Everywhere we look, someone in the world is in need of a helping hand...in need of a helping heart.
Right now, people throughout the planet are generously offering assistance to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti; help is arriving daily in the form of food, medical supplies, and brave strangers who are willing to leave their own comforts and safety to help rebuild a shattered nation. As we witness on our nightly newscasts, the people there are still living on the streets or in tents -- if they're lucky enough to have one -- and they are still in great need of food, water and shelter. Getting aid to them has proved very difficult, and still, we do our best. People from France, Canada, America, Britain, every good nation of the world are all working together to alleviate the suffering of others.
We may not be able to fix the problem entirely, but at least we're motivated to help.
I know that a lot of you have given as much as you can to assist the people of Haiti. And given the current state of the world economy, it's truly admirable that so many of you have been so generous when your own security and comfort have been put in jeopardy by the global financial crisis.
That's why I hope you can find room in your heart for just one more charitable donation. Please, please don't forget about the children in war-torn Afghanistan.
These boys are girls are victims of a terrible situation that, tragically, has fallen to the bottom of the news pages. The people there are still being threatened by brutal attacks; each week we mourn the loss of more troops who have been sent there to help bring peace; and today the children of the country face another harsh winter without enough warm clothing.
It's become an old war. A tired war. People are growing weary of our inability to win it while our death toll grows longer and longer.
If even we are despairing of the length and ferocity of this fight, can you imagine how the children must feel? How hopeless and lost and without future they believe themselves to be? Please, don't let them give up hope.
The people at
afghans 4 Afghans work tirelessly throughout the year to bring warm sweaters and vests and mittens to these children. And their gift -- the gift of knitters who donate these items -- let the children know the world still continues to care. It is one small hope they have that somewhere there are people who know what they're enduring, and who want them to be as warm and comfortable as possible during the long, cold Afghanistan winter.
If you can please find it in your heart to knit a warm garment for donation to
afghans 4 Afghans you could win one of the Yarnmarket gift certificates that is given away each month.
Details about the program and their current, urgent needs for their Youth Campaign can be found at
afghans4Afghans.org.
I know it's asking a lot. But I've always believed there is no limit to what the people of this world will give when they are moved to do so by the goodness of their heart.
Lori, who entered her beautiful pussycat Fidgesaurus Rex, into our Fabulous Felines yarn naming contest is not only the owner of a prize-winning pussycat, she's also an extremely talented knitter.
Lori tells us that she used Ysolda Teague's "Vivian" pattern for this yarn. She did a few modifications to the sleeves and hood, to change the shape of the hood and to lengthen the sleeves.
