Dee-stashing & Donations

As I sit here and look around my home, I am thankful.  The stories stemming from Hurricane Katrina are heart-wrenching.  I've yet to hear where my nephew and sister-in-law are; I wonder if they are OK.

Even though our budget is very tight, I went to the AmericanRedCross.org website this morning and made a $100 donation.  If you're interested in making a donation too, they do have an option where your donation goes to the Hurricane Relief fund; just be sure to select it.  Otherwise, you can call them and specifically request your donation be earmarked for the Hurricane Relief Effort.  (Don't forget, the SalvationArmy is taking donations too.)

There also has been much discussion online about people looking to dee-stash; I'd like to do so myself.  I wonder if there is a place I can ship yarn, hooks, needles, and patterns to for all those people who are in various shelters in need of a distraction ... if anyone knows, please leave a comment here or email me. 

Update 1, 2:30 PM:  I feel a tremendous amount of sadness; I don't think I can handle watching/listening/reading another report about the extreme flooding.  I feel I have to do something!

After a discussion with my husband this afternoon I advised him that he will be shipping two boxes for me.  One will be filled with the coloring books, crayons, reading books, simple toys and such I've been collecting all year long.  I'm calling it the "Kiddie Box."  All these items would have gone to my local Salvation Army this Christmas season, but I think the children who had to leave everything behind in the past few days could benefit from a little distraction.

The other box will be filled with "starters" my eight-year old daughter created.  "Starters" are little balls of yarn with a hook and instructions on how to crochet.  There will be skeins upon skeins of yarn, as many hooks as I can locate (I know I have a stash of some around here somewhere!), and as many leaflets and booklets I can spare.  My goal is to have them delivered directly to the Texas sportscomplex where they are moving all these people to ...

        ... I'm off to pack the boxes ...

Update 2, 5:23 PM:  With my children's help, I have packed a total of three boxes!  Who knew I had knit supplies too?  (yeah, I found it just as surprising as you do!) LOL  I feel so much better in just packing up the boxes, though I nearly killed myself lifting the "kiddie box."  That box must weight some 20 pounds!  I know there is no way I can outfit the nearly one million people who have been displaced, but I figure it's a start.

I have a call into the Mayor of Houston, TX, and am working with their Special Events Coordinator in trying to figure out the best place to address these boxes to ...