This post is for all the quilt bloggers out there.
I am 'challenging' you to give up one quilt.
It's so easy. Pick a quilt, and pick a charity. Simply post the quilt for auction on your blog with a quick deadline. I did it, and I'm overwhelmed with how easy it was, and how much I was able to turnaround in giving with that money! I chose Plan Canada International as the recipient of the donation. I posted one small quilt - got four bids - and done. The highest bidder has the quilt. I have $200 to spend on giving. They cheque is in the mail for Plan Canada. Here's what a very generous bidder has provided - many, many Gifts of Hope. I picked gifts that were 'matched' by the organization. I hope that the winner is as excited as I am about all this! ; )
$35 was used to purchase this:
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| The Peanut Butter Project |
"Help bring healthy, tasty peanut butter — made locally and packed with protein — to growing children in parts of the world where protein isn’t easy to come by. Your support will nourish them and help them grow into healthy young people ready to take on the world. You’ll also be supporting women’s peanut butter co-operatives, by providing training in peanut processing and business and marketing skills." (from their catalogue)
$15 was used to purchase 3 baby chicks. That was matched a few times, to get all this:
Those dozen chicks will provide a lot of eggs - and serve as micro financing as part of the "Because I am a Girl" project.
Here is my favorite part. This is what the remaining $150 has purchased: A motorcycle ambulance.
"While it may not look like what we’d call an ambulance, in Tanzania this motorcycle-powered ambulance saves lives. For people living in remote communities without healthcare services, this gift is a lifeline: it brings healthcare workers to isolated villages and it carries people from those villages to community health centres, where they can get the help they need to heal so they can get back to living their lives." (from their website)
Plan Canada is matching it SIX more times.
No kidding! 15 Peanut Butter Projects, 7 motorcycle ambulances, and a dozen chicks are set into motion all because one little quilt was offered. I hope this post inspires you to see how easy it is to give. I challenge you bloggers to do it!
Post a quilt. Pick a charity.
EASY!
If you would like to see how I managed my auction, you can click here to see the original post. If you do the same, feel free to leave your blog url in the comment section so others can find it. If you want to give locally, you can take all the money and head straight to your grocery store for a giant shopping trip that will go 100% to your local food bank this winter. There's the Red Cross too. The possibilities are endless. Cool? Cool!
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| off to a happy home... |
***All photos in this post were copied & pasted from the Plan Canada International website FYI.
16 comments:
This was a lovely idea, and so generous :) I have only finished 2 quilts in my life! Oh wait, 3 :) None just hanging around at this point, but I will definitely keep this in mind. Thanks Monika!
This was a great idea. I don't have any quilts right now but will consider it when I do. I'm wondering if I would get enough response with 35 followers. I do have smaller art pieces, cards and prints but I'm not sure I could generate enough with those and my small following.
I could still do something later this winter as the food banks are always in need.
This is fantastic! We should think about how TAFA could do that as an organization next year. Remind me once the new website is launched and stable. I was thinking that it would be great if we could do something for a charity as a group and this model is wonderful!
Wow! I'm inspired! In the new year, I will definitely do this!! The biggest part of the challenge will be to choose the charity!!
What a great idea - thanks for letting us know about this!
Such a great idea! I've posted an auction quilt on my blog at http://sallygouldwright.blogspot.com
I really, really like this idea! I haven't actually finished a quilt yet, only other quilty related items so I'll have to keep this in mind. What a lovely thing, the quilt is in a home where it will be loved and doing so much more than just wrapping one person in love.
Congratulations on your wonderful donation to a deserving non profit. It's great that you have such a following which will bid on an item and have quilts with which to donate. Good on you for paying it forward and for suggesting it to other quilt bloggers.
Giving and helping others is great. The motor rickshaw ambulance price is about the right for this area. The Peanut Butter projects are great as they not only create food, but it also creates a livelihood. BUT, I am concerned abt the $15 for three chicks. Nowhere in the states or the world are standard egg laying chicks cost that much. And the likelihood of all three of those chicks surviving to adulthood to become egg producers is slim. It would be better if junior adults aka pullets where purchased, as this would shorten the time for them to become egg producers. HOW do I know? First I have lived in developing countries, and I have rasied chickens for many years. FYI, for $15 it should buy you at least 30chicks, NOT just 3.
excellent project and results. re:JLL24's comment, it may be that the chicks come with a supply of feed. I do believe that one of the sites offering this gift item specify it includes feed.
What a fabulous idea! Unfortunately no unused, finished quilts hanging around right now, but why not a spring/summer/fall auction. In fact, why not ask the quilt group to each 'give' a quilt and see where we go from there! Hmmm...... Thanks for a wonderful idea!
Good point Heather. I wasn't thinking how much chicks were work individually. I jsut had $15 left to spend, and this gift was matched. It must include feed.
Last year, the ambulances were hauled by bicycles! That must be rough to haul on a dirt road! I'm thinking these got upycled and hopefully there is some fund for fueling them.
It is hard picking a charity. I'll pick a different one each time. Right after the cheque was mailed, they had a special news report on the radio about one of many norhtern communities in Canada being in terrible poverty & crisis- not even drinking water! I'm hoping the government steps in on that one.
The grandparents sent big cash to my kids and I did the shopping for them with about half left over! We are heading to the grocery store to buy as much as possible with that for our local food bank.
Thanks everyone! And YAY for the people who are able to do the same! : ) If you can, then why the heck not!?
~Monika
This is such a great idea Monika! I dont have a finished quilt right now, but will keep this in mind for the future!
Came to your blog for the first time via Needle and Thread Network! Charitable giving is a great idea. I belong to a quilt guild and we have a not for profit Comfort Quilts program. Our guilt donates quilts to three major needs in our community including a program for young mothers who stay in high school and graduate, to our local hospital for premie babies and sick children and to a womans shelter for women and their children in transition. We also regularly donate 10 or more quilts a year to the Canadian Quilts of Valour for returning injured soldiers. I personally try my best to donate 5 quilts every year... Some of the quilt makers I know also will make blocks to create one quilt or a quilter will have a top and then another lady will layer and quilt it, many of us work together to achieve a goal our guild sets each year.
I am sure many groups across Canada do this for their local area -- there is always a need!
Absolutely Susan! Our guild gives 200+ guilts per year to those in need. This is a personal challenge though... I wanted to see how far I could go with one personal left over quilt. : )
~Monika
hehe - I wrote 'guilts" hehe
200 QUILTS of course. ; )
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