Ethical Charity Crafting

In many of my posts about our Friday morning charity crafters, I explain our code of ethics without actually calling it that. We never have more than six members and we only meet for two hours a week, but somehow we make enough items to warm our hearts with the giving, and enough to warm the bodies and souls of those who receive them.

Along the way, we have a few unwritten guidelines.

We never use yarn that has been donated to us for our own projects. If we do "borrow" a small amount for one of our own projects, we "swap" it with something of equal size and value from our own private stash.

If we make something for the needy, and it turns out to be exceptionally desirable and appealing, hard as it might be, we still put it with our stash for the needy. This particular guideline is probably the hardest to deal with.

Every one of our members has, at least once, finished something that looked so nice she hated to leave it go to charity. That temptation is very strong. Yet I cannot recall one case in which the member kept it for herself. That is so rewarding a feeling. Each one has said that she felt better having released it for its intended purpose.

I have a small lapghan I finished from 12" squares that I had accumulated from craft swaps over the past few years. This is so much prettier than I ever expected. I'll try to take a photo before it goes to the nursing home we adopted. I really, really like this and I really, really hate to get rid of it.

My middle-aged nephew saw my longing and guessed my indecision. He surprised me when he reminded me that as much as I already loved it, whoever it went to would be getting something special, something they would never have expected to receive. He is right. And just the thought warms my heart, and I hope it warms the heart of whoever receives it.