Where can my mom donate her knitting for kids?

February 18, 2024 10:16 AM

My mom loves to knit blankets, ponchos, hats, scarves etc, for children. She’s been knitting and donating them to our local Goodwill so folks can purchase them inexpensively. She’s a prolific knitter and pretty talented. Her knitting is beautiful and super cozy. Her latest is ponchos with matching headbands. Are there any organizations she could donate her creations to that would give these to kids in need directly? My Google fu is failing me.
posted by spacebologna to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (11 answers total)

Best answer: My mom is also a knitter and found that her local refugee resettlement agency was happy to have these kinds of items.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 10:18 AM on February 18 [9 favorites]

If it's feasible, what about a local hospital that has a children's ward?
posted by Meldanthral at 10:21 AM on February 18 [4 favorites]

This seems to be an organization that donates “hand-knit and crochet beanies to people going through chemo and blankets for babies in NICU incubators” - https://www.knotsoflove.org/

Another option would to post them in her local Buy Nothing facebook group - I’m sure people would snap them up, and they’d go directly to people who would appreciate them.
posted by maleficent at 10:25 AM on February 18 [3 favorites]

Best answer: How nice of your mom!
WarmUpAmerica.org includes children's items
Project Linus
Knit for Kids
KnitASquare (takes more than just squares)
Bundles of Love (specifically newborns)

Other ideas: Local hospitals and shelters? Free/giveaway boxes at food pantries, libraries, churches, rec centers (local Y likely has a children's program)? Local childcare (daycares, social agencies) services?
posted by Iris Gambol at 11:16 AM on February 18 [2 favorites]

Local youth shelter, local school with predominantly disadvantaged pupils (I've worked at some that had a box with free mittens and hats for the taking)... for smaller kids and babies, there are emergency shelters for moms and kids...
posted by RedEmma at 12:40 PM on February 18 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Knitting 4 Peace is a wonderful organization that provides handmade items to kids as well as adults around the world. Apparently, mailing costs are tax deductible.

Here is a recent newsletter: Link

There is a Peace Pod of Knitting4Peace on the Ravelry website in case your mom is interested. Also, you can search under the Community tab in Ravelry to find more charity knitting groups.
posted by goodsearch at 2:06 PM on February 18

Also suggesting Ravelry - specifically, if your mother or you look at the forum local to her, there may already be posts about knitting for charity, or she / you can ask about local donation options. Near me, I'd look at food banks, schools, churches and organisations for asylum seeking families, but those may not work for your location.
posted by paduasoy at 3:06 PM on February 18

Best answer: Domestic violence agency. I work for one, and our clients generally come to our shelter with nothing but the clothes they’re wearing. Hand knitted items are always received with so much enthusiasm and gratitude! Most of the donations we get are from when someone dies, so when we can give them something new and handmade and not styled for an 80 year old person, our clients are thrilled.
posted by MexicanYenta at 9:03 AM on February 19 [5 favorites]

Best answer: There are scores of such groups.

Other people have the knitting-for-kids covered - but I wanted to add a couple of options if she ever wants to branch out and knit for young adults or adults.

* The Red Scarf Project is run through a group called "Foster Care To Success", which supports former foster kids who have now entered college/university. They collect red unisex scarves (they're a little strict about the guidelines in terms of size, use of other colors, other embellishments, etc.) and include them in supportive "care packages" for participating students (think like the care packages your parents sent you when you were in college, where you got some cookies and new mittens and a couple other random fun things).

* The Christmas At Sea project is run by a church here in NYC catering to merchant seamen. They prepare similar "care packages" as holiday gifts for merchant seamen who have to work during the holidays, and collect scarves, hats, cowls, and such. They pack them up with some basic toiletries and other odds and ends. They also have some strict guidelines (certain lengths are not good, certain colors are unpopular, etc.).
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:34 AM on February 20

The suggestions I would have made have already been covered, though I guess I'll second MexicanYenta's suggestion. I had three family members who worked for the state CPS, and so many of the kids had the clothes on their back and maybe a backpack, and that was it.

Also, thank you to your mom for having such a kind and generous heart!
posted by xedrik at 2:01 PM on February 20 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thank you all so much. These are ALL great, and I've passed them along to my mom. She's very excited. Sweetie Darling's suggestion helped us find a local shelter that serves a population my mom is especially interested in helping, so that was fantastic.
posted by spacebologna at 9:06 AM on February 22 [1 favorite]