Haiti By Hand

long long overdue updates

If I were to sit down and write a thank-you letter to every single one of you who've helped with our Haiti projects, I would be writing from dawn to dark every single day.  I cannot tell you how full my heart is with gratitude for each of you and how you've reached inside yourself and given to our efforts to help the women and children in Haiti.

Please consider this post a great big THANK YOU.  A million times, thank you.

Boxes come in almost daily, full of goodness and love.  You have enabled us to do so, so much.  Just to give you an idea...

**Almost 1,000 handmade aprons received through our CraftHope apron project

**500 girls skirts have been made so far, thanks to you sending in skirts or fabrics for our sewing group

**Dozens of small handmade quilts have been stitched up and sent to Haiti

**A new group to Haitian teens have begun a crafting coalitian with all the crafting materials you have sent

**Stacks of baby caps and blankets made with love with the yarns from our yarn drive

**I could go on and on and on.  Backpacks, reading glasses, linens, belts...coming in by the box.  Each one so needed in Haiti!

One Haitian woman or child at a time is being touched by your generosity.  Thank you for joining me in not forgetting these beautiful people.  They need us!

We are heading back to Haiti in a few days (leaving November 3) to distribute all that has been sent. 

A sweet closing shot for you...10 bright little sock monkeys full of love for a Haitian child.  I'll be the lucky one to take them to their new homes.  Thank you to Elaine and her grandson in Minnesota!

Project: Summer Skirts for the Girls of Dumay

Many of you joined in on our apron project and asked to be notified of any other projects we have for the women and children of Haiti.

Announcing 'Project Summer Skirt' for the girls of Haiti.

In November, we will be traveling back to Haiti to the village of Dumay at the foot of a mountain where there are hundreds of girls in need of clothing.  Our dream is to bring some fun and colorful skirts to these little ladies to brighten their world a bit.

 

Will you join us?? 

It would be fantastic to receive your skirts by July 31 in hopes of shipping them on a container that leaves August 1.  However, if you miss that deadline we will accept skirts through the end of October as well.

Send skirts to:

HAITI BY HAND

3333 BENTON ROAD

CEDAR HILL TN  37032

If you'd like to send a tank or tee to match your skirt, all the better!  You can likely squeeze several skirts into the US Priority flat rate envelope for $4.90. 

SKIRT DETAILS:  All sizes for toddlers through pre-teen.  Any simple elastic-waist style.  Keep in mind the children are very thin.  Use any type washable and lightweight fabrics you like.  No wools, corduroys, etc.  Remember Haiti is very, very hot.

Again, my heart's deepest gratitude extends to you and your continued willingness to give to the women and children of Haiti.  May you be blessed!

grace & peace,

Rebecca

 

 

Craft Hope's 'Project Apron' for Haiti

I'm super excited to announce that Haiti by Hand is the next project for Craft Hope!

Project Apron is now launched and ready to receive aprons for the women of Haiti.  For complete details, please visit Craft Hope's facebook page (their new website is not quite up and running yet). 

For the one or two of you (like me) who aren't on Facebook, here's some quick info...

APRONS FOR THE WOMEN OF HAITI:

--Keep the style pretty-but-practical.  Nothing too frilly, ruffly or lacey.

--Make sure the fabrics are very wash-friendly.  Quilting cottons are recommended.

--Either full or half aprons are fine.  A pocket or two would be nice.

--Keep the aprons more kitchen-apron style as opposed to craft/gardening/novelty type.

--You may include a hand-written note with your apron.

--Jade has set a deadline of May 31 for the aprons because she will want to move on to her next project.  However, you may continue to send aprons through the end of July if you need more time.  We have trips planned for June and November so your apron won't miss the boat!

--All sizes of aprons are accepted (even girl's sizes too).

--I am putting a 'Project Apron' board on my Pinterest site so you can see styles of aprons that I think will work great for the ladies.

SEND APRONS TO:

HAITI BY HAND

3333 BENTON ROAD

CEDAR HILL TN  37032

 

Thanks and have fun stitching up an apron or two!

Blessings,

Rebecca

 

they're stacking up

The quilt stacks are getting larger by the week!

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your generous spirits toward these precious women and children in Haiti.

Many quilts have already been taken down to Haiti, one wrapped around a precious little girl whose leg was badly burned.  Now she has something clean and colorful and comfortable and stitched with love to lie down on as she recovers. 

Are we still accepting quilt fabrics for this project?  Absolutely!  Read this post for all the details.

We are discovering new villages where people are more destitute than you could imagine.  So many places to carry necessities and love.

We will be traveling down in June and again in November.  More photos to come!

Again, my heart's deepest thanks to each of you who have helped us help Haiti.

Announcing "Clean-Out for Quilts"

{ UPDATE }  RESPONSE TO 'CLEAN-OUT FOR QUILTS' HAS BEEN TERRIFIC SO FAR...THANK YOU!

WE ARE STILL ACCEPTING DONATIONS FOR THIS ONGOING PROJECT.  PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR A LISTING OF ITEMS WE STILL NEED.

Please help us spread the word...Clean out your fabric closet and send the scraps our way!

Haiti by Hand is hosting an ongoing "Clean-Out for Quilts" fabric drive.  For several years, a group of women from our local community and churches have gathered each week to sew items for the women and children of Haiti.  We would love for you to be a part of our "quilting bee" by cleaning out your stash of quilt fabrics and supplies and donating them to our efforts here.

We are now accepting the following items...

{ QUILT FABRICS--all sizes & types, except flannel or fleece }

{ FABRIC SCRAPS & REMNANTS }

{ UNFINISHED QUILT PROJECTS }

{ QUILT BLOCKS }

{ QUILT SUPPLIES & TOOLS }

{ QUILT BATTING }

{ QUILT BINDINGS & TRIMS }

{ MACHINE THREADS }

{ RIBBONS & EMBELLISHMENTS }

{ AND OF COURSE FINISHED QUILTS TOO! }

Please contact us via the email link to the right ([email protected]) if you have any questions about this effort.  Send donations to this address:

HAITI BY HAND

3333 BENTON ROAD

CEDAR HILL TN  37032

And as always, thank you for helping us help Haiti.

grace & peace,

Rebecca

 

one at a time

I have discovered this is the only way to help Haiti.  One person at a time.  If you look around at the vast need, it's way too overwhelming.  It's immobilizing. 

But...one person, one family at a time...there is so much we can do.

On our most recent trip, my daughter and I were blessed enough to be able to go into a school and help some of the teens learn how to make some jewelry items.  We distributed the last of the crafting supplies that you sent us.  What a treat to work with these kids!

I asked them why they wanted to make jewelry to sell?  Not one of them mentioned any sort of gadget or possession for themselves.  The standard answer was to help pay for their education (high school) or to help their family pay for food.

And what a fun surprise that most of our students turned out to be teen boys!  They took their crafting very seriously and made some quite nice pieces.  A couple of them are already clever entrepreneurs, selling their crafts where they can.

I'm so proud of them.  I am honored that I had the chance to work with them.  And now (thanks to you guys!) they are stocked with the materials to go forward and bring in some money on their own...so much better than a handout!

Please keep these young people in your hearts and prayers.  Life is very, very hard for them and they have witnessed more than any young person should have to see in their short lifetimes.

Also, please notice that we've put a "Now Collecting" list over in the sidebar.  This list will change from time to time, but it's a great way to help out with the current needs we have.  There are so many little things we can do to help Haiti in a big way.

Until next time....

 

madam ellison

In the center of this photo is an incredible woman.  Amazing wife, mom, friend, leader.  Good and fun and faithful.  Kind and giving and oh so smart.  Adored by all.

I received the news that Madam Ellison passed away from complications following childbirth yesterday.  My heart is broken in two...at least that's how it feels right now.  She leaves behind her kind and good husband, Pastor Ellison, and two of the sweetest little girls in the world.  And her dear infant son is clinging to his own little life right now.

I ask that you pray for this precious family, the ones left behind, the baby boy.  They will feel a terrible void for a very long time I am sure.  And pray for the women in the group.  They loved and admired this lady so much.  She did so much for them.  Madam Ellison, we will miss you and everything that you were.

 "Her children arise and call her blessed;
   her husband also, and he praises her:
Many women do noble things,
   but you surpass them all."

{ proverbs 31:28-29 }

forget us not

Let us each pause for a moment, say a prayer and determine not to forget what happened to the beautiful people of Haiti one year ago.  They need us still.

 

a home built with heart

I will have to take you back, all the way to here, when I shared with you the story of Elcy.

The story of a dear Haitian lady and her need for a home of her own (the mud shack behind was one in which she and her children were guests).  And as you always do, you came forward with so much support.  Enough, in fact, that my family traveled down to Haiti back in May to help begin work on Elcy's new home...

Work continued after we left Haiti, and I've (finally!) received the photos of Elcy's finished home!  We are so excited.  But word is that she's full of pure, beautiful joy.  So appreciative, so humbled to have been given this gift...

I remember, before heading back to the states last May, how Elcy hugged me so tightly that I was having a hard time getting my breath (those Haitian girls are mighty-strong let me tell you!).  And now to have received these photos.  My heart is warmed from top to bottom.

If you were one who donated money, an art piece for the auction, an item to be sold in Etsy...please know that what you did went a very, very long way.  I know you contributed straight from your heart.  And your heart has reached its fingers all the way down to Haiti.

Your heart built a home.

 

updates

Here are a few updates for what's going on with Haiti by Hand as of late...

Look for products made by the Haitian women at Silver Bella in Omaha this year.  My dear friend, Charlotte Lyons, will have a few Haiti by Hand items at her table at the bella market on Friday night, November 12, from 6-10 pm.  The smallest purchase (like a $5 bracelet!) goes so far to help the women in Haiti.  Let's not forget them!

The women are still working on their items at this time.  Our ultimate goal is for the ladies to have their own mini-businesses by making and selling their own items in Haiti.  We've been thrilled to help them by bringing items back to the states and selling for them.  And we will continue to do so for a while until they are standing on their own a little more securely.

We will be traveling back down to Haiti probably in the early spring to assess how the women are coming along.  We'll take the last of the supplies that you have donated and distribute those.  And we will be making decisions on how to best distribute the funds that have been donated for the women.  Those who are most in need will be the first to receive help.  Housing, generators, education for themselves and/or their children, medical needs...these are just a few of the areas where we will focus our attention.  We want to be very thorough and careful about how we distribute the funds you've donated.  And doesn't it feel good to know that every penny will go directly to a Haitian woman in need? 

You have been so very generous in sending crafting materials for the women...wow!  Right now, we are not accepting any more materials.  We have been overwhelmed (in a very good way!) by the response to this need.  And the women are so very grateful and thrilled when they see me coming with more boxes.  It's all thanks to each of you.  What a blessing you are.

Okay, so we will continue to keep you posted as things transpire.  Please don't forget these women!  They are so precious and important in this world.  Keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

many blessings,

Rebecca