Thursday, January 22, 2009

"a little help" needed

I have been sending small donations to an organization i first found mentioned on the nightly news. It is called "a little help". It is run almost single-handed by an American woman named Rosemary Stasek. Click on this link to hear a little bit about her story. It is fascinating....http://msnbc-222615.newsvine.com/_video/2008/06/27/1619286-lending-a-hand-in-afghanistan Even more fascinating, when i send her my little donations via Paypal, she actually takes the time to write me back, personally thanking me for my small donation. Right now it is Winter in Afghanistan and it is very difficult to get supplies to her various locations. So, money is the best way to donate. But Rosemary has special programs she runs, like the school for the blind for women and girls, where they teach the women how to knit. (This gave me the incentive to learn to knit. I figured if THEY can lean how to knit without sight, then i certainly can at least give it a try!) When the weather clears Rosemary will again be collecting donations of yarn and knitting needles for her program. She accepts clothes, blankets, toys, etc for her children's programs and schools. She also offers a school for young women artists and accepts donations of art supplies too, weather permitting....Rosemary travels around the country speaking on behalf of her organization. She will be visiting California in January and February, and is scheduled to be in New York at Cornell University in March. I would love to try to see her there. She is a remarkable woman who is making a huge difference in the world, all by herself. The photo at the top of this post is of one of the blind students, learning how to knit on donated materials. Click on the photo to see Rosemary and her photos from 2008.

3 comments:

Claire MW said...

Wow, what a fabulous program!! I am so glad you wrote about it. Now, I can tell Kelly that my roving/spinning addiction is not a problem because I can donate my extra handspun yarn to the program and therefore it will not take over the basement as he suggests. Excellent! I love the photograph of the girl learning to knit. What a very beautiful face she has. So sad that she cannot see it.

Archie and Melissa said...

oh my goodness mare!
that is amazing!
i am off to see how i can help. thank you for sharing!
xo
melissa

Mare said...

Thank you Claire and Melissa....It would be fantastic if you could find a way to help this program. Rosemary is out there every day putting her own life in danger to help those who cannot help themselves. I really look up to her. I want to send "things" like baby hats and art supplies and yarn and needles! I am planning to send some things out in the Spring. I'll post updates as i get them... Thanks again!