These will all go to babies in need at a hospital very soon... stay tuned. Also, thank you, Rhonda, for sending a monetary donation to help with shipping costs!

Our current count of things donated to KFN in 2010 is: 1,035! How exciting to know we are helping so many people!

Over 1,000 Items Donated!

So I have some very exciting and heart-warming news to share: We've now reached 1,014 items donated to Knits For Needs in 2010!! Not only did we meet our goal of 900, but we've surpassed it significantly. All items donated go to warm up people in need, such as chemo patients, preemies, the homeless, hospital patients, and anyone else in need. I'm sending out some hats to someone in Chicago who works at a pre-school where many of the kids come in without warm clothes. I love our organization!

Tons of thanks go out to Sandi in South Dakota who took 19 hats to the homeless veterans shelter near her home. Also, thank you Cathy in Georgia, who donated 7 hats, 1 scarf, and some money for shipping. Thanks also go out to Elizabeth in Alabama for the hat she donated and to Beth in Massachusetts, who donated 21 hats and some money for shipping as well. You guys have been busy! Thank you also to all the people out there who have donated squares to be turned into blankets. I don't know everyone's names to thank you individually, but your support is much appreciated. Thank you so much for your undying support of our ongoing mission to help people in need of warm, hand-knit and crocheted items. Certainly what warms them the most is the thought that people out there care and are taking the time to make these items for them.

If you're wondering how you can support Knits For Needs, simply knit or crochet an item and send it in! Every item counts. Our contact information is on the left side of our blog. Feel free to email us with any questions or comments. We also accept monetary donations to help with shipping these items all over the United States, as well as yarn donations. Which reminds me, I have plenty of yarn to be used for Knits For Needs if anyone needs any. I ask that you pay $10 for shipping, and I'll send you a box full of yarn.

If 2010 was this big for KFN, what will 2011 be like? I can't wait! We'll set an even bigger goal and I'll bet we'll reach it. Help spread the word about KFN by tweeting about it and telling your friends. Also, a goal of mine is to have articles written about what we're doing or even be featured on the news, so email your papers and news stations about us. The more support we get, the bigger we'll grow!

Happy Holidays!

Exciting Times For Knits For Needs!

Holy cow, I just got back from the PO Box and we've received sizable monetary donations!! We have enough to cover this season's shipments, plus a bunch for next year!! Thank you so much to Cathy in GA, Stephanie in NJ, and Michele in VA!! You guys have made a very special contribution to a great organization of people who knit and crochet items to keep those in need warm. I almost cried when I saw the size of a couple of those checks. I love your generosity and your dedication to this charity. Because of you and because of the people who knit and crochet for us, we are making a world of difference here in the US. You guys rock!

Thanks also to Cathy in GA for sending 7 hats and 1 beautiful scarf! Our count is now 779! I feel confident that we will get to our goal of 900 this year. We've already beat our total from last year by over 100. Keep up the wonderful work!

Warm Stuff for Homeless Veterans, Homeless Kids, and Cancer Patients

We have some exciting news to share! 128 knit and crocheted items that have been donated by you are going out to people in need today.

65 items are going to an organization here in Atlanta that will be using the items as Christmas presents for homeless children. My daughter and I will also be going to help wrap the presents for the children on December 18. Here is the website of the organization: http://www.childrn.org/crn_trial_4_009.htm

24 soft and comfy hats will be going to Cancer Treatment Centers of America to be given to chemo patients.

And finally, 39 warm hats will be sent to a homeless veterans center in South Dakota.

In other news, we are still in desperate need of funds... please help! I will be using the remainder of our funds to ship these items today, which means we will have no money for further shipments if we do not accumulate further funds. If we have no funds to ship with, I will take items around the Atlanta area, but I like to support people around the US, so I'm hoping to gain some funds with which to do this. Thanks in advance for all who will support this cause!

Many Thanks!

If this doesn't make you feel great, I don't know what will! Read this "thanks" we got from the Rape Crisis Center:
*************
Dear Ms. Zelaya,
Thank you so very much for the box of scarves! I am speechless! They are all so beautiful and I am just so delighted and touched by your gift. Your scarves will be packaged up with a pretty ribbon and give out to either a walk-in victim, a man/woman seeking counseling for a previous/past assault or given to a volunteer when she is called out to the hospital to accompany a victim in need. All these scarves that are hand-made with loving hands, such as yours, are a comfort and a symbol of hope. Recently, a hot-line volunteer was called to the hospital center to talk with a young woman who had experienced a sexual assault. When the volunteer handed the young woman the scarf, she immediately unwrapped it, wound it around her neck and refused to remove it. I was later told that she wore it the next day when she came in for counseling. It's stories like these that make scarves like yours so valuable. Your generous gift will be a comfort; your gift will make a difference and that I can promise.

Thank you so very much
**************

In other news, thank you so much to Lorraine in South Carolina for donating 3 gorgeous and adorable baby kimonos and one baby hat. Thanks also to Cheryl in Texas for donating 9 pairs of socks, 10 hats, 2 cowls/shrugs, and 3 scarves... you've been busy! Thanks also to Cheryl for sending a generous monetary donation to help with shipping costs.

We are still in need of funds to help with shipping costs, so please, please, please consider donating, even if it is a small amount. We have a lot of items to send out this winter and we need the funds to be able to do it. You can donate via Paypal by using our email address: knitsforneeds@gmail.com, or you can simply mail a check to us. Thank you!

Our total amount of items donated this year is a whopping 713! We can make it to 900, our goal. Again, I am so proud to be working with you all on this special project to help those in need. Many thanks to all contributors and supporters!

Update

Thank you Terri in Ohio for donating 11 hats to Knits For Needs!! Our count is up to 641 now and our goal is 900 for this year... I think we can do it! Keep sending in your knit and/or crocheted items and let's make it to our goal of helping 900 people in need in 2010. If you have any questions/comments/suggestions, please email us at knitsforneeds@gmail.com.

We are running out of funds, and we'll need them very soon so we can start sending out our things to people in need across the US. If anyone would like to donate monetarily to our cause, even if it is just 5 bucks, please just send us a check or deposit it into our PayPal account.. you just need our email address, which is listed above. I hate to ask for money.... uggg... but we'll need it. I think we only have about $15 in our account, which would only cover one shipment. Thanks in advance to all people who will help build back our funds!!

Thank you again to ALL supporters and contributors, without you, we would not work. Thanks so much, and, again, I'm proud to be working with you on this special project of helping people across the US!! Have a great day!

Collection for Charity GROWS!

These are exciting times for Knits For Needs! We've had many donations, including a HUGE one from Alicia in New Jersey. Many thanks to Alicia and her mother for donating a whopping 56 hats, 2 scarves, about 8 skeins of yarn, some baby booties, and 50 prayer squares! WOW! You guys have been busy. Thank you so much for your dedication to Knits For Needs. Thank yous also go out to Terri in Ohio for donating 6 hats and Myra in Illinois for donating 3 hats and 3 super adorable purses that I'm sure some girls are simply going to love!

Our total for this year so far is 417! We are well on our way to 900 items, which is our goal for 2010. If you are just now starting to follow Knits For Needs' progress, please take the time to read our blog to see what we are all about. We love to donate knit/crocheted items to people in need, and YOU can help! Every donation counts.

Also, we are currently looking for donations of prizes to award our contest winners. Do you own a shop and would you be willing to donate stitch markers? Knitting needles? Any other possible prizes? We will also accept monetary donations to help with the prizes as well as for shipping costs. We have a PayPal account where you can donate money to our wonderful, charitable organization. You just need our email address: knitsforneeds@gmail.com

Thank you for reading our blog, and have a wonderful day! Thank you for supporting Knits For Needs!

Happy New Year!

It has been an amazing first year for Knits For Needs, and I thank every one of you for your support and contribution to this wonderful charity that, a year ago, was just an idea sitting in my head. Our goal for 2009 was to collect and donate 500 items and we weren't sure we'd be able to do it. In August, we were at 324 after receiving a huge donation of 120 hats from The Crochet Guild of America, and we were wondering if we'd ever make it to our goal, although 324 is quite an accomplishment! On November 16, we were at 405 items, and then, as if everyone came together to make sure our goal was reached, not only did we reach our goal of 500, but we soared to a whopping 634 items donated in 2009! Woo hoo - 634!
Knits For Needs thanks everyone who has nurtured this project into a huge, loving charity that is made up of giving people throughout the entire world. You should feel very special for using your time and talents to help those in need across the United States. Not only do we bring a bit of warmth to the people we donate to, but we send them a message of hope and love. Someone, somewhere took the time to knit or crochet something very special for them, and that may very well have been the only gift they received this year. You deserve a pat on the back for your contributions to Knits For Needs, be they knit/crocheted items, monetary donations, yarn, or just plain support. I am proud to be associated with you all and wish we could all sit around and knit and crochet together :) If you're around Woodstock, GA, let's get together!

Looking forward to 2010, I hear by announce our goal is going to be 900 items this year! I know we can do it. We overshot our goal for this year and we are growing by leaps and bounds. 900? Piece of cake :) That does NOT include our total for 2009. So that means that by this time next year, if we reach our goal, we would have donated over 1,500 items to people in need. Let's go for it! Shanda in North Carolina has been the very first to donate in 2010, making our current total for this year 11. Thank you Shanda and all who will contribute their time and talents to Knits For Needs in 2010.

Also, there is something new I am going to suggest to you all who love Knits For Needs as much as I do: let's promote it like crazy! Twitter it, Facebook it, email news channels and newspapers about what we are doing. Make sure you send them our blog address.

Let's make 2010 even bigger! Thanks to all!

Meridith Zelaya

Paypal Account

Knits For Needs now has a PayPal account. Anyone wishing to donate money to our cause, pay for shipping for yarn, etc. now can simply go to PayPal and send us money there. Apparently you only need our email address: knitsforneeds@gmail.com