This has been the year of disasters. There
are many people who are wondering how they will make it through the coming
winter now that they have lost all their winter clothing and blankets.
There also many people who want to know how they can help those in need.
If you are like me, you would like to be able to help these real people with
real needs. When I looked for ways to help I found that all the big
relief agencies just wanted money. They are not set up for people to help
people on an individual basis. I also found many smaller groups who collect
handmade items and distribute them, but they seemed very impersonal.
These are all very worthy causes but I would like to know a little more about
the people who will be receiving my gifts and feel that I am making a
difference in individual lives. After talking with other people who feel the
same way I do, I decided to do something about it. Therefore you are
witnessing the birth of a new effort - Real People, Real Needs.
Real People, Real Needs is an effort to provide
handmade knit, crochet, and quilted hats, scarves, mittens, shawls, afghans,
blankets, lap robes, quilts, and comforters to those people who really need
them. If you would like to help do this you can fill out the Volunteer Questionnaire farther down on this blog page. We only ask that you take the time
to carefully consider what your involvement in this effort will require in time
and materials. If you do have the time and talent to commit to this
effort, but cannot afford the materials, we will try to provide them. We also
welcome donations of yarn, fabric, hooks, needles and monetary donations to pay
shipping costs and buy supplies when needed. When you fill out the Volunteer Questionnaire, please make sure you use the questionnaire slider button to the right in order to complete the form then click on the Submit button to complete it.
For those of you who have lost your homes or
belongings to the storms, fires, earthquakes or other catastrophes that have
ravaged our world in the last few months, we hope that we can assist you in the
search for winter clothing and coverings. You can also fill out the Real People, Real Needs Request Form lower down on this blog page. If you do not
need these things for yourself but know someone else who does need them, please
forward the blog URL or give them a hard copy. Please be
aware that this is a new group and we do not yet know how many responses and
requests that we are going to receive. We cannot guarantee that we will
be able to fill all requests for help. When you fill out the Request Form, please make sure you use
the questionnaire slider button to the right in order to complete the
form then click on the Submit button to complete it.
How will this work? The
questionnaires are linked to spreadsheets in Google documents. As
requests for winter wear come in they will be matched up with volunteers on our
database. Volunteers will turn in finished projects which will then be
carefully cleaned and sent to the recipient. All personal contact
information will be kept confidential. We would like to be able to share
the first names of the volunteers and the recipients and the circumstances
behind the requests, but only with your permission.
Thank you for taking the time to read about this
new effort to help others.We hope that you will spread the word to all your
friends, neighbors and relative both online and IRL.
You can also download the forms below if you wish to copy them for distribution:
Needs Request Form
Volunteer Form
If you have any questions, you can contact us at realpeoplerealneeds@gmail.com.
