Another heartbreaking week has gone by with the news of bombed cities in Ukraine and the 1.2 million refugees in Poland and other countries. I spent this week researching non-profits already on the ground helping refugees, making phone calls and sending emails to our relief partners, and sending targeted donations to help children and families whose lives have been uprooted overnight. Your support of our business allows us to make these additional donations during this difficult time – our goal is for our service to be a force for good in the world – especially during an acute crisis such as this one. Thank you.
When you check out, if you want your 2% to go to the non-profits on our list who are helping Ukraine, choose Doctors Without Borders or Mission of Love. In addition to our list of 7 charities, we are sending donations to other organizations that are providing relief right now on the ground for the displaced. I have created a page with updated lists of other relief/non-profit organizations so you too can give directly to the cause that speaks most to your heart. Be sure to specify if you want it to be used only for Ukraine relief. So far we are also donating to SumOfUs, International Rescue Committee, Amnesty, KIND (Kids in Need of Defense), SOS Chidren, and IFAW. (Intl Fund for Animal Welfare)
We are also supporting a small group of European journalists (Change Weavers) who are traveling to the refugee entry points to tell the story of what is actually happening in Ukraine and with the escaping refugees….they are there to put the situation into a more human scale because it is so hard to comprehend the enormity of the situation. These are the filmmakers who produced “The Condor & The Eagle” which we hosted for our friends and customers last year. We pray for the safety of all affected.
Today I heard an interview on NPR’s “How I Built This” with Johann Hari, about his new book “Stolen Focus”. If you can find the podcast or the book, I suggest you check it out. I will say that those of us who sew and quilt, paint and make music, and express ourselves in other artist ways….we have found a way to fight the monster of techie distraction, but it can still find an insidious hold on us. After listening to this interview I decided to give special rings to the phone numbers of the important people in my life, and ignore the rest when I am in the Creative Zone. Now more than ever, we need to have extended periods of deep creative focus for our mental and emotional health. Do you know what I mean?
Praying for Peace,
Luana and Paul
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Quilt/Travel Calendar:
Now through Apr 9, 2022 – New England Quilt Museum (NEQM) “For the Love of Gaia” exhibit
Sat, April 9 – “International Quilt Trends” lecture – NEQM Closing Reception
August 4 – Long Beach Quilt Festival
October 2022 – Luana’s Polar Bear Tour – Churchill Manitoba Canada
