Cut and pasted from email:
Dear Knitters and Crocheters for Afghanistan,
We have a couple big announcements for you!
We are saying good bye to our relief agency partner World Concern. For about 3-1/2 years, World Concern has generously and expertly transported and delivered our hand-knit and crocheted blankets and garments to Afghan families in the north. World Concern in no longer shipping containers of material supplies to Afghanistan. We extend our deepest gratitude to World Concern for allowing us the opportunity to include our handmade gifts as part of their relief services to the women, men, and children of Afghanistan. World Concern generously absorbed the costs associated with transportation and distribution. In a time when most relief groups want only cash gifts, we are grateful that World Concern shared our view that hand-knitting and crocheting warm, distinctive blankets and garments is an important, tangible expression of friendship, respect, and caring toward the Afghan people. Creating our gifts with our own hands is a way for us to constructively and wholeheartedly respond to the endless news of violence and suffering. We thank World Concern for working with us.
** New Initiative: We're Clothing 5,000 Afghan Kids for the Coming Winter **We are thrilled to announce that International Orphan Care is our new relief agency partner that will handle transportation overseas and distribution in Afghanistan. International Orphan Care has worked in Afghanistan for more than a dozen years. This agency operates orphanages and clinics and also partners with local and state agencies on the ground in Afghanistan. International Orphan Care will securely deliver our gifts to the Afghan people -- and children in particular.
More big news ...
We've decided to take the plunge and have agreed to produce 5,000 hand-knit and crocheted *wool* hats, mittens, socks, sweaters, and vests for Afghan girls and boys of all ages. Your gifts will be distributed to orphanages, children's centers, and clinics in Jalalabad, Herat, and Kabul in time for the coming winter. Afghanistan has seen both progress and setbacks since late 2001, and the need for our garments and caring continues.
This is a large challenge. We just had to say YES to the kids. We're going to give it our best try to collect at least one warm, colorful wool sweater, vest, hat, or pair of mittens or socks for each of the
5,000 kids. Please join us in meeting this challenge. Even one small well-made, bright wool cap will make a big difference for the recipient.Please try to use mostly wool for these garments to provide maximum utility in harsh weather. Natural wool offers the most warmth. Warm wool blends (with a high percentage of wool content) are also acceptable. Please do not worry about the wool getting into washing machines or hot water -- these luxuries are uncommon in Afghanistan. Please avoid white and very light colors that soil more easily. Afghan children like all colors. The brighter, the merrier. Knit or crochet your favorite pattern or try something new.
Your gifts are needed by September 16 to ensure that our warm and colorful clothing arrives before the cold. Shipping to Central Asia takes a long time. If you are going to participate once this year or have been thinking about joining us, now in the time.
(The Canadian due date is September 7. We thank elann.com for continuing to be our Canadian collection point.)
** Non-Wool Hand-Knit and Crocheted Blankets Still Accepted **For those who need to use acrylic yarns, we continue to accept blankets made with synthetics. (Sweaters, vests, hats, mittens, and socks really do need to be made with wool to be practical.) Since blankets get layered, it is not as crucial that blankets be made of wool. To increase the value of a blanket made with acrylic yarns, please use a double strand and/or a thick, dense stitch. Please avoid lots of open work.
** Help Spread the Word about the 5,000 Kids Campaign **Please forward this message to those not on this list or other appropriate forums -- we're testing the power of the Internet! If you can share this message with offline friends, your local yarn shop, your local newspaper, your guild, etc., that word-of-mouth is invaluable.
Or, perhaps you have wool yarn odd balls that you can give to a friend so she/he can make a child's garment to donate.
Our mail addresses, plus guideline details are always posted here: