Pay-it-forward Listings

It's been fun over the years to add items to the shop that help other people.

With many charitable organizations connected to Canada Helps, it's drop dead easy to forward money to them via Paypal.

The first additions to the philanthropy/fundraising section of the shop (these are buttons down the left hand side of the shop page where common sought items are loosely grouped) were fundraising books for a youth humanitarian trip. For the 2010 trip, the group developed a poetry book, and for the 2012 trip, we developed a children's picture book. These are also listed on Amazon. And I was able to upload lots of sample pages so people can 'see inside.'

Another fundraising piece was the lined tuque called the Tyler hat, in memory of the son of a friend we met on the trips whose son died after a short yet valiant battle with brain cancer. Since it benefits Winnipeg Inner City Missions, the idea was for it to combat the notoriously frigid Winnipeg winters. The design has kept evolving. I've stuck with the basic tuque or beanie. And I may add a lined earflap hat.

A third prong features the cotton baseball-style caps for youngsters (see pic above) for the mission of a friend doing great work in Cambodia. These are quick and easy little caps to make. But i wanted them to have some value added. At first I had sunglasses. But the extra needs to be always replaceable, and I can't always source the glasses. Now I have a 3D applique of a flower with face for girls, and a turtle hiding in its shell for boys. It would be better if they were toys. I think i just need to attach a back circle with lite stuffing to make the turtle a toy. The flower is probs ok as is. And affix without a pin - a round soft plastic stitch marker might do.

Another way the shop helps out in the community is thru donating items. i've donated sweaters, dog coats, HP toys to silent auctions. I'm always open to hearing a good pitch.

I definitely want to keep growing this dimension of the shop.

Philanthropy

I find my shop changing complexion a little bit. I think the fundraising activity of my various friends is having much to do with that. It started with Nick's Cwood hospital marathon, then Kevin's Christmas in Cambodia challenge. Discovered with Nick's run that it's much more immediate to donate funds in my PayPal account to a charity thru Canada Helps than taking it off my credit card.

Solution - build up more funds in my PP account to support the charitable initiatives of my friends.

Next - create an item specifically dedicated to my 'pet' charities where all or portions of sales from such can be transferred directly over.

Also wanted an easy to dash off item that can go on a Christmas sale table and become the item identified with that charity.

Hence the Kevin's Kids Cap was born. In Kevin's online pics is a photo of a little kid in Oudong village wearing a baseball style cap. As long as I can dash it off in an evening or a sitting, I don't mind dedicating the funds to charity.

I have one dedicated to WICM, an earflap hat, 100 % wool. The idea here would be that if I make extra and they don't sell, they can obviously be sent out to the mission. For these I wouldn't do in pick your own colour, but stick to the on sale colours I find at GT yarn and crafts. Am thinking a photo of the current working colour at end of listing should do the trick.

And then given my family's history with kidney disease and transplants, I thought I could do a 'kidney beanie.' This would work up best in the royal and white KF of C company colours. Am thinking a kidney/peanut shaped tassel topper. Maybe not all proceeds from this, but say half is fair. Next step - prototype.

Now that I think of it, my inspiration goes farther back. I love Frankie Brown's patterns on Ravelry. She works it that her patterns are free, but you can give a free will donation on her UK Giving Page, which is linked in to her dedicated charity, the research foundation. I see that her donations are up over 2,600 pounds (sorry, don't know the html symbol). So what's that, + $5000? Amazing! I totally want to be like Frankie when I grow up!

So now that I have all these philanthropy ventures I need a place to put them. As a result, my trunk sale idea is going quite well. I'm getting the church booked for Dec. 3. My friends Tye Dye Daddy 0 and Erika are in. We're all getting pretty pumped about it. Of course I will have my books for the mission trip available. More as we get closer!