Every now and again a friend approaches me and asks me to help her make blankets for the homeless. My answer is always no, in fact the idea of crocheting or knitting blankets for the homeless never fails to annoy me. Now before anyone jumps down my neck and tells me how hideous I am let me explain.
Everyday on my journey's through the dozens and dozens of crochet groups and blogs I follow I come across someone posting pictures of blankets, with long heartfelt messages about how they have spent weeks and weeks handcrafting a beautiful blanket to give to the homeless person they met who's story touched their heart.
What? You where so moved by this persons plight that you ran to the nearest craft store spent £40 - 60 on yarn and spent weeks making something. Why not give them the £60 or buy them something there and then.Your doing it because you enjoy what you do and it makes you feel good to craft for a cause. . Get your head out of your privileged little cloud and just think for one second.
Would you want to carry it around with you all day everyday?
Do you want to sleep outside under a woollen blanket when it's raining?
Do you want to sleep with your back on the cold pavement?
Do they need your help now or in 3-4 weeks time?
Now! They need your help now and of course you don't want to do any of those things neither do they.
crafting for a cause is fantastic!
But only if the item you are crafting is going to be a solution or helpful. Instead of running to the nearest craft store and making something that serves you better than the homeless person you want to help, go buy a sleeping bag and some food then keep in touch and make them a hat when it starts to get cold.
Better still stop assuming you know what this person needs better than they do and just ask them. Like the person helping @brookdemar has.