Knit or Crochet Caps For Newborns
“If you know how to crochet or knit,” Melissa Lee reminds us, “and would like to do some service then you can make hats for newborns and help save their lives.” She’s talking about the Save The Children program, Caps to the Capital*.
Can something as simple as a knit or crochet cap help save a newborn life?In many poor countries, the answer is Yes.
If you’ve got the time and the yarn, a free knitting or crochet pattern for a newborn baby cap is included in the information kit available online at SaveTheChildren.org.
Not the Handy Crafty Type?
Save The Children has a wonderful online gift shop. Buy an adorable little cap there — or one of many other gorgeous and affordable gift items — and 100% of your purchase goes to benefit Save the Children, not to some pro fund-raising corporation.
Four million newborns die each year within the first month of life — half within only the first 24 hours after being born.
Sometimes it feels like there’s not much we can do, as tiny powerless little individuals, in the face of staggering statistics like that. Well, here’s something we actually can do — knit, crochet, or simply shop.
And just imagine, if a tiny warm cap could save a child’s life, what more might we be able to do?
* Update:
As you’ll see in the comments, Janice Russo has learned that the Caps to the Capital program has now ended… Fortunately, I just came across a way to find other programs that hook up crafters with charities they can help — Lion Brand yarn’s Charity Connection at www.lionbrand.com/charityConnection.html…
Got another suggestion for a charity that can use a little knitted love?
Leave a comment and let us know!
p.s. – Janice, the bit about caps for Afghanistan babies “rang a bell” and I finally hunted it down: you may be thinking of the “Boomer Caps” in memory of Corporal Eykelenboom, the Canadian medic killed by a suicide bomber last August. The story is here.
Hi Janice!
Good for you, wanting to help others, especcially when it sounds like you’ve got your own disability to deal with… such an example for us all!
In answer to your question – I just found a terrific resource at Lion Brand yarn where you can search for a charity to match your crafting interests, and even search by country. It’s at
http://www.lionbrand.com/charityConnection.html.
Hi, I just found out about the program and have made several caps. Now I find out the program is over and not acdcepting caps. Can someone tell me of another group that is taking caps. I am disabled and this is something I can do to help. I heard of a program in Canada from someone I met on vacation, butr I don’t know the address that they send them to. She said that the servicemen take them to Afganistan. Can anyone help me.
thanks
I agree, Holly, it’s the kind of cause that anyone could get behind, isn’t it? And if you get to practice your favourite craft / hobby at the same time, what could be better? I like your Knitting Haven site, by the way – especially that lively forum you’ve got going in the Parlor section…
Thanks so much for stopping by!
:-) Jen
I will take your address back to my site and try and pass the word…this is a wonderful cause.