There are an estimated 145 million orphans in our world. Nearly 3/5 of those orphans live in Asia. Sixty percent of the children in Chinese orphanages are children with special needs. Carin Vogelzang, founder of Margaret's Hope Chest, is on a journey to adopt one of these Asian orphans. We are working with Carin once again to spread HOPE. As you recall, way back in Project 5 we collected handmade quilts for children in Grand Rapids, Michigan with Margaret's Hope Chest.
Carin is embracing her own journey right now to adopt a sweet daughter from China.
Here's her story:
Our eyes have been opened to needs of orphans worldwide. We are excited that Craft Hope volunteers will be using their resources and time to brighten and soften the lives of 100’s of these orphans.
The first book I read after my husband and I made a commitment to adopt our daughter was ‘The House of Hope’. As I raced through the pages I learned about the work of Robin and Joyce Hill. Through this couple’s tireless efforts, the lives of 1000’s of babies with special medical needs in China have been saved. As you could imagine, it takes an army of volunteers and donations to keep these babies fed, dry and most of all, healthy. We can help by making cloth baby bibs that will be distributed among the orphanges run by the New Hope Foundation.
It’s time to pull out your favorite cloth bib pattern or we have provided a link to 52 free tutorials for cloth bibs. Bibs can be any size (ages 0-7), color or design. The only restrictions are NO LAMINATE FABRIC and no embellishments like buttons.
As soon as we saw a picture our daughter in July of 2012, worry began to mount. Was she healthy? Was she being well cared for? Was anyone loving her? Our questions were answered when we found out that an organization called International China Concern was working in our daughter’s orphanage-providing care for the children with special needs including our daughter! Actually, ICC saved our daughter’s life—a truly heartbreaking and HOPE-filled story.
Part two of Project 20 is making cloth diapers or ‘nappies’ for the babies in the ICC program in Hengyang City. Our family will have the pleasure of hand delivering these nappies this summer when we pick up our daughter! Updated 2/19/2013
This project is two fold—choose one project or both!
Both the bibs and diapers can be sent to the following address:
Craft Hope
c/o Carin Vogelzang
630 Griswold SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49507
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Deadline for the project is April 1st. Don't know how to make a bib? Click here to find tutorials. Read more about Carin's family's journey to adopt sweet Tulip and see how ICC saved Tulip's life.
Please join us for Project 20 :: Hope for China. Leave a comment on this post to join us and start crafting.
Happy Chinese New Year!
{ A huge thank you to Jhoanna Aranez for the photos!! She is an incredible illustrator, designer in the Craft Hope book, and currently resides in Hong Kong.
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Update 2/19/2013: Due to pattern problems we will only be collecting BIBS!
Wow! You ladies are just amazing! I plan on making at least one bib. Any specifications for type of closure- snap? button?
Thank you for the work you do and for the invitation you always provide for others to be if service:)
Posted by: Nikki | 02/09/2013 at 06:40 PM
So excited for the new project!! I love what you do!!
Posted by: Bon @ A Golden Afternoon | 02/09/2013 at 06:52 PM
Woo-hoo! I'll be making a pile of bibs for sure. Never tried cloth diapers. Now is a good time to try them!
Posted by: Lisa | 02/09/2013 at 07:04 PM
Terrific project! Will be happy to make and send along some bibs!
Posted by: Megan | 02/09/2013 at 07:05 PM
My church just held an adoption fundraising dinner and silent auction last night. We have several families that have recently adopted (2 from China) and several that are in the long process. We as a church are working together to assist our families. I would love to be a part of your project and will be making bibs.
Posted by: Edwina Ulmer | 02/09/2013 at 07:06 PM
I am so excited! Bibs are my go-to baby gift so I'm all over this one--I think I already have a stack of bibs that have been waiting for a good cause!
Posted by: Steph | 02/09/2013 at 07:08 PM
I would like to be part of this project. Please let us know about the bib closure requirements.
Posted by: Fitzy Fitzpatrick | 02/09/2013 at 07:32 PM
I live in Beijing and know New Hope's amazing work. Can I get a group together here and we'll just give them directly to Joyce at NHF? I'd love to send the word out in China, and wouldn't mind being the contact person. Happy Year of the Snake! 蛇年快乐！
Posted by: Anita | 02/09/2013 at 07:55 PM
Love this project, Jade! And the new site is B.A.Utiful!
Posted by: Emily G. Huntoon | 02/09/2013 at 08:08 PM
I would love to contribute! I was recently looking at my stash of fabric (much of it in childhood prints) and wondering what I was ever going to do with it all. Now I know!
Posted by: shannon b | 02/09/2013 at 08:20 PM
Count me in. I too, have a large stash of baby printed material that I was unsure of what to do with (as my kids are far from being babies). Thanks for the inspiration! :)
~Jen
P.S. I'm from the Grand Rapids area too. Small world! :)
Posted by: Jennifer Yaple | 02/09/2013 at 08:24 PM
I have a day program for Adults with special needs called Believe & Achieve and I would like to get my group involved in the project. How many bibs are they asking for?
Denise Carter
Posted by: Denise Carter | 02/09/2013 at 08:25 PM
Anita, thats a fantastic idea!! Thank you!
Posted by: Craft Hope | 02/09/2013 at 08:40 PM
Denise, we are willing to take as many bibs and cloth diapers as you can make. Carin will take as many as she can carry with her and the organizations we work with will send the rest over on container ships. Thanks for asking!
Posted by: Craft Hope | 02/09/2013 at 08:43 PM
Do the diapers and bibs have to be homemade?
Posted by: Jamie | 02/09/2013 at 08:59 PM
Jamie, yes we only donate handmade items. Thanks for asking.
Posted by: Craft Hope | 02/09/2013 at 09:02 PM
Excellent, I've put the word out on facebook, and you can also ask anyone in China, Beijing (or Asia, I guess, since the postage would be cheaper) to contact me for address details. I'll be having a group once a week from Wednesday to eat, drink and make bib together as part of our Lenten project :)
Posted by: Anita | 02/09/2013 at 09:07 PM
So happy for this simple project! Can't wait to start...
Posted by: Debbie | 02/09/2013 at 09:43 PM
I am on this for sure as this is close to my heart. Just brought home our first daughter from Jiangxi China that we are just in love with!
Posted by: Marsi | 02/09/2013 at 09:53 PM
I just made some bibs for a friend at work. I would love to contribute to this project. And good luck with the adoption!!!!!!
Posted by: Temple | 02/09/2013 at 10:01 PM
Count me in !
Posted by: Rachel | 02/10/2013 at 04:42 AM
I have 2 beautiful daughters from China. They completed our family of 7!! I would love to make some bibs and diapers. Is there a pattern for the cloth diapers?
Posted by: Lynn | 02/10/2013 at 04:51 AM
Do you have any specifics on the diapers? Any particular style, size? Do you need covers?
Posted by: Sarah | 02/10/2013 at 05:04 AM
I'm in, I'll definitely make bibs, and maybe nappies if there's a pattern available.
Posted by: Andrea | 02/10/2013 at 05:04 AM
We are homeschoolers and I have been looking for just such an opportunity to make something for others. My 9 year old son and I are going to make as many as we can churn out this next week.
Posted by: brooke | 02/10/2013 at 06:16 AM