Dressed in Love

Little Dresses for Africa take handmade dresses and distribute them to young girls in Africa to enjoy and know they are loved.  A motto of "changing lives one dress at a time..." encourages us to use our talents to make dresses for these sweet girls!  Please check out:


http://www.littledressesforafrica.org/blog/

Color A Smile!

Love, love, LOVE this program!  My three-year-old loves to color pictures for people and this is a great way for her to continue creating for others.  :)  Color a Smile program takes crayon drawn pictures by children and distributes them to nursing homes, meals on wheels, etc.  What a great way to teach our children to think about others!

http://www.colorasmile.org/

So you think you can sew?...

Hooray!  Here is a big list of sewn items that YOU can make for different charities that take donations.  Lots of great ideas and patterns included with many.  Also, if you like the idea for a sewn item, but don't want to send it to that charity, then make some for people locally and help your community.  Have fun!

http://www.asg.org/files/community_service/Community_Service_List.pdf

Are You Up For A Challenge?

What an awesome idea!  Do you like a challenge?  Beading For A Cure has a direct challenge for us.  Here is the challenge:

www.beadingforacure.org/challenge.html

If you don't think you're up for the challenge, then consider supporting their program by bidding on items on ebay that others have created through the challenge.  The bidding starts in March during colorectal cancer awareness month and goes for about 6 weeks.  This is beautiful and creative beadwork!

http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=beadingforacure

Calling All Quilters!

Quilters are needed for the Quilts Of Valor Foundation!  They have some simple directions for the quilts they accept and they also take fabric donations.  


www.qovf.org/




The QOVF mission statement:

Welcome to the Quilts of Valor Foundation

The mission of the QOV Foundation is to cover ALL those service- members and veterans touched by war with Wartime Quilts called Quilts of Valor (QOVs).?This foundation is not about politics. It's about people.

Who needs a makeover?

I found another awesome program!  Enchanted Makeovers helps to "makeover" women and children's shelters into a comfortable place of recovery and growth.  They really encourage handmade items to show love and promote recovery.  Here is information about their program:


www.enchantedmakeovers.org/


If you're ready to start making some handmade items for them, then here is the link to contact them and get started:


www.enchantedmakeovers.org/dynamic/?page=62

afghans for Afghans

We've had a busy summer, but I'm ready to get back into blogging about ways to help others.  I came across this group doing some great work for Afghan refugees.  If you are talented and can knit or crochet, then please consider trying this program.  They take knitted or crocheted socks, blankets, hats, scarves, sweaters, etc.  Send some warm love overseas!  :)

www.afghansforafghans.org/index.html

Vitamins

Do you take your vitamins every day?  I try.  My three-year-old often asks for her "bide-a-bin".

Vitamin Angels program takes $1 donations (or more) that are put to great use!  It only takes 25cents to provide vitamin A and antiparasitics for a year!  They provide vitamins to expectant mothers and young children to improve immunities and supplement poor diets that they cannot help.

I encourage you to give a little to Vitamin Angels to help their program.  These days a $1 only buys a pack of gum anyways...  :)

http://www.vitaminangels.org/get-involved

Don't forget to take your vitamins too!

Join a Smile Group!

Want to spread some smiles?  Need some ideas?  Join a Smile Group!  I love the idea behind this website and the ways that we can help and encourage others to help.  

They will even send you a few preprinted Smile Cards that look similar to this.  You can leave these smile cards when you do a kind act and inspire the recipient to pass on the smile. 

Check it out:

http://www.helpothers.org/index.php

Hope

We all need hope.  Those in effected by the natural disasters in Japan may feel hopeless right now.  Here is something we can do to help encourage them.  I love that this requires so little on our part but can be a big help on the other side of the world!

Check out Hope Letters:

http://hopeletters.org/

Help Earthquake and Tsunami Victims in Japan

The recent disaster in Japan is heavy on all our hearts. I usually try to find ways to help other than just sending money. Not because sending money is not important, but because we all know sending money is an option. However, in this case help is urgently needed for the victims in Japan. This website has a helpful list of ways to contribute to the efforts in Japan.


Take a look and don't forget the power of prayer!


How You Can Help the Earthquake and Tsunami Victims in Japan

Love Letters

My husband might get jealous...  I'm seriously considering sending a love letter and not to him!  :)  I ran across this and had to share!  Such a simple and quick way for us to try to cheer up a child.

Basically spend a little of our time to make a few cards (please follow the guidelines given) and send them to this nice young lady who will send them on to seriously ill children.  Love letter cards are also a great way to get our own kids involved in a craft and to teach them compassion.  The website also offers several photo ideas for cards to help inspire your craftiness.

http://loveletterscares.org/

A Crown

Many of us, especially women, have been frustrated with our hair for some reason or another.  I hope you and I both can remember how blessed we are and not to fret over this.  Here is a great way to help us remember to count our blessing and to pray for those who will be wearing your gift of love.

You talented knitters out there can crown some lovely person with a beautifully knitted cap that may help ease a little of their pain.

ChemoCaps idea (patterns too):

http://www.chemocaps.com/

Soles for Souls :)

So, I'm a little ashamed to say that there are a couple pairs of shoes in my closet that are still attached with the elastic thread and have been that way for a few months...  While I will use them a some point, it is probably time that I go through and find a few pairs that someone else can put some miles on them.  Why not put this spring cleaning to good use and make it an opportunity to share with others?  :)

http://oneworldrunning.blogspot.com/

Here are the drop off locations (there are many!):

http://oneworldrunning.blogspot.com/p/drop-off-locations.html

Get a cool T-shirt!

I love these T-shirts designed by orphans in Africa!  I understand they are a little expense for a T-shirt, but your purchase will feed an orphan for a month!  I doubt you're going to run into many people with a T-shirt like yours...  :)  I've been wanting to order one, but can't decide which one!

http://www.commonthreadz.org/shop/theoc/index.php

We LOVE books!

Our whole family loves to read books!  The Bagong Kulturang Pinoy Inc. helps "Filipino children read their way out of poverty".  This pretty easy to do and you can either ship them to their place in Massachusetts or sign-up with them and ship directly to their contacts.  Here are the guidelines for what kinds of books they need:


http://www.aklatan.org/index1.html

I really like that they take new and used books that are in good condition.  Please read the guidelines about what kinds of books they need before wasting your time.  The guidelines aren't took difficult.  :)  I love the idea of fighting poverty through education!

Yum! Free Rice!

Here is an interesting way to grow more brain cells while also helping to feed the hungry.  Free Rice donates 10 grains of rice through the World Food Program for every question you answer correctly. The questions can be on different topics and get increasingly difficult.  Topics include English, Art, Geography, Math, etc.


http://www.freerice.com/

I just "donated" 140 grains of rice in a few seconds!  So easy.  So put away Angry Birds for a little while and learn something!  :)

Be an Angel to someone else

I haven't actually participated in this yet, but I know of some who have.  Chemo Angels sounds like a great program and good way make a habit of thinking of someone other than myself.  Here is more information with gift ideas, etc:

http://www.chemoangels.net/

As I understand you have to apply and be approved, but it doesn't take too long and then you're assigned someone going through chemo treatments.  Please do your best to commit to sending something for the full length of time they are going through this tough time.  Knowing that you're thinking of them can bring a bright spot to a difficult day/week/month, etc. someone.

Once again, the rewards are great for the person you help and yourself as well!

More For Those Lovely Knitters and Crocheters

No knitting or crocheting goes on at my house, but if you're interested, Guideposts has a sweater project where you can knit or crochet sweaters (and hats?) for needy children.  Please check out Knit for Kids.  The website has patterns and tools to make it easy for you to get started making these for children around the world.  Get those needles clacking!

http://www.knitforkids.org/

Snuggle a Baby

Snuggle a baby up with a blanket you made!  Our youngest daughter spent 3 weeks in the NICU when she was born and while it was a difficult time, we were also encouraged by all that people do to help at the NICU.  Libby was given handmade blankets to use in her bassinet that people had lovingly made.  These blankets were a nice way to make her little area special and it was nice to be able to take these blankets home and remember where they came from.  


We had a group of wonderful ladies get together here in our area and make blankets and hats for babies in our local NICU.  Some blankets and lots of hats were knit or crocheted.  I'm not a knitter, but I enjoyed seeing them work on and complete these items for babies.  The hats are so small and cute that you can't help but say "Aww!".


Sewing it also not my forte, but I'm learning and was able to make several blankets since I can sew a straight line.  :)  

I've been told that some NICUs also occasionally have a blanket drive, but I'm sure they will take blankets at any time. Here are some links to suggested ways to make the blankets and hats:

http://www.projectlinus.org/links.html


http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/preemies.html


Here are the blankets and hats our group made:

 Don't be discouraged if you feel that you cannot make these items.  They will also take purchased blankets.


How rewarding to think of a precious baby snuggling with a blanket from  you! 

Beaded Hope

I found this novel at a used book store and I've thoroughly enjoyed it.  Beaded Hope is based off of events from mission trips to Africa.  Beaded Hope is also an organization that came about from one of these mission trips.


I've learned a lot about some of the conditions in the more rural areas of Africa from reading Beaded Hope.  I've very encouraged by the determination of some of these beautiful African women to find ways to provide for their families.  

By purchasing some of their lovely handmade items, your purchase helps provide means for these women and their families for a few days. 
 










I may need to buy a few gifts for friends...  :)








http://www.beadedhope.org/

Look out world! There is a new blogger in town!

Look out world!  There is a new blogger in town!  

I've never had any interest in blogging about my personal life and I don't intend to start now.  However, as I've spent time trying to find new ways to actively serve others, it has been difficult to find many good sources of service ideas.

"It is more blessed to give than to receive." is definitely true.  I look for ways to help others because it helps me just as much or more than those being helped.

So if you're looking for new ideas to help and serve others, I hope this blog will be helpful to you.  May God bless you in your work.

Disclaimer:  This is not intended to be a daily blog.  As a mother of two small children, I will probably post in spurts and then take a few days off.  This blog will be more useful as a collection of service ideas.