Why do our "guests" spend their time and money making hats for kids that they will never know?
It's simple, they are part of our shop's community that freely reaches out to the larger communities in the valley to make a difference. They are special people and TYF is proud to be associated with each and every one of these wonderful folks. The goal was to by February 6th to make 120 hats for the kids in the Desiderata Alternative High School Program in Phoenix Union High School District.
The count as of 6:30 pm tonight was 131 hats. We know there are more hats still coming so just drop them off when you complete them.
Tempe Yarn & Fiber’s social charity knitting/crochet group meets every Monday evening from 6 to 8 pm to continue making items for our ongoing charity (Ronald McDonald House), and to make items for a second, rotating charity that will change every two months.
For the months of December and January, Tempe Yarn & Fiber’s charity knitting will focus on knitting and crocheting hats for students attending Desiderata Alternative High School Program.
Why Desiderata?
An educator at Desiderata, who is also a TYF customer, explains: “I am a staff member at Desiderata Alternative High School Program in Phoenix Union High School District. I want to make a real difference with the students I teach.
The Desiderata student population is deemed Emotionally Disabled and as such is uniquely deprived (socially, economically, academically, and medically) due to low socio-economic status and a corresponding deficit of early intervention by familial, medical, and educational resources.
Let me share why your involvement can make a positive impact in this unique environment. Our enrollment of about 120 students represents a handful of approximately 30,000 students in the Phoenix High School District. They are the ones who have not been successful at the comprehensive high school campuses and display symptoms such as aggression, withdrawal, self-destructive behavior, anxiety, depression, defiance, truancy, running away, addiction, and trouble with the law. Every school has children with degrees of these symptoms, but our children have not been able to effectively mature and cope within the norms of acceptable behavior necessary to succeed in the comprehensive campuses.
You can make a meaningful difference. Donations are used for incentives for the students. Incentives are a proven intervention to teach and strengthen new behaviors for successful young adults. Your donations will directly benefit individual students but will also have a positive impact on your community as students learn skills which make them more productive members of society.”
At the suggestion of Desiderata’s Principal, TYF will be donating hats knitted or crocheted in the school’s colors, so only pre-approved shades of purple and gray will be accepted. TYF has a selection of Cascade 220 Superwash and Universal Classic Worsted in Desiderata’s school colors, and we will be happy to help you select the yarn to use for your project. Please attach the yarn label to your hat before donating it, so the student who receives it will know its fiber content and washing instructions.
As the majority of the students are male, we would ask that you use a pattern that would be appropriate for either a young man or a young woman to wear. If you don’t have a favorite hat pattern already, TYF has free patterns available for you to use.
Our goal is to collect 120 hats by February 6th, that way each student will get one!!!
As part of the TYF Charity event for October/November, our growing community of great folks completed 21 helmet liners for the troops (which will be sent to Citizen Support America’s Military group), plus toys for the Child Development Center at Luke Air Force Base.
This event was near and dear to a lot of folks and we really appreciate everyone who participated.
You hear stories almost daily about how the downturn in the economy has caused people across the country to cut back on donations, and how people simply don't care about others like they once did. Well, I'm here to tell you that this simply isn't so with the big-hearted customers ofTempe Yarn & Fiber.
In July, Tempe Yarn & Fiber announced that it had selected Chrysalis* as its charity for the months of August and September. The challenge was for customers to makeBooga Bagsand donate personal items to be included in the bags for the Chrysalis Women's Shelter in the Phoenix metro area.
Every Monday night for the past two months, groups of customers met at the shop to work on making bags. Based on the number of people who actually came into the shop, we expected to get about 25 Booga bags for the ladies at the shelter. Little did we know how many people were knitting the bags without coming into the shop. As the deadline neared for the collection, more and more bags starting showing up.
On October 5th, Tempe Yarn turned fifty (50) completed Booga bags and six large boxes of personal items to Jody, a representative from the Chrysalis Women’s Shelter.
Jody stated, "Many of the women who come into the shelter have nothing more than the clothes on their backs. When the community reaches out like this and gives them something handmade, it gives them hope that someone out there cares about them and their future." The customers who made these bags cut across the age, economic and social spectrum, but all had one thing in common: the desire to give back to the community. We are proud to have been a part of growing the community of caring at Tempe Yarn & Fiber.
The next charity challenge involves Supporting Our Troops. For more information see tempeyarn.com .
*Chrysalis Over twenty-seven years ago, a woman opened up her home as a safe house for both women and children who had been victimized by domestic violence. Within three years, funding was received to expand these services into a 24-hour crisis shelter. The shelter was appropriately named Chrysalis – defined as the growth that creates an independent being. Chrysalis programs now include two crisis shelters, transitional housing, outpatient counseling, victim advocacy, legal advocacy, and community education and prevention programs. Chrysalis helps close to 1,400 individuals annually. Often, when women and children come into shelter they bring nothing more than the clothes on their backs.
Support Our Military
For the months of October and November, Tempe Yarn & Fiber’s charity knitting will focus on knitting and crocheting items for military troops and their families. If you would like to participate, you can make something that will go to a local military family at Luke Air Force Base or something that will go to troops serving overseas, or both.
If you are interested in supporting the military locally, we have contacted Luke Air Force Base and they have let us know that their Child Development Centercould use hand-made items. The following things would benefit the children there: Blankets, Sweaters, Booties, Infant Mittens (for anti-scratch purposes), Hats, and Knitted Toys. If you would like to use a pattern of your own choosing, please feel free to do so. If you don’t have a favorite pattern already, be sure to check with TYF for patterns and pattern recommendations.
If you would rather support the armed forces that are overseas and on the ground, we will be knitting items for Citizen S.A.M. (Support America’s Military)--Serving our Armed Forces community locally and globally. Citizen S.A.M. is a 501c3 organization that is a non-partisan, non-political organization that does not support any political candidate nor endorses any religious organization.
Citizen S.A.M. website, they provide free patterns for Helmetliners (known as “Wooly Pulleys” by our Armed Forces), Knitted Neck Gators, andScarves for Troops. Citizen S.A.M collects these items from knitters and crocheters across the U.S. and then forwards them to the troops overseas.
Only black, charcoal, brown, tan, or gray are allowed by our armed forces for troops on the ground, and items knitted for them must be made from soft, worsted 100% wool yarn that will knit to gauge, such as Cascade 220 or equivalent. According to Citizen S.A.M., “Acrylic and acrylic blends pose a fire/melting hazard and do not have the same insulating properties as wool. Please include the yarn label to your finished item before sending on to us.” TYF has a selection of Cascade 220 and 220 Superwash yarns in military colors, and we will be happy to help you select the yarn to use for your project.
Veteran’s Day is November 11th, so this charity knitalong is an especially timely way to honor those who currently serve our country. Collection of items will take place November 30th – December 5th.
If you would rather not participate in the current monthly project, keep in mind that TYF’s ongoing store charity, Ronald McDonald House, takes any of the following knitted and/or crocheted items year round and TYF is a drop off point for them:wash cloths, dishcloths, lap blankets, baby blankets, toys, preemie hats, infant socks, slippers (all sizes), children’s hats & scarves.
We started a Booga Bag Charity Knitting project for the Chrysalis women's shelter at the beginning of August. We have to date collected over 40 completed booga bags. The last date to turn in the booga bags is October 3rd (Saturday).If you are still working on a bag, there is still time.
If you want to donate items to go into the bags, here's a list of what they need: Flip Flops or Slippers / New undergarments / Sleepwear/ Books / Journals / Cosmetics / Hair products (including hair dye) / Personal hygiene items (deodorant, hair brushes, tooth brushes, etc.) / Feminine hygiene products / Over-the-counter medication.
The Booga Bags for the Chrysalis Foundation's women's shelter are starting to come in.
If you are interested in participating, from now through the end of September, we are asking interested customers to make a Booga Bag (which is a fun bag to make). Then at the end of September these bags will be donated to the ladies at the women's shelter.
Sharing your knitting or crocheting talents with others is a wonderful way to make a positive impact on our community.
Beginning tonight, August 3, 2009, Tempe Yarn and Fiber will be expanding our charity knitting to include a charity knit and crochet night. This social knitting/crochet group will meetevery Monday evening from 6 to 8 pm to continue making items for our ongoing charity (Ronald McDonald House), and to begin our new goal of making items for a second, rotating charity that will change every two months.
If you like, you can knit/crochet with the group on Monday nights, or you can make items on your own. Either way, we will set aside one week every two months to collect the items here at TYF before we send them along to the chosen charity.
The August-September project will benefit the Chrysalis Foundation*, and participants will make and donate felted Booga Bags and/or contribute items to fill them. We will knit/crochet for this charity from August 3 - September 28. We will collect the Booga Bags from September 28 to October 3. *Chrysalis Over twenty-seven years ago, a woman opened up her home as a safe house for both women and children who had been victimized by domestic violence. Within three years, funding was received to expand these services into a 24-hour crisis shelter. The shelter was appropriately named Chrysalis – defined as the growth that creates an independent being.
Chrysalis programs now include two crisis shelters, transitional housing, outpatient counseling, victim advocacy, legal advocacy, and community education and prevention programs. Chrysalis helps close to 1,400 individuals annually.
Often, when women and children come into shelter they bring nothing more than the clothes on their backs. With the help of their dedicated and supportive customers, TYF is looking forward to supporting Chrysalis’ clients by providing the most basic necessities. Now through the end of September, we are asking interested customers to participate by creating a Booga Bag and including new and unopened personal hygiene items or small, new articles of clothing. Participants may elect to make a Booga Bag and donate it empty, make a bag and fill it, or donate items to go in empty bags.
Here are a few suggestions to donate or to fill the booga bags with: Flip Flops or Slippers / New undergarments / Sleepwear/ Books / Journals / Cosmetics / Hair products (including hair dye) / Personal hygiene items (deodorant, hair brushes, tooth brushes, etc.) / Feminine hygiene products / Over-the-counter medication
Feel free to have a good time with the bags and items. Perhaps your bag is inspired by a sunny day at the beach and the colors reflect blue skies/sun and include a pair of flip flops. Perhaps your bag is the ultimate Boy Scout and is “always prepared”. Maybe your bag will feature a needle–felted butterfly expressing the transformation that many of these women and children experience while participating in one of Chrysalis’ programs.
Why Chrysalis? Chrysalis has been serving the Valley for almost three decades; they have reached tens of thousands of lives during this time. In addition, Jodie Weisenberg, one of our TYF loyalists, has served as Chrysalis’ Special Projects Manager for over three years. We are happy to be able to support such a worthy cause and one of our very own TYFers.
NOTE:
If you would rather not participate in the current monthly project, keep in mind that TYF’s ongoing store charity, Ronald McDonald House, takes any of the following knitted and/or crocheted items year round and TYF is a drop off point for them: washcloths, dishcloths, lap blankets, baby blankets, toys, preemie hats, infant socks, slippers (all sizes), children’s hats & scarves
Sharing your knitting or crocheting talents with others is a wonderful way to make a positive impact on our community. Beginning August 3, 2009 Tempe Yarn and Fiber will be expanding our charity knitting to include a charity knit and crochet night.This social knitting/crochet group will meet every Monday evening from 6 to 8 pm to continue making items for our ongoing charity (Ronald McDonald House), and to begin our new goal of making items for a second, rotating charity that will change every two months.
We will post the selected charity, needed items, and a deadline date for collection of the finished items on the blog and in our “In the Know” newsletters.If you like, you can knit/crochet with the group on Monday nights, or you can make items on your own.Either way, we will set aside one week every two months to collect the items here at TYF before we send them along to the chosen charity.
If you would rather not participate in the current monthly project, keep in mind that TYF’s ongoing store charity, Ronald McDonald House, takes any of the following knitted and/or crocheted items year round and TYF is a drop off point for them:
To kick things off, the August-September project will benefit the Chrysalis Foundation, and participants will make and donate felted Booga Bags and/or contribute items to fill them.
For more detailed information on the Chrysalis Foundation, see below.We will knit/crochet for this charity from August 3 - September 28.We will collect the Booga Bags from September 28 to October 3.(Any items dropped off after October 3 will go to Ronald McDonald House or, if appropriate, to the charity chosen next.)
TYF and Chrysalis--Booga Bags with a Purpose
Over twenty-seven years ago, a woman opened up her home as a safe house for both women and children who had been victimized by domestic violence.Within three years, funding was received to expand these services into a 24-hour crisis shelter.The shelter was appropriately named Chrysalis – defined as the growth that creates an independent being.
Chrysalis programs now include two crisis shelters, transitional housing, outpatient counseling, victim advocacy, legal advocacy, and community education and prevention programs.Chrysalis helps close to 1,400 individuals annually.
Often, when women and children come into shelter they bring nothing more than the clothes on their backs.With the help of their dedicated and supportive customers, TYF is looking forward to supporting Chrysalis’ clients by providing the most basic necessities.Now through the end of September, we are asking interested customers to participate by creating a Booga Bag and including new and unopened personal hygiene items or small, new articles of clothing.Participants may elect to make a Booga Bag and donate it empty, make a bag and fill it, or donate items to go in empty bags.
Here are a few suggestions to donate or to fill the bags with:Flip Flops or Slippers / New undergarments / Sleepwear/ Books / Journals / Cosmetics / Hair products (including hair dye) / Personal hygiene items (deodorant, hair brushes, tooth brushes, etc.) / Feminine hygiene products / Over-the-counter medication
Feel free to have a good time with the bags and items.Perhaps your bag is inspired by a sunny day at the beach and the colors reflect blue skies/sun and include a pair of flip flops.Perhaps your bag is the ultimate Boy Scout and is “always prepared”.Maybe your bag will feature a needle–felted butterfly expressing the transformation that many of these women and children experience while participating in one of Chrysalis’ programs.
Why Chrysalis?Chrysalis has been serving the Valley for almost three decades; they have reached tens of thousands of lives during this time. In addition, Jodie Weisenberg, one of our TYF loyalists, has served as Chrysalis’ Special Projects Manager for over three years. We are happy to be able to support such a worthy cause and one of our very own TYFers.
We had a great group of knitters/crocheters who braved the cold Tempe night (it was all the way down to 60) to participate in the Ronald McDonald House Tempe Yarn & Fiber First Annual Charity Knit Night.
Not only did they start/finish numerous hats, scarfs and hand towels, but they told some really funny stories (they forgot that I was here listening).
We want to thank these great ladies for donating their times and talents to making these gifts for the Ronald McDonald House.
In honor of this season of gratitude and giving, TYF will be holding a special "after hours" Charity Knit Night on Saturday, November 29th (the Saturday after Thanksgiving) from 8:00 - 11:00 pm.
This will be a ticketed event with limited space available, so please be sure to register early. Sign up will end on Friday, November 28th or when all tickets have been purchased, whichever happens first.
Tickets will be $15 per person, and TYF will provide each participant with yarn and a pattern for one project, along with pizza and beverages to sustain them while they work (no leftover turkey here!).
As many of you know, Ronald McDonald House is our charity of choice. As they provide a place for families to stay while their children are in the hospital, they accept all types of knitted and crocheted items. For our Charity Knit Night, we will be working on children's hats, scarves, and dishcloths.
We will also be collecting any finished knitted, crocheted, or woven items that our customers wish to donate to the Ronald McDonald House. Even if you can't make it on the 29th, please consider dropping off your handmade items for donation the next time you're in the shop (the cutoff date for holiday donations is December 12th).
To purchase your Charity Knit Night ticket, please stop in or call us at 480-557-9166.
Thanksgiving will be here soon, and the holidays will follow shortly thereafter. In honor of this season of gratitude and giving, TYF will be holding a special "after hours" Charity Knit Night on Saturday, November 29th (the Saturday after Thanksgiving) from 8:00 - 11:00 pm.
This will be a ticketed event with limited space available, so please be sure to register early. Sign up will end on Friday, November 28th or when all tickets have been purchased, whichever happens first.
Tickets will be $15 per person, and TYF will provide each participant with yarn and a pattern for one project, along with pizza and beverages to sustain them while they work (no leftover turkey here!).
As many of you know,Ronald McDonald House is our charity of choice. As they provide a place for families to stay while their children are in the hospital, they accept all types of knitted and crocheted items. For our Charity Knit Night, we will be working on children's hats, scarves, and dishcloths.
We will also be collecting any finished knitted, crocheted, or woven items that our customers wish to donate to the Ronald McDonald House. Even if you can't make it on the 29th, please consider dropping off your handmade items for donation the next time you're in the shop. To purchase your Charity Knit Night ticket, please stop in or call us at 480-557-9166.
The goal was to by February 6th to make 120 hats for the kids in the Desiderata Alternative High School Program in Phoenix Union High School District.
The count as of 6:30 pm tonight was 131 hats. We know there are more hats still coming so just drop them off when you complete them.
