Best-selling author and our long-time ambassador Debbie Macomber has a project close to her heart. Hear more from her about it and how it will bless others this holiday season.
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2020 has been a hard year for so many. It feels like now, more than ever, it’s a moment to be a blessing to others. I’ve been working with World Vision for years — traveling around the world to see their life-changing work and bringing together knitters through the Knit for Kids program, where people all over the country use their knitting needles to provide handmade items and give hope and warmth to vulnerable children.
Now, I’m excited to bring our crafting community together for a project helping families right here in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. With many schools closed, some children don’t get enough food, as they rely on meal programs through their school. With many parents losing their jobs, they’re struggling to provide for their children. World Vision is working with churches and schools to provide Family Emergency Kits to hundreds of thousands of families in need. These kits contain food and hygiene supplies for a family of five for one week to help fill a small part of a family’s need.
But during distributions, World Vision noticed families showing up with makeshift masks — some even wearing plastic bags. These makeshift masks don’t provide the same kind of protection as a cloth mask would, and many families are needing masks to attend church, school, work, or even the grocery store.
That’s where crafters come in. I love what I see in the craft community. They’re generous, and their handmade items are a tangible gift of love. Over the last few months, we’ve seen crafters sharing their hearts by making masks and donating through Facebook groups and within their local community. With World Vision’s need for masks, this is an opportunity to help someone beyond your neighborhood. This Thanksgiving and Christmas season, let’s do something for someone we don’t know and share God’s love. You’ll never know the extent of the blessing you’re bringing to others.
If you want to help, here’s how you can join me:
- Find a pattern. You can find free patterns available here and here.
- Choose which size you want to make. World Vision can use both child and adult sizes.
- Make your masks. Or if you don’t have time to make them, you can always buy new, unused masks to donate as well.
- Once you have your masks, mail them in.
If you live west of the Mississippi River, send your masks to my headquarters at:
Debbie Macomber Headquarters
1140 Bethel Ave., Suite 201
Port Orchard, WA 98366
If you live east of the Mississippi River, send your masks to World Vision’s Pittsburgh warehouse:
World Vision
210 Overlook Dr.
Sewickley, PA 15143
