Helping at Home

DSCN0704, originally uploaded by Jennifer Can Quilt.

Folks, Mother Nature is pretty riled up these days. On the news we have seen the results of earthquakes and tusnamis half the world away, and our compassion has stirred many of us to give, to help alleviate the suffering. But let's not forget that our friends here and our neighbours to the south are also getting hit hard. Here in Canada, we have the Manitoba and Quebec floods and the fires in Alberta. In the US, tornados have devastated communities across the South, with loss of life and destruction of property. (I heard on the CBC report a couple of weeks ago, after the tornados in Georgia, that quilts were found miles away from where they had come from - another reason to label your quilts). My friend, Jennifer, has written a heartfelt plea for people to donate money, time or blood to the American Red Cross to help with this latest tornado disaster in Joplin. If you donate, you can enter the giveaway for the gorgeous quilt she is holding in this photo. Read her blog post here and give what you can. (Note to Canadian friends: the American Red Cross website appears to accept only online donations from American credit cards. But if you are feeling you have it in you to give, the Canadian Red Cross has current appeals for the Manitoba and Quebec floods, as well as the Slave Lake fires.)