Quilters and crafters are a giving bunch, and this tragedy in Haiti has us all wanting to do something to help. In almost all cases, sending “stuff” will not benefit the people affected by this earthquake; instead, we are encouraged to send money. So how can we put our passion for crafting to use and still contribute? Try one of the options below:
Craft Hope has organized an Etsy shop and will sell your donations, with the proceeds going to Doctors Without Borders. Check out the Craft Hope website for details, and go to the Craft Hope for Haiti Etsy store to buy something.
Jacquie at Tallgrass Prairie Studio is auctioning three Neighborhood quilts, with the proceeds being donated to the American Red Cross. She’s even going to match the donations! Check out the quilts (and bid on them!) here.
Indie Fixx is doing a silent auction of donated items over several days, and will send the proceeds to the Red Cross. They are no longer accepting donations, but you can learn more here. To bid, click the link at the right of that page – each day’s auction will have a new link.
There is a group making heart quilts for the children of Haiti. They have a person in Haiti who can distribute the quilts. Check out Hearts 4 Haiti if you’d like to participate.
Even before the earthquake, there was an organization using quilting to help the women of Haiti. The Peace Quilt Project trains and organizes women in communities around Haiti who then produce incredible art quilts for sale. The women earn a wage plus a portion of the sale price of the quilts. PeaceQuilts sells the quilts, accepts monetary donations, and accepts donations of quilting supplies. Right now they are putting together a relief/rebuilding fund, so check out the website and see how to help.
If you’d rather make a donation directly to a charity but you’re concerned about finding a reputable one that will use your money appropriately, there’s an excellent website called Charity Navigator that has a list of charities helping Haiti with an explanation of what they’re doing with the money. It also gives suggestions for how you can help. The website is a great resource for any charitable decisions, not just Haiti relief.
If you know of other craft related programs that are organizing funds to help the people of Haiti, please post them in the comments.
Piecemeal Quilts 
As millions of Americans have donated money to various charities, we quilters are some of the best long term planners I know. Why else would we accumulate fabric and have as one of our motto’s “she who dies with the most fabric win”!
Eventually, the natural disaster in Haiti will fade from headline news and the slow process of trying to rebuild a country will begin. And here, we can REALLY help.
Those who have contacts in Haiti, need to help worldwide quilters connect with those native Haitains who have the same love of quilting and want to rebuild or start a quilt shop. Then we, outsider quilters can do some spring cleaning of our individual statches and send fabric directly to those women / men who can start their own small business.