Not everybody can be gifted at everything. I, for instance, am a terrible baker, a worse juggler, and downright dangerous if I try to combine the two. But people have unique talents too, and today we’re pleased to share a few organizations where crocheters and knitters of all skill levels are using their abilities to make a difference in the world.

The Warm Up America Foundation has been around for more than two decades, and helps people work together in creating afghans and clothes for people in need.  They’re involved in every stage of the process from training would-be-crocheters, to coordinating their efforts, collecting their finished products, and distributing these products to different charitable organizations, which means there are a lot of ways that kind-hearted crafters can pitch in.

More details on how groups and individuals can get involved are found here.

Nobody is ever too old to appreciate the effort that goes into a handmade gift.  That’s why Foster Care to Success, an organization that helps foster kids get the financial, emotional, and advisory help they need to attend college and transition into successful adults, started the Red Scarf project.

Each year they collect upwards of 10,000 red scarves to distribute to former foster kids away at universities or vocational schools.  You can learn more about how to help them here.

Winters in New York City can be bad.  This is doubly so if you don’t have a roof over your head or a way to come in out of the cold.  Hats For The Homeless is trying to do their part by collecting warm winter accessories to give to the less fortunate at Christmas. If you can make hats, gloves, or scarves, then Hats for the Homeless thinks you can also make a difference.

The CureCaps Hat project is a grassroots movement to fight against neurological diseases.  It starts with concerned crafters making and donating all kinds of hats, which the project then sells to raise money which is donated to leading researchers in neuroscience and neurodegenerative diseases.

They have already distributed 15,000 dollars in research grants, and are making a difference in millions of lives.  This is a great project for those who want to feel that their efforts are helping to end diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and you can learn more about it here.

Do you craft for charity? How do all of you use your talents to help out, and what do you make?