Please help?

[Mandii]

I'm looking to start a knit/crochet group for charity in my area, but I don't have a suitable place to get together with people (I live with my mother and I'm sure she doesn't want a bunch of people in her home, she's like that). Would it be a good idea to just find a bunch of people interested and just go around and pick the things up as they're finished, and then donate them?

 

Also, how would I go about starting a group?

[darski]

If nothing else, you could have your people meet at the local Timmies. Ok, we Canucks have a Tim Horton's coffee shop on every available corner nd maybe not everyone is so lucky.

 

But for the cost of a cuppa, you could have your group meet and chat. I think the getting together is vital to the life of the group.

[CrochetSpot]

I think meeting together is really important too. Maybe you can check out local churches, community centers, or libraries to see if they would let you use some space there. You can even go to places like starbucks.

 

You can start a group by asking others in your area if they are interested in joining. Maybe you can find people right here on the ville that are close to you.

[magiccrochetfan]

Here is a previous discussion on starting a group http://www.crochetville.org/forum/showthread.php?p=1025919#poststop

 

the group here has grown to a max of about 8 people. I think everybody who comes either found out about it on Ravelry or by seeing the sign we posted at the library. Our group is not for charity projects, it's just whatever each person wants to do. I'd think that churches would be a good place to find people to work on charity projects, or maybe the charity itself, such as a hospital auxiliary or group that helps teen mothers or whatever charity you have in mind.

[Aggie May]

:cheerWhat about trying your local library as a place to meet.

I am sure they will have a space you could use.

 

Other than that, get your local church interested and see if you can use their hall as a meeting place and they would no doubt have access to people who could use your crocheted goodies.

 

Get a core group together and thrash out some rules that are appropriate to what you want to achieve and away you go.

 

Good luck.

Have fun.

Colleen:hug

[Craw]

I, too, think that meeting and chatting is vital to the group. It's half the fun! There are several groups here, all knitting as far as I know. One of them meets in the LYS and one of them in a sandwich shop. There's another group I know of that meets in the library but church halls and some place in a hospital are good ideas as well.

[Mandii]

I love all the ideas, I'm more open for making a county group though, because every little town is just that, really small, lol. I have found some people wanting to donate yarn and/or crochet for charity with me on freecycle for my county so I have some start. Thank you for all your wonderful ideas.

[emeraldjayne62]

I would have to agree with the others I have a group but Am the only one doing the crocheting ,but I do have other donate items and I just meet them and pick it up we meet at the bowling lanes on Thursday.What group are you starting,We are Cancer Awareness for the Uninsured,We help with small wishes and Medical bills ,so there know they have a fighting chance

[codymikki]

Mandii - There is a Project Linus group in Orange County, Middletown, I think. Here's the link - scroll down to Orange County for the contact info. Sounds just like what you are looking for

 

http://www.projectlinus.org/chapter.php?StateKey=NY#tgt

[codymikki]

Here is the Middletown chapter's direct link.

 

http://www.orgsites.com/ny/projectlinusocny/

[boksie]

I would check out the library too. Last I heard ours would let you use a meeting room for free for nonprofit groups.

[Mandii]

I've checked out the Project Linus website for the area, but it doesnt have any of the meeting dates or nothing helpful except that their blanket making day is in October. I'm looking to form a group to make baby items for the local hospitals, even for the NICU at the hospital the next county over.

[eyrthmother1]

look around the area you are in. If it's a college type town, or if has a community college there, then that might be an option. To post on campus and if you talk to a director there, they might let you use a room or the library or sumfin for the meetings.

 

There's meetup.com also. it's an online meetup place. you join (it's free) and find the area that you are in, along w/ the topic you are looking for. they have tons of different groups from religious to knit/crochet to pets, to books genres, etc. if there is already a local group then that would cut the effort in half fast. if not, then might can look into sponsoring 1.

 

then the other options listed on here, community centers, libraries, etc.

 

Good luck w/ your group,

Sandy

[Mandii]

Thanks everyone for all your help

[codymikki]

Mandii - You can see the following on the Orange County website if you scroll down a little:

 

NEXT BLANKET MAKING DAY - October 3, 2009 - 10AM TO 2PM - Town of Wallkill Community Center

 

Monthly Meetings from 10AM to Noon - PLEASE CHECK THE CALENDAR FOR THE DATES

The Calendar is on the left side (scroll down). If you go to the very bottom of the page, there is a section to send a message, etc.

 

Might be a great source for networking with other crocheters who might want to get together more often

[DesertCrocheter]

Codymikki is right, there are some quilters who are part of my Project Linus chapter who meet weekly. The knitters, some of whom are members of the Knitting Guild, meet monthly. And we also have several groups that are from different retirement villas who meet much more regularly. And all are part of the overall PL chapter. I definitely suggest attending the next monthly PL meeting and finding out. The PL webpages are largely 'canned' material, utlilizing a template from the national chapter, and tweaked to the local chapter. They may not put a messge like "The Quilting Bee ladies from Sun Villas meet weekly on Friday mornings at XXX" because that kind of info often gets passed on by word of mouth amongst the members.

 

And yes, contact the NICU you are interested in--they may already receive donations from someone and maybe can get contact info to you (or from you to pass on). Or try the hospital's Auxialiary volunteers. who may have info for you. Churches and libraries are, of course, excellent suggestions.

 

Patty