Lately, I have been seeing a ton of televisions offered "free" on Freecycle and the free section of Craigslist. It baffles me that people never think of donating perfectly good working televisions & DVD players to their local children's hospital or nursing home. When I mention this to folks - it's like a lightbulb goes off over their heads. Recently, I splurged and got a new television - but my 19" CRT television still works perfectly well and doesn't have any bad spots (why should it since I have only watched movies on it and am hardly a couch potato). I confess - with my recent convalescence, I just decided I wanted a bigger and more energy efficient TV that doesn't weigh so much. And a DVI to stream Netflix.
Rather than Freecycle my television and old DVD players, I called the Children's Hospital Family home - turns out they do need a TV and DVD players. The
Oakland Children's Hospital also need lots of other stuff - things that I never thought of for crafts projects and such.
Here are a few things that tickled my fancy:
- Art and craft supplies
- Beanie Babies
- Crayons & Colored Pencils
- Crossword Puzzle Books: for both kids and parents
- Games: such as Monopoly, Clue, Scrabble, Battleship, Chutes and Ladders, Yahtzee, Life, chess, checkers, Boggle, Trouble, Connect Four and memory games
- Hot Wheels Toys, Small Cars & Trucks
- Journals, Blank Books, NotebooksMad Libs
- Magazines: for all ages, including magazines in Spanish
- Mini Needlepoint Kits
- Playing Cards: including UNO, Old Maid, Crazy Eights
- Safety Scissors
- Scrapbook Supplies
- Stationary Sets
- Stickers
- Knitting Yarn & Knitting Needles: all sizes (Family Resource & Information Center)
- Crochet Hooks: (Family Resource & Information Center)
- Booties: Knit or crochet baby booties (including preemie size)
- Favors: Make tray favors or origami for patient meal trays
- Sew: Sew a quilt or wheelchair backpack. Please use only new, not used fabric.
I think I am most likely to make up a bunch of twin size quilts with small pillows to send sick kids home with sweet dreams. Last little girl who received a quilt I made said it was "magic" - a big red velvet heart with gold fringe on a field of 8" wide alternating green & white patterned and white bands. I've been kind of thinking about making less pattern oriented quilts and using up some fabric - but using a simpler background to do some fun applique stuff - and maybe these kids can be my guinea pigs. :)
I wonder how kids would love the little creatures that Hannah at Bittersweet makes, like the
cute little froggy.