Completely Dissapointed

[Chanti]

I live is Qld Australia, and I have been reading lots of lovely stories about you wonderful crocheters donating to your local hospitals etc, So I thought i would try and find out if I could donate to my local hospital.

 

I am sorely dissappointed when I say that I cannot donate to patients, what I can do is donate to the Hospital Auxillary and they will sell:think my items to the patients. Is that the case with any of you.

 

I have to admit my shock at this. A lot of people who have to be in a public hospital for any lenght of time, cannot not normally afford such little luxuries. And they are normally the people that I would want these items to go to.

[crochetluvknot]

i have never come across that around here most are more than happy to receive anything you want to donate to them for the patients what a bummer here is a for you

[Krystal16]

SELL?!?!? You've GOT to be kidding!

 

Absolutely NOT the case here. The hospitals here, both children's and cancer research have a "department" dedicated to making the lives of the long-term patients as happy as possible. I donate to the hospital through that department and they GIVE the blankets to those patients they feel need a "pick me up".

 

I would hope that when they sell these, they at least sell them for a very SMALL amount - perhaps they do that? And take that money to do more for patients? Either way, it feels a little grimey to me.

 

[jmccrochet]

I read this and was , , and . I cannot believe that would be how a hospital with long-term care patients would respond to your generous offer. I do hope you are able to find a suitable way to provide comfort.

 

Joyce

[Shell]

Chantelle Jessi hs spent some time in WA's only childrens hospital Princess Margaret and I am sure social work there would accept them if you explain you wanted them handed to patients and not sold. I know WA's neonatal hospital King Edward Memorial is under the same banner as PMH and they use bonnets and booties for their prems which would be given out for free.

 

Maybe it was just the particular places you contacted. Our local hospital has a HAGs group (Hosp Auxillary Gp) and they sell things to raise funds for the hospital. They have a group of seniors who meet every Tuesday to make things to sell and most of it is knit and crochet. The HAG's provide the materials and the seniors provide the time ad skill. Money raised goes into buying new equipment for the hospital. Most recently a doplar machine so pregnant mums can hear their baby's heart beat.

 

I think keep trying and talk to SOCIAL WORK in hospitals and not other places. Social work are the ones who help those in need within their hospital. Also try aged care facilities, hospices, Ronald McDonald House.. anything you can think of One letter addressed to the different places is easy enough to produce and cheaper to post than a phone call. I really would suggest starting with a neonatal hospital with booties and bonnets. If not, you can always give to your local St Vinnies to sell to raise funds for charity Our local op shop's makings go back to the local senior citz

[mythunderbird]

thats sad, i am sorry your being treated like that. i would do as shell said though and talk to the social workers, they know who has needs more than anyone and i would think they would be glad to get donations of things to cheer patients up, if not then i would look to nursing homes or maybe a neo natal unit or a hosptial nursery for booties and bonnets ect

what i do every year is donate booties and bonnets and then for the 1st of the year baby i make a blanket or a dress and /or sweater set ect. something special for the new baby and something for the 1st of the years special timing baby. one year i made a beautiful baby dress that the patients wrote a letter to the hosptial and they forwarded it on to me, made it allllll sooooooooo worth it to me to know i brought someone happiness. i wish you lots of luck, i think that its shameful they would charge the patients for something made for them:angry :hug for you

[srlandis]

What about a children's hospital? I wonder if they have the same policy? A friend of mine works at a neonatal intensive care unit and she said that they give new crocheted and knitted blankets to the parents of deceased babies so they can say goodbye to their baby in a less institutional, more personal blanket and then the parents get to keep the blanket as part of their memory of their baby. It just broke my heart when she told me that, but it made me feel better to think of so many people united to provide this simple gift to a stranger.

 

susan

[Feliciter]

Chantelle - my granny used to knit heaps of hats/beanies for premmies in hospitals. I'm sure that the ones she knitted were given away for free. This is in QLD, Bundaberg and Brisbane.

 

Keep trying and take the other ladies advice - there would be a way!

 

Good on ya for doing this!!

[cupcake]

Chanti I know where you live and I think I can guess what hospital you went to. The usual policy is that the auxillary will accept items to raise funds for the hospital and the patients.

 

This is not as bad as it seems. There is an issue in hospitals with infection control etc so the hospitals prefer hospital blankets etc which are easier to launder. Bodily fluids on a crochet item is not easy to clean. I have donated many an item to the hospital auxillary or hospital red cross who do a maginificant job in setting up stalls in the hospital foyer and the like. These people are all volunteers you give of their time willingly. I have also donated bits and pieces of yarn and materials, books and magazines.

 

Some items I have donated (like afghans) they have raffled and raised a lot of money which was put to good use to buy much needed equipment.

 

As regards giving items to patients the best place to donate to is an aged care facility such as those run by Blue Care. I worked in one of these a few years back, and the goal was to get a handmade afghan on every bed. We also liked crocheted hankies, facewashers, coathangers , soap sachets etc and little personal things to give to the residents on special days such as Mothers day and birthdays. Many of these people were forgotten by their relatives and it was nice for the staff to have have a box of pressies.

 

I wouldn't be discouraged by your recent experience.

[Vibey]

Chanti, Cupcake is right. Shell too: could be you approached the wrong arm of the hospital.

 

Nonetheless, all hospitals are always looking for booties and beanies for premmies; also layettes for stillborn babies. Nursing homes also welcome lap rugs. I actually made shrugs for nursing homes, and they were a great success: not the shrugs in fashion nowadays, but the kind that are like a shawl with sleeves. Don't give up! There's a home for your lovingly-made items out there.

[Chanti]

Thank you all for your Help. I think that I will contact and aged care facility - I think Eagleby is becoming the aged care facility capital of the world. Also now that I know more about what the Auxillary do, I think I will make some stuff to donate, I am not sure if they will be able to make much from my work, but if it helps, well who is it for me to decide where the help goes

[yarncat]

I donate lap blankets to hospice.They are given to the patiets & are allowed to take them home when they leave(some are there for rehabilitation).If there are extras,they are given to patients in other wards.

 

Selling them to patients is just wrong.

[Shell]

Selling them to patients is just wrong.

 

This has been a lil misunderstood i this thread. The HAG's groups sell them to the public, to make extra funds for the hospitals. The hospital decides where to spend these funds. It's money that they wouldn't normally have and helps to buypay for things the gvt funding does not. Our local hospital services a town of about 1000 people plus travellers, there is no way the gvt woud grant them the $10,000 or so needed to buy the Doplar machine, so the hospital was on it's own to raise the money. The money contributed by HAGs from selling handmade items was a large portion of the funds.

 

While it's lovely to know our items go to those in need, making money for struggling hospitals is also a great cause. I am sure if Chantelle keeps trying she will soon find a place who will take her items as the gifts they're intended to be rather than selling them.

[Krystal16]

Shell,

That makes a whole lot more sense! Whew!

 

I agree - Raffling an afghan often does raise quite a bit of money, and I have donated some to raffles before. Sometimes that money is much more needed than a blanket.

[missamorphosis]

There are two hospitals here, both near my home. I've contacted both of them and only one accepts items for their newborns. The other accepts items to sell in their bazaar once a year in November. The money they make goes towards purchasing things the hospital needs for its patients.

 

Personally, I'd much rather "gift" my things to people who need them than have them sold in a bazaar.

 

I hope you find a charity in your area. Maybe look beyond the hospitals; shelters and such are always needing items.

[Happy_Hooker]

That is why I feel bad about giving to the Salvation Army... They sell donations (to make $$) My sister found an organization called PASS... Basically my sister can go there, turn in her daughters old clothes and take new ones that fit... I LOVE that idea... (they do sell the adult clothes though...) For the neighborhood it is in, this is a great thing...

[KatyKat]

I think that is awful..Everyone should be able to donate with out worry there items would be sold so the hospital can benefit financially. I could see if they were doing a auction for a certain ward then asked for your donation of crocheted items. But to me that is just awful.

I havent yet asked my hospital as I havent been in awhile since my therapy has stopped for the time being. I would love to start a donation going for the Cancer patients I have seen on a daily basis when I was going. It was so hard seeing them struggle. It makes you sad but then you see them smile still and all the hope in the world. You cant help but smile.How brave & strong they are. I know facing the same situation I could only hope to be as strong as them. take care all..

[craftn56]

Chanti if you keep looking you will find a place where your items are destined!!

After Katrina hit New Orleans I had over 80 baby caps, stayed busy while I was out of town during this horrible storm. When I returned I tried 5 different hospitals, to see if they could take all or some of the baby caps. Finally, one of the hospitals took 5o of them, the rest I mailed to a friend and she took them to the hospital she works at. I was disappointed because no one wanted the caps. One day while surfing on the internet I lucked out!! I found an organization out of state who takes everything I make, they see to it that it goes where it is needed, no funds exchanged! I've knitted and crocheted hats of all sizes, scarves, neck gaitors, lapghans, baby and preemie blankets, hair scrunchies, shawls, you name it and now I'm knitting a sweet shoulderette.. I don't know who this is for but God will see that it gets to where it needs to go..... I knit and crochet for charity!!

Some of you may think I should leave it here in LA but I can't. I don't want to find out that my items are being sold, I gave them to give them away..

JUst my input........

 

Have a great week!! Chanti you keep on crocheting, something great will happen!!

 

Yolanda

[CLLinda]

I would try a children's hospital. I have never heard of patients having to purchase things through the axilary before. Most of the people who really need these items don't have the money for them. It doesn't seem fair at all.

 

Find another hospital which would want what you made. Most hospitals just love these little extras that loving people have made and value your talents.

 

I donated to a children's center hospital for the first time and I received such a loving note from the coordinator. It was so beautiful knowing that I helped their "smallest patients" in a special way.

 

I sure hope you find a nicer place to donate to. Or maybe see if there is a way to donate to that hospital, maybe by going right to the children's department head nurse or something. Don't give up. You will find a place that will value what you make.

 

Here's a to feel a little better.

 

[Ellie 13]

In the crochet for charity listings there's a Project Linus thread by Crochetgoddess, you can check into that. They take all kinds of blankets as long as they're washable/dryable and not too lacey (solid patterns/squares are good). I've sent some through my local chapter (they're everywhere). Good luck and God bless.

Ellie 13

[rlanto]

Yolanda, what was the name of the charity you are sending things to?? I would be interested in finding out.

 

Chanti, while I agree that HAG are good for fund raisers, if you want to donate, I would contact one of the hospital social workers or the maternity ward. As a social worker, we ALWAYS take things for our clients. My shelter (I work with homeless women) loves having a store of hats/gloves/scarves and blankets. I've never seen us turn those things away! Good luck in your pursuit!

[precious]

I've made preemie hats and cancer caps for my local hospital and they accepted them graciously. I told them I wanted them to be free to the patients and they said that they (the patients) are going through enough without having the staff try to sell them hats. Why can't they all think that way?

[Lorrie]

have you thought about donating to the pet shelters and hospitals? That's where I often donate to. They accept most aslong as the stitch is a tighter one.

[Serendipitycrafter]

This same thing happened to me in our city.

I went to the hospital a few blocks from me and all the

donated yarn items were in the gift shop on sale.

They even had preemie hats for sale!

When I asked why they didn't just hand them out

to the patients she said that she felt a lot of donated things weren't good

enough...either not well made or not clean. And the rest they

decided they would sell. I couldn't believe it!

I don't believe for one second they were not clean and

I really don't know what she meant by not well made.

She said she had her knitting ladies and she showed no

interest in any donations.

I will definitely look elsewhere in the city...but it was such a disappointment because it is the patients who lose out.

[alibra]

I don't think I have ever heard of a hospital that wouldn't take donated items. I would try somewhere else, is there a shelter in your area?