The Power of Community Spirit

I've just been sitting at the computer catching up with correspondence and thought it would be lovely to catch up in blogland. I have a busy day ahead so it's nice to have five minutes’ thinking through the last few days and sharing my thoughts and feelings with you. Like you all I am sure you have been affected by all of the heartbreaking refugee media attention. As a mother and grandmother I am used to helping alleviate upset and I am good at making things betters but this global crisis leaves me feeling powerless. 

Whilst I was wondering what I could do to help, one of my friends put a link onto my Crochet Club  Facebook page to a charity called Knit for Peace who were asking for knitted and crochet blankets to help the refugees in Kurdistan where there are 1.8 million refugees. Most have fled civil war and ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Last winter more than 6000 of these refugees died from the cold. This inspired me into thinking about making squares and donating blankets, something practical and tangible that I could do, the same morning I opened my newspaper and saw the tragic image of the little boy washed up onto the Turkish shore. An image that will never leave me, I realised then that just me alone couldn't produce many blankets so I asked my crochet group to help and also posted onto my local Crafter's Face Book page, this was only last week and the help support and kindness has been overwhelming.  

Wonderful local women have been busy making crochet and knitted squares. I have had little parcels of squares dropped off at my house, one package in the post and yesterday I had an open house and over 20 women called in throughout the day to make squares, and help start the job of joining squares together. It was an emotional day for me but an amazing day being with a group of women, many I hadn't met before all striving to help the needs of others. I went to bed last night very tired but feeling just a little less powerless.

Today is a new day and I have my Crochet Club this evening, I am hoping to start to assemble another blanket and I've already had another bag of squares dropped off this morning 

I thought I would share this little montage of our busy day making squares and of course joining them - 

talk soon x