Helping Others Helps Everyone: Put a Little Love in Your Heart
June 10, 2009 | By
In these hard economic times it is more important than ever to help out and do what we can for others, especially when helping out touches something that means a lot to you. Chaarity is also a gerat way to demonstrates your own sensibilities and make a difference on planet Earth.
Supporting a charity is not only a great idea, it is one of the hottest trends going. You can see it almost everywhere, from celebrities like AplusK (Ashton Kutcher on Twitter),who supports Malaria No More, to our own community of crafters, like Maya of Static White's Stitchery and the EtsyDarkSide Team, who support Bat World Sanctuary.
Choosing a charity to help out with can seem like a daunting task. How do you find one that is right for you? Well, take a page from Maya and start with your own teams, guilds and group of networkers. I had a chance to ask Maya how she got started with her support of the sanctuary, and this is what she told me.
"The team asked for help in writing articles to help spread the word about Bat World so I stepped up. I love bats and I love this team. Bats do happen to be a vital part of our ecosystem, so all the more reason to support Bat World!"
The EtsyDarkSide Team has a section in their team shop that is dedicated to their support of Bat's World. Their members donate items for that area and the proceeds are donated to the cause. Those of us on the darker side of things have a soft spot for the creatures of the night, so bats are the perfect choice.
If you are unable to donate craft items there are charities that you could donate a percentage of your sales to. This is being seen more and more throughout the crafting community. For example, part of the proceeds from the sales of Hoffeeandanuffin's sock monkey are donated to the American Cancer Society, while over at Quizzlebob, the food fairy helps fight hunger. You can add notice of your support to your shop front or to the listing, as these artisans have done. This not only helps the charity but your shop as well, and we all know every little bit helps.
Sometimes a monetary offering is just not possible. A lot of us are not able to part with what we have. That does not leave us out of giving. We can show support by offering items that tell the world about the charities that are near and dear to our hearts without spending a dime. Just the message can be enough, if that is all you have.
If nothing else it is the many different ways we all can give that makes charities such a rapidly growing trend. There is literally something for everyone.
It is not hard however to find caring people, supporting wonderful causes no matter where you look. My column tends to steer toward the darker and alternative trends in crafting, but even the dark side has a heart. A big one as it turns out. It might be dark and full of stuff that we like to keep hidden, but it beats with its own special brand of love. I hope everyone can find their own place to show some love out there and thanks for tuning in this time kids! Look for more from Xane soon!
Resources:
Crafters that knit might enjoy head huggers.
Others might like to search the list of opportunites listed here.
If you can not find a charity you feel comfortable with, try these links. They offer analysis of the charities and where donations are actually applied.
http://www.charitynavigator.org/
http://www.bbb.org/us/charity/
http://www2.guidestar.org
Credits for items shown:
I read banned books charm - http://www.artfire.com/users/jjbackman who supports = Zambia Satellite through GSM to support Zambian teachers who would otherwise receive no salary.
Scrap Bat - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=82840 SWStitichery who supports Bat World San
Crystal Necklace - http://www.artfire.com/users/badcatjewelry who gives 10% of sales to Specially for Children in Austin, Texas
Survivor Ring - http://www.artfire.com/users/TheTaffyBox This item lends awareness to breast cancer
Xane Dravor Likes the darker side of crafting. If it is dark, full of teeth and covered in stuff best left to nightmares, she might have it on her shelf somewhere. Sculpture and paintings being her primary mediums. Come by and see what we mean at - House Morbid Ltd
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