Australian-American Team Form Helping Handz

Dateline: 11/14/98

An Australian and an American Team Up for Charity

Moderater of the crafts and hobbies discussion list Bizzy Handz, Jodie's dream was to also have her own crochet list. Let's see how that came about, but with a twist.

Jodie in Australia often talks over the Internet all night with her friend Marcia in the United States. (night for Marcia, evening for Jodie)

Marcia says "It was during one of our all night "sessions" that she said she wanted to make a difference with this Crochet List and suggested it become a vehicle to share our collective wealth of yarn and skill, and crochet items that would benefit charities. I thought it was one of the best ideas I'd heard in a long time, so from there, we started trying to organize a plan."

Jodie: "It was an idea in the middle of the night while I was talking to Marcia, kind of blurted out LOL. I asked Marcia to co-moderate with me."

This was the beginning of Helping Handz, a crochet discussion list with a twist - making their primary goal to be making a difference for charity.

Jodie and Marcia live in time zones that are approximately 16 hours apart. Now think about it. Not all that long ago it wouldn't have been possible for two people who live a world apart to team up like this! Isn't technology wonderful?

Jodie: "We do work well together and it works out well that Marcia is in the United States and I'm in Australia, so one of us is usually around at all times to keep things moving."

This is wonderful for the list members. You're new. You get out your pattern books. You're eager to get started making your first square to donate. You start to pick out a pattern, then it hits you.

You don't know if they wanted squares worked in rounds or in rows ... or maybe it doesn't matter. Well, better ask. You email the question off to the list and before long, there's an answer in your inbox saying they had decided that either was fine. You can now start happily crocheting that first square.

The factor of the discussion list sets Helping Handz apart from traditional charity groups. The members can keep in constant touch with each other; their questions, their progress, their ideas for future plans. Even though they live and crochet in different states and countries, they are a team. And the best part is, they feel like a team!

The camaraderie that takes place within the group is wonderful.

Marcia: "As an example, Jodie mentioned she had the time to crochet the squares, but was low on yarn, and Annie, a member, had yarn and not enough time to crochet right now, so Anne sent Jodie several skeins of yarn so Jodie could keep on crocheting."

Marcia and Jodie have the same authority and say over everything concerning the List.

Jodie: "I believe this is the only way to have a person take as much pride in their 'job' as I do 'cause it's my baby so I made it her baby too. She's doing a marvelous job. We tend to pick up where each other left off and keep the ball rolling if the other has commitments, is tired or needs a break."

Marcia: "I hadn't even participated in a swap up to this point, and I really didn't know what I was doing, so I enlisted the help of another member, Marge, and she and I worked on things like what colors we were going to use, what pattern(s), size hooks etc.

We decided that members (on a volunteer basis) would assemble the afghans and we assigned a 'Project Number'."

Jodie and Marcia obviously both care deeply about helping others; crocheters with that same caring are drawn to the Helping Handz list and to participating in the charity projects.

I asked Jodie and Marcia to tell us a bit about the projects that have been worked on so far.

Jodie: "So far we have completed and sent 2 afghans to Ronald McDonald House and Marcia is compiling up to 4 more (still waiting for final square count when they come in) from just one months work! My count of squares completed by these powerhouse girls stands at about 460 so far!!! This is in just over a month! Marge has taken a pic of each of the afghans. Marcia will do the same with her digital camera when she compiles hers."

The members of the Helping Handz List are already making a difference for charity!

Marge was the volunteer who assembled the Project 1 squares into the two afghans, which she sent to Ronald McDonald House in New York City. Marcia volunteered to assemble the Project 2 squares. She says there are still squares coming in, but it looks like there will be enough for at least 4 afghans!

Marcia: "One member requested we send one to a RMD house that helped her and her family during her granddaughters' illness so we are going to send one there in her granddaughters memory. Unless I get another specific request, I will be sending the afghans to a RMD in my area."

Because Ronald McDonald House is known to be reputable, they've chosen them for their initial charity efforts but may also donate to other carefully chosen charities in the future.

Marcia: "Future projects may include preemie clothing as I understand there is a need for it, and having had twin preemies 21 years ago, that is something I would like to do, as well as mittens, hats and anything else the members feel comfortable in making."

Project 3 squares are being crocheted right now, in purple and white. Jodie is assembling these afghans and donating them to a RSPCA in her Australian town.

Jodie: "I ran across a little stall downtown with lovely things that were handmade by people for donation and the funds raised for these go to the RSPCA. These ladies are volunteers just like us and do a roaring trade but seemed to lack ENOUGH stuff to sell! One of the volunteers said they would be very interested in anything that could be offered..altho she looked at me a bit odd when I said I would be doing it over the internet. LOL"

Jodie says that she knows the donated afghans will make a difference to this RSPCA.

Jodie: "I am in my element here and really enjoying doing this."

Project 4, in progress until the end of November, is also 6" squares in purple and white. Pat has volunteered to assemble these and will be sending the afghans to a Ronald McDonald House in her area.

Jodie explains that since the cost of mailing the completed afghan is coming out of the pocket of the person who did the assembling, it makes sense to mail it to the nearest RMDH.

Jodie: "We are planning to do a scrappy granny square project in the future as there are a lot of ladies out there with mounds and mounds of scraps! I think this one will be fantastic!"

Besides being about charity, the Helping Handz list is filled with people who love to crochet so it's also a crochet list.

At this stage they're all busy doing squares to donate and getting things off the ground, but they hope to eventually add some of the exchanges among members that Crochet Lists often have (such as granny squares, scrunchies, potholders, coasters, ornaments, doilies).

Marcia: "One last thing that might be note worthy is our "prizes". We offered an incentive prize to whomever did the most squares in our first "time frame/round" and as it turned out, we have a real go-getter on the list that has done, (I think I'm right about this) 120 squares! Since we use 60 squares for each afghan, she has done the most so far and she has the stamina to keep on going, so she has won our "most completed" prize. Well, then we decided that we'd need to give another prize that would encompass everyone, so we now have a "drawing" for 1 prize chosen out of everyone participating.----We're learning. This round the prize is a crocheted doily that was made by another member and donated for the prize."

Jodie: "We need people to make prizes and compile afghans...as the list grows we are hoping to take on more then just 2 projects at a time and more then just squares..."

Jodie: "Marge has been a great help for us, with her enthusiasm, generosity and ideas. Betscie and Lorraine not to forget all the girls have been fantastic because of simply..THEIR WILLINGNESS TO CROCHET!!! We want more people like this!!"

Marcia: "The women on this list are wonderful, thoughtful and giving ladies that make it a nice place to be and I am proud to be a part of it."

If you'd like to join Helping Handz in crocheting for charity, the first step is to subscribe to their discussion list. (Being subscribed to the Helping Handz list is a requirement for being involved in crocheting for their charity projects; the reasons being that it's easier to announce things to the members and for keeping count of the progress of squares being made.)

[Helping Handz Subscribe] (Update July 2007: Link no longer worked, so was removed - this email list appears to have ceased. This article was written in 1998.)

Feature and photos copyright 1998 by Sandi Marshall

Photography by Sandi Marshall. These are squares that Sandi crocheted to donate to Helping Handz. The squares are from the books 101 Crochet Squares and Afghan Inspirations. Coming next week: Sandi explains how she adjusted the patterns so these squares came out to 6 inches square.

Bookmark for this feature is http://crochet.about.com/library/weekly/aa111498.htm