is donating a quilted item really an act of charity?
 

Or an excuse/reason to let me indulge more in my hobby/recreation/passion?

No call on any one else here -

but sometimes I think a. Food shelf could use the money better than I did when I bought more quilting/sewing supplies.

I think it is. I make quilts for foster kids mostly. When they attend this summer camp, they are given a quilt and a pillow case. Some of them arrive at camp with only the clothes on their backs. So this is all anonymously but I like to think that I am giving a child a beautiful quilt that will belong to THEM so at least as they are growing up, they will remember that someone really does care about them.

I believe one's personal motives determine whether or not it's truly charity. If one uses charity as an excuse to get rid of items 'not good enough for friends or family,' then it seems more an act of disposal, than charity.
On the other hand, emotional needs are often overlooked, when people donate food. I believe quilts and other symbols of comfort, help to fill that need.

You can drive yourself crazy with that kind of thinking.

Is it more important to feed someone for a day? Or make them feel warm and loved for a year? Or what about medicine, maybe sick people need help more. If you spend time visiting with the elderly, are you "wasting" time that should be used helping a child learn to read? What about donating cat food to a shelter, is it better to help people? If I have $5 to donate, should I give $1 to five charities, or all $5 to one charity? Do I take care of local people, or help people far away who are worse off? If I have a single mom with five kids on one side and an elderly lady living on food stamps on the other side, which neighbor do I cook extra meals for?

No one person can take care of everybody and everything that needs help. So we each pick a thing or two or three that resonate with us personally and spend our time/energy/money there and hope all the bases get covered. Personally, I do a mix of things. I donate cash, food, quilts, and physical labor to a variety of places all year 'round. Some focus on the local community at large, some focus on elderly, children, animals, or people who are ill. And I do a walk-a-thon once a year for the local hospice. Some of it is done through my employer, some through my guild, some through community programs, and some on my own.

I WANT to get involved with the local convalescent hospital, the one my DH's grandmother lived in until she passed away. My FIL has continued to visit with the ladies there even though his mom is now gone, and I think that's wonderful and so I've asked him to find out if they could use some quilts, or maybe some small washable things to serve as bibs, or things like that. It's not a very cheerful place and I'd like to help brighten it up a bit. Maybe even some cheery wall hangings would be welcome - I hope I can do *something* for them.

Well said!

I think making quilts for charity is a WIN-WIN. It makes me happy to make them and hopefully the recipient is happy to get it. It also makes me feel good to give money to other causes---same thing to me.

Some one close to me once said "I can't help the whole world but I can help my little corner"! I sincerely believe this and have donated things, quilts, labor, etc, to local places and things.

"You can drive yourself crazy with that kind of thinking."

Totally agree. What's most important is that you give…worrying about how much and to whom and why is unproductive. Do what you can, it's more than enough...

Whos to say that the person who rec'd it didn't need something to keep them warm. Maybe the neighbor gave them food. but they had no bedding.
give what you can. That type of thinking will drive us all crazy.

A big Ditto:)

I have never given a quilt that people didnt appreciate! That includes charity. It does my heart good to see a child wrapped in a blanket or dragging one around with them. It provdies them comfort and love. That goes for all ages. Can't get any better than that. I am tired of having to apologize because I did or didn't. I do what I can where I can.

I doubt that the reciever of the charitable donation questions the motive of the giver. They, likely, appreciate the act Itself. So what if one gives to get rid of what they can no longer use ......the definition of "charity" is giving to help others.

We donate to charities in the hope that it benefits others. And, yes, it is often items no longer of use to the giver.

Sandy

It is all about what is in your heart when you give -not so much as what you give. We all have been blessed with a gift and it is up to you how you use it. So if sewing is your gift, then use it for the good and donating quilts is part of that gift. They all don't have to be with fancy stitching -just warm. Donating a gift of warmth not only warms the body but also the soul.

Story from last night's guild meeting. We gift charity quilts to various groups and places around town. A young child's quilt was made and given to a local charity. The child was fostered. The child was subsequently diagnosed as having a major, life long, possibly termial illness. Somewhere along the line, the child chose the quilt as "his." Every night that child is held in his foster mother's arms, wrapped in his quilt, and goes to sleep.

Does the impetus for making the quilt really matter all that much or is the important thing that child, in those arms, wrapped in that quilt? Think about how we all felt knowing one of us participated.

Choose your answer and then act? No matter what.

Pat

Please don't attempt to twist my words. My words were 'items not good enough for family or friends'.

No one appreciates being thought of as inferior and only deserving of something no one else wants. True charity involves more than just giving. It involves caring about about the ones, to whom you give. True charity is giving help, without taking away dignity. There's nothing wrong with giving items no longer of use to the giver, as long as they can still be used/worn with dignity by the receiver.

Some of my "better/good" things were someone else's castoffs.

Most items in antique/ thrift shops are castoffs. Someone wnted the space or money more than the particular item.

I have donated things that did not turn out quite the way I wanted for a friend. They were clean and serviceable, and I felt OK about the donation.

I look at it as a win win situation, sewing keeps me from going totally insane, so If what I make helps someone else, then we both benefit from it!

Sewnoma, you have just messed with my head but I love your way of thinking and feel your response was right on. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

A lot of people that receive your quilts don't have anything or very little. Sometimes having something beautiful and special can uplift a person as much as a hot meal. You enjoy making the quilts so it is a double blessing, for you and the recipient.

I have to chime in again. I just made and donted about 13 or so NICU quilts. it's under requests here. also made a full size quilt for REd garnet for a golf outing auction for the Juven. diabetes assoc. that's all donating and going for a good cause. so yes. donating counts. I do it coz I want to help. they are both under requests, and the NICU quilts can be as small as 12 x 12. A block. It can make a difference in a families hardship of a NICU baby.

To me, whatever a person gives from the heart is an act of kindness and love.

Quilts for Charity
 

I agree wholeheartedly, Neesie.

My 'pet peeve' is hearing someone say: "This quilt is just awful. The fabric is stiff, the points don't match! I don't like it one bit, SO I WILL GIVE IT TO CHARITY." A quilt given to 'charity' should be just as loved as if we were making it for a family member.

What size are your quilts for kids? I would like to do the same,but here in Casa grande,Az

I have seen that no matter what is donated, the recipients are always grateful and appreciate you thought of them. Every little bit helps.

ManiacQuilter2, I am very interested in your cause of quiltmaking for the foster camp. Can you post a contact person or site for myself and others who might be interested also?
I would love to learn more about this and possibly add it to my list of causes to promote!
Hugs and smiles of thanks

I want to be Sewnoma when I grow up - her post reflects my thoughts on this very eloquently.

I do also agree that charity should not be dumping ground - anything that you pass to charity shops etc. should be of a quality that you would be happy to use/gift yourself if you had need of the item. I'm not sure whether that was a point that the original poster intended, but it is worth bearing in mind.

:)

My original point was - is making items for charity/donation/gifts to unknown people - self-serving because I enjoy doing it so much and it is an excuse to go shopping to replenish supplies

Or

Am I being truly altruistic?

My answer - no, I am not being completely altruistic because I get a lot of benefit from making them. ( not in terms of income, though!)

It is, in my opinion, actually a win- win situation

That reminds me of a question, a friend and I were pondering years ago. We're taught to have humility BUT if one takes pride in having humility, doesn't that negate the humility? :shock: :D

Go to home page and there is a requests forum.

Sewnoma is So Right! One can't do everything, but Everyone can do something. This is one time when "the big picture" can be paralyzing. It's important to do what you can within your sphere of influence: right outside your door, within your community, your state, your country, the world. All or some or one of these, whatever we are each capable of doing.

Thank you Latrinka, I did check the requests forum but didn't find anything for the foster kids camp. I appreciate the heads up about the request forum tho!

For me, it is an act of charity. Especially for people in homeless shelters or for the foster kids. I'd like to be able to give to them directly, but it doesn't work that way. Unfortunately, in today's society, I'm not sure how much they are appreciated, but I know what love and good wishes I am sewing into them so once they leave my hands, they are into the hands of other's that I hope will benefit from them. It's the best I can do at this time in my life. I do NOT send junky stuff......it's stuff I would make for my family.

I do enjoy making the quilts. Not only do I enjoy the activity, but I also enjoy knowing it will help someone else feel a bit more loved and warm......

People love pretty things, and some will never have the money for anything but essentials. I also make necklaces for the young girls that receive the "shoeboxes" from Samaritan's Purse. Those girls can certainly live without my necklaces, but they deserve something pretty too. I give quilts to the Women's mission. I could just give the money, but the ladies would never see it. Of course the mission could use both -- yes this kind of thinking "can drive you crazy!" lol.

I think all of us do what we can with the resources we have. I have never met a quilter yet that didn't have a big heart & would like to give back in some way. It just makes us feel soooooo good inside to give. You can imagine how the receiver feels too, to receive such an act of kindness from a total stranger. Its a Win Win situation no matter what you give or who you give it to

It was Mother Teresa who said "if you can't feed everybody, feed one". I try to adopt the same philosophy about my quilting. I give what I can when I can to those organizations or people to whom I want to gift with one of my quilts. I see nothing wrong with using older fabrics from your stash to make "Community Quilts" and getting personal satisfaction from making them. You can make a very attractive warm quilt with fabric that is not the latest design or colour. We have had this discussion several times in our guild and have never been able to have everyone thinking the same on this. We have some who feel "anything is good enough" and others who only want to donate a prize winning quilt made with the latest fabric. Somewhere in the middle of these two opinions is probably the general concensus of most quilters.