“I’d love to help you make those 150 afghans for kids with cancer, Shelly, but I don’t crochet!” That’s a comment that I hear a lot during the Share A Square project. If you think that, I’ve got two words for you: LAMINATING POUCHES. I’m in need.
Now, I hear you thinking, “What is that crazy woman going to do … laminate an afghan?” No. I’m not as dumb as I look. I’m going to laminate the cards that go with them. Are you thinking, “Well, that’s a waste of time!”? Think again. Let me tell you why it’s important:
In a few days, my mailbox is going to explode with colorful crocheted squares from all over the world. I know that, because we have 264 eager volunteers on our Share A Square 2010 Facebook page. Each square represents at least thirty minutes of time spent by a volunteer who is sending love to a child with cancer. With each square, there will be a card with the name and location of the volunteer who made it. That card gets laminated and attached to the square so that the child who receives the afghan knows who sent him/her the love.
The last time we did this project, I made the executive decision to send our first afghan to the grandchild of one of the volunteers. She was one of the first bloggers to get on board with Share A Square, and then discovered that her own grandson faced a bone marrow transplant. She wrote to tell me that when he got the afghan, he wouldn’t take the tags off of it for days … and when he did, he shuffled through them, like a deck of cards, memorizing the names of his new-found friends.
Just you try to tell me those tags aren’t important! They deserve to be laminated.
This year, I envision giving each child a ring, or leather necklace to string the tags and keep them together. I imagine the children comparing their tags, as if they were baseball cards. I imagine a child facing a difficult procedure taking out those tags and shuffling through them … knowing that they are not alone.
In the next weeks, I’ll be needing those laminating pouches. Right now, I’m using pouches I had bought for personal use. I’m using glue stick to stabilize the tags so I can use every square inch of the sleeve … but I need more. With 12,000 squares expected, what I have won’t go far.
Can you help us make 150 children with cancer very happy? If you feel so moved, please leave a comment to tell me and I will e-mail you with details.
The Share A Square Project is an ongoing one! You can see posts about what we did in 2010-2011 at this category link. Join us at Facebook or Ravelry. We would love to have your help. Visit the FAQ for more information.
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Shelley… I shared this with my facebook contacts… Hope this generates some donations…. Wow… 120,000 labels to laminate. You are amazing… I am up to 72 squares as of last night… mailing when I get to 75. Probably on Friday.
You scared me for a minute, Alice
. I thought I had typed the number of tags wrong. It’s only 12,000. Compared with 120,000 it suddenly looks as if I don’t have much to do at all! 
Thanks for your help in spreading the word… AND for your hard work! I’ll look forward to receiving your squares soon.
Well, I can’t crochet worth a darn, or darn worth a hoot, but maybe I can help with this. Send me the details, Shelly, and I’ll see if Chris and I can lend a hand.
Hi Shelly,
I feel so moved!!
I have to help out my sister in law, Alice Sillis by doing what I can and it’s not crochet. I’ll be glad to help with the laminating pouches. Send me the info. All your lady “squares” are doing a wonderful job.
I admire all of you!
Just tell me what to do, my friend!
Still can’t crochet due to the tendonitis – so tell me what I can do to help, my friend.
love ya!
Thank you Van, Kate, Jessica, and Barbara! I knew my blogging buddies would come through. I’ll e-mail you later today … if my internet connection will just hold on. I’ve already lost it twice this morning
I would be very interested in helping.
Please send me some info!
I sent you some info via e-mail, but I never trust that it gets there. If it didn’t, leave another comment, Laurie, and I’ll post it here. Thank you so much!
I can help with the pouches. I can’t believe I haven’t heard of this before! I’m a newbie crochet-ist, but if you’ll send me the square details, too, I’ll see if I can’t produce something you can use.
I know for sure I can handle the laminating, tho. Keep up the loving work!
Stephanie, for the time being, I’m OK on the pouches. If you can make squares … or find someone else to make some … that’s what I need right now. The FAQ has the info.
Have you contacted local stores to see if they will donate some?
How are you doing on supplies?
Laurie, I contacted the Office Depot, but in this economy it is a “no-go.” At this point I might be asking for help with white or black yarn for the rimming (and some of the afghans I am crocheting together). I’ll wait until I get desperate and then make a plea. Thanks for asking, though.
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