Give Back

11.12.15

Hello! I am just popping in with a second post today to give you a heads up about something that I think is awesome.

As I mentioned a few days ago, my friends at My Favorite Things are also hosting a challenge this month… called “MFT Gives Back.” Throughout the month, they are giving fellow crafters little nudges to get us thinking about ways that we can give back. If you missed their first two posts, you can go back and read about ways to Show Compassion to Others and Celebrate Those Who Serve.

Their focus today is ways that we can Share Our Passion With Others.

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As crafters, we likely have a lot of supplies in our craft room that we don’t truly need anymore. Why not share these with others so they can enjoy them? Schools. Scouts. Women’s shelters. Churches. Children’s hospitals. MFT is encouraging us to pack up our extras and share them!

I find purging my craft room frequently helps me creatively. It keeps me from being overwhelmed. So I am often giving supplies to local schools. Today? Today I was inspired to purge some of my old 12×12 cardstocks. It felt good! It was taking up too much room and I wasn’t using them enough.

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In addition to the Share Handmade Kindness Challenge we are doing here, I hope you will consider jumping on board with MFT Gives Back.

I would love to hear if and where you donate your extra craft goodies!

See you soon. Take care!


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88 thoughts on “Give Back”

  1. This season, I am giving some of my craft supplies to my 7 year old twin great- niece and nephews. I have ordered a few things in error that I already had and those I am gifting to a couple of good crafting friends as Christmas gifts and thank yous for their valuable friendship. I started stamping in 2011 and I still have a hard time wanting to part with many supplies, thinking I will use them all again a few times before I part with them, since I have learned how to “Stretch My Stamps” from you. LOL I look at all my supplies in that way now! I am wanting some 12 X 12 plain cardstock now and would have loved to receive a few sheets of your discards. LOL. They are great for “folded 3D creations”. Regretfully, we are not neighbors. 🙂 Thanks for your many ideas. I’m sure I will donate more around the community eventually.

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  2. Over the years my kids’ school supplies stash has grown and there are a lot of things they no longer use. I plan to donate this to the elementary school in our community.

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  3. I purge my supplies — mostly patterned paper — a couple of times a year. I give it to a friend who teaches fifth grade at a local elementary school and she shares them with other teachers at the school. It does feel good to get rid of the things you thought you’d use but never did and paper from paper pads/stacks that I know I’ll never use. I’m about to do it again this week.

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  4. There’s a women’s shelter in my area that’s always in need of various things. Around this time of year, I destash my craft collection and take in a bunch of things for the children who are living there to create fun things of their own.

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  5. I donate my extra stuff to my friend Phyllis, who is an occupational therapist in schools. We used to work together. I have given her die cuts, paper, stamp sets and stencils, anything I think she can use. She often does fun little craft projects with her students who have hand coordination issues, the already done die cuts are handy for her to use that. Anything she can’t use, she passes it on to teachers to use for their things. I have an electronic die cut machine, I often make duplicates of things, especially sentiments or things I know I can have on hand to use on other projects. I try to purge every now and then, so anything I know I won’t use, goes to the school.

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  7. I donate my things to the local women’s shelter for abused women. Many staying there have children too. They have had to flee abusive situations and some with literally on the clothing on their back. This allows them some creative time to escape the challenges they are currently experiencing.

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  9. I also give unused or outgrown craft goodies to a local elementary school, but I leave a message that any teachers can help themselves to the stash. We forget that each teacher is responsible for decorating their class room a couple times a year, and they don’t get s stipend for it. Their own money pays for it, so if they want to take home some of my stuff and play, that’s fine with me. They give more than enough.

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  10. Spoke with a teacher from our church who said she’d love some extra crafting supplies. Packing up the supplies and giving it to her this weekend. Feels great! 🙂

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  11. Jennifer, I am so pleased to hear that you purge your craft area frequently and what’s more important to me , give your items/stock away ? I too do similar- I suffer from Primary Progressive MS which is. sadly the end of the road in this condition – however I have no regrets and having nursed my gorgeous late husband who passed almost 5 yrs ago appreciate the fact that life is a gift no matter how limited my own is— I watch all your videos and try my best to replicate and change, in my version of cards — they have become my daily focus and help enormously to take my mind off pain and other issues .Most important to me is to make cards and give them to others – be it charities or someone who simply needs a lift ? – my biggest frustration is the lack of 12×12 beautiful card pads you guys in the USA get access to that we struggle to find in the UK- so if you have any spare pages – I am a very willing recipient –who would use them for something special for someone deserving on our lovely planet ? — always happy to share with my fellow man/woman ? on our wonderful planet ! -P.S Bless u for your kindness campaign -so special – like yourself —Chrissie xxx

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  12. I give scrap paper and many other things to my local library. They use it for children crafts as well as a scrapbook night they sponsor.

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  13. I donate my extra or gently used stamping supplies to my church’s religious education program for their wonderful active service projects.

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  14. In the past I have donated to the NICU Parent Scrapbooking Group at Mercy Children’s Hospital in Toldeo, my friend was the creator of the group and ran it for 8 year, it was a great group to help out. Right now, I’ve been helping out my son’s girlfriend. She started papercrafting this summer and doesn’t have supplies, so when she needs things, she “shops” in my stash, it’s a great way for her to be able to be crafty and I feel good being able to help her with supplies and teaching her too.

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  15. Hello All! I donate my extra handmade cards and supplies to 2 local daycare/child care centers. I’ve donated paper, cardstock, coloring supplies and other goodies. I suggest they sell the extra cards to raise money if they desire since they are both non-profit. Every little bit helps the babies and working parents. Love doing it!

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  16. I take my extra craft goodies to a local non-profit called We Care Arts. They provide Art therapy workshop experiences for physically, mentally and emotionally handicapped individuals to enhance self-esteem and learn job skills.

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  17. I take extra craft supplies to our local art museum as they have a space specially for children to get creative. It is a great way to use even the tiniest scrap of paper as they host camps and art fairs for the community. I am also creating a couple of crafty boxes for two of my friends…Thanks for the inspiration Jennifer, have a wonderful day!

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  18. I donate to the Blood & Cancer Center at Dell Children’s Hospital and they LOVE receiving the extra supplies.

    I have provided them with paper, embellishments, adhesives and mediums of all types, as well as organizing units (for which they are very grateful since they then do not have to spend their patient budget on these items).

    I also know that the Ronald McDonald House facilities appreciate receiving art supplies and organizing units so if you plan to re-do your craft space and have extra items left over, items you don’t need, consider donating those as well.

    Thanks for always finding ways for us to give back, Jennifer.

    Have a great weekend everyone,

    Steph

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  19. I’m preparing to send a box of my unused crafty things to Mexico, where my niece is teaching elementary school for a year. I also enjoy passing on items I won’t be using to little friends that love crafting.

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  20. I live in a small town with fewer options to donate. I have given items to the library, school & of course the grandkids get lots of old stickers to play with. I plan to read through to see where others donate to get ideas for the next time I clean out.

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  22. While I don’t purge often enough (hehe), when I do it’s to the Senior Center and also to a friend who teaches there. They love getting extra goodies to while away the time and even the gents participate in Bev’s classes.

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  23. I donate the craft supplies that I have extra of or no longer use to Roswell Park Cancer Institute. They have art students from University of Buffalo create different projects with the patients. They never seem to have enough supplies so I give whatever I can. It’s such a wonderful program.

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  24. Purging feels good! We have a place in town called MECCA,(Materials Exchange Center for the Community Arts ). I take bags of papers, inks, stickers and other craft supplies that I cant use. They make good use of them. It is a non profit organization. I dont donate my stamps, though. I would love to find a way to sell the ones I am tired of!!

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  25. I purge my craft room often as well. It is only 11×13, and I feel stifled if I have too much around me. We moved to a new ‘smaller’ town a couple of years ago and I made contact with our local library where they have a children’s art program. I retired early (in my 50s) so I made arrangements to donate my purges to the art program, and to spend some time teaching card and other paper craft classes to kids. I love it! It makes me feel good, keeps me involved in the community…and the kids remind me of how young I am NOT! 😉

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  26. Like you my craft space can totally overwhelm me..and rigbt now is one of those times….I need to get healthy and get back to donating and I plan to do that ASAP!

    IN the past I have sent “care packages” to those who were “newbies” and needed supplies, as well as to those who are avid crafters, but for one reason or another can not always afford to buy some of the newest products. I LOVE LOVE LOVE send “RAK’s” and do so often!!

    If you have any suggestions for ways I can DONATE more of my craft goodies….PLEASE share…as I truly am VERY Overwhelmed with this right now! THANKS Jennifer!!!

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  28. Leeza Gibbons is opening a new care connection center to support and educate care givers here in her home town of Columbia, SC. My extra craft goodies are going to the scrapbook room they are setting up there.

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  29. Don’t quite know where to communicate. Shared the Showing Kindness video on my Facebook Timeline. Today it was mentioned in church. Hope to spread the word throughout our community of family and friends.

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  31. I purge mine also. It doesn’t go far. My Sunday School class benefits. Sometimes I think of them when I buy something knowing that sooner or later they will be using it.

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  32. I like to pass along to my friend who is a card maker. She is really good about making lots of cards and sending them out, so I feel great about keeping her supplies fresh when I have a purge. I’m more of a card maker who tends to spend a LOT of time on one special card for a special occasion or very close friend, so I admire her, for not getting hung up on one card like me! 😉

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  33. I have given to schools in the past, but last year I heard that an organization here, that works with foster children, makes a scrapbook for each child to take with them. I love this idea and have donated several large boxes of supplies and tools.

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  34. Amazing timing! I spent last week “purging with a purpose” to come up with some products from my stash to help a wonderful lady who is volunteering for art classes in our home town. I had lots of brushes, stick-on letters, paints, papers…….she and the kids were delighted. We must see that art has a place in the lives of all children.

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  37. I pick up supplies from different thrift shops in my area throughout the year, and send them out to chosen senior assisted li ing facilities, as their budgets are very small and this helps them to keep their craft activity program open to their residents. I have sat in on some of their craft sessions, it always amazes me how much enjoyment & friendship it brings to the residents. I have even seen girl scout troops join in on craft sessions, the seniors love sharing time with the girl scouts. I also collect the free idea sheets from Michael’s to add to their box of crafting goodies for ideas. Not long ago I was one of those residents recovering from a stroke, so I seen first hand how small the budgets are and how hard our craft director worked to keep the program open many times using her own funds to add supplies. Lisa was an angel and still is. She has the most wonderful persIinality, She walks into a room and everyone smiles! She makes time on the holidays and her whole family comes to visit all of the residents. God bless her!!! Thank you to all that help give back!!
    We are a group on face book.
    THE GIFT, your talent is a gift to share, inspire & give to make others smile from their hearts.
    ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
    Shirley in Florida.

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