Gosh it has been quite a week full of startling news stories. While we have had a big story in Tucson that has dominated the media in the US…and caused everyone to take a step back in thoughtful silence…we've been watching the difficult situation in Australia and Brasil with your floods. Our thoughts and prayers go out to our customers there who may be affected by these vast floods.

We also have a staff member who left us in August to teach English in Tunisia, and now we are anxiously watching the news there as the government imploded. We also marked the one year anniversary of the Haiti earthquake, and follow the reports coming from Doctors Without Borders on the situation there.

I used to feel helpless when I read the news, but since we started our eQuilter charity program over 11 years ago, and invited our customers to join us in our efforts, I feel like together we have truly made a difference for many who are affected by these kinds of natural disasters.

In 2010, together we raised over $100,000 for various charitable organizations, bringing the total donated to over $860,000. (When I say "we" – I mean all of us together!)

In addition to the 2% that goes to the 7 charities on our charity page, eQuilter also donated to these charities in 2010:
Children International, Children's Hunger Fund, Smile Train, SOS Children's Villages, Childrens Diabetes Foundation, Environmental Defense Fund, Grameen Foundation, Heifer International, Wild Animal Sanctuary, and Wikipedia.

We also sponsor IQA World of Beauty award, Quilt Visions, Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, and San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, and in 2011 will also help sponsor Sacred Threads in Washington DC, and the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, UK.

I also love to hear from other small business owners who are inspired by our business model, and have started their own charity programs, donating a percentage of sales (not profits) to those in need.

This week I will be posting more information on my blog about our partners and recipients – Mission of Love, Altrusa, Engineers Without Borders – so you can look into the eyes of some of the children who we've helped together. It truly does make a difference, and we continue to be grateful for the opportunity to help others, with your support.