13 Donation Items for Women’s Shelters

The recent #MeToo viral post spreading throughout social media is a simple way for people to come forward and announce they survived sexual harassment or abuse. Stating publicly you are a victim of abuse of any kind takes courage. Facing our society’s judgement of victims of abuse takes courage, too. You never know all the different ways you impact others lives. And with the simple act of publicly saying you are a survivor, another person might just have the courage to transform from a victim to a survivor. Any time we bring light to dark secrets that are often swept under the rug, we empower people. Any time we let victims know they are not alone, we empower people. And one of the most therapeutic acts of healing is the ability to help someone else.

You may already know that with Project Kristin Cares, we donate a portion of every sale from the Kristin Omdahl brand, to help survivors of domestic violence. We donate to women’s shelters, and  directly help individual survivors when we can. If you know a shelter you would like us to help, please encourage them to apply here: Project Kristin Cares. On that page, there is also an extensive list of shelters, in case you or someone you love needs to find help.

If you’re looking for ideas on how to help those in need, here are 13 items to consider donating to a local women’s shelter:

1. Bras and sports bras

2. Underwear

3. Socks

4. Toiletries (deodorant, soap, shampoo, pony tail holders, hair brushes, etc.)

5. Pads and tampons

6. Pajamas

7. Diapers and wipes

8. Cosmetics and nail polish – these items can help some women feel more confident for job interviews, or in general

9. Bus passes and gas cards

10. Pre-paid cell phones for emergency calls and job interview call backs

11. Wrapture all natural delicate wash for hand washing your clothes on the go. We love to donate the single use pods.

12. Coloring books, crayons, books and small toys to quietly entertain children

13. Journals for writing. Writing is so therapeutic all the time, let along during trying times of our lives.

Thrift stores are a great source for searching for many items to donate. Clearance sections of most stores are a great resource, too. You wouldn’t believe how often I find bras for $1 when I’m not looking for a specific size!

Shop Kristin Omdahl Yarns HERE

Shop Kristin Omdahl Crochet Patterns HERE

Shop Kristin Omdahl Knitting Patterns HERE

I would love to see your creations. Just as much fun as making these myself is the satisfaction I get from seeing my designs come to life and other crochet fans wearing them too. There are now 2 ways you can share what you have done!

• Share yours by joining  Create. Share. Inspire on Facebook where you can interact with me as well as many other members who have a love of knitting and crochet just like you! It is a wonderful and safe place to share your photos of finished projects in my knitting or crochet patterns or yarns, and to see what others are making, too.
• I have recently added a wonderful new interactive section to the website which I invite you to take part in, it has been a smashing success and such fun so far. It is the new “Share Your Project” section. You, my creators, can upload images and descriptions of your creations to share with the ever growing community! To upload simply click here. 

Additionally, I host a livestreaming podcast weekday on my YouTube Channel called Create Share Inspire Podcast. You can join the audience and even ask me questions LIVE! I often do a show and tell, or quick demo and I always interact with the live audience. It is a lot of fun!

You can browse through over 800 previously recorded episodes HERE: Create Share Inspire Podcast Playlist . Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube Channel to get reminders when the next episode airs LIVE.

I look forward to seeing what you create!

xoxo,
Kristin