A Wonderful Cause For Quilters

I have lifted this post totally from Kristin LaFlamme's blog. My friend Janet just called and told me about this effort to get some our 'un-needed' sewing supplies to Iraqi women. Please head over to Kristin's blog (see the link I added just below) to get all of the information - you will need to leave a comment, it seems, to get the address to which your box needs to be sent. It is an APO box I believe. I don't get too "gung-ho" about this sort of this much anymore but this is one cause that is tailor made for us quilters (tee hee get it - quilter=tailor made?!!).

From here on out is all Kristin's words..........

http://kristinlaflamme.com/musings

begin quotes "...My very own Tech Support & World’s Greatest Husband, AKA, Mr. Incredible, has just launched a short-duration project to “surge” fabric and sewing materials into the area around which he’s posted in Iraq. It is timed to coincide with both Ramadan, and the departure of his units from Iraq.

The project started, as many do, out of a confluence of inspiration and circumstances. It may have started with reading 3 Cups of Tea, an inspirational story not only of one man’s impact, but of his conviction that terrorism can only be fought effectively with education and opportunity, not by force. Follow that with the understanding that when a US military unit leaves an area, although they take with them everything on their master list of what they brought, truth is they leave a whole lot behind as well — bed sheets, small refrigerators, DVDs, old clothes, unused building materials, etc. As one man’s trash is another’s treasure, the idea to donate re-usable materials to local groups emerged. Then came the idea to supplement those resources with more — tailor made for individuals and sewing co-ops trying to make a living in the community.

The basic premise is to make a bundle of fabric and sewing supplies from your own stash, mail it to my hubby’s APO (American) address, and he will facilitate the distribution of the bundles. By bundling teh goodies, it saves time on his end as he won’t have to redistribute the supplies or use excess packaging for them, and it makes it far simpler for his local counterparts to distribute them to those in need.

The project is called Iraqi Bundles of Love, here’s a link to his FAQ page, and we’ve got until September 7, 2009 to bust our stashes and send what we probably won’t get around to using to my man, who will get it to those who will use it right away. If anyone is interested in donating, but doesn’t want/have a box-full, or can’t afford the postage, contact me and I’ll be a rally point here in Hawai’i. Please feel free to pass on the links, share this project with your sewing pals, local bee, quilt guild, etc. As I write this post, my husband doesn’t have a list of “most needed” items yet. Fabric, thread, needles, pins, yarn will undoubtedly be on the list. I hope it goes without saying that messages of God’s blessings or anything else evangelical/proselytizing should not be included. Let’s be sensitive to the world’s diversity. Thank you so much for your support of this project...." end quotes