Change by Doing Explore the world of volunteering and service

UPDATE: Yep, folks, the comment in the discussion section is correct. The need for penguin sweaters was met. You may put down your needles…or, a quick Google search for “Knit for charity” yields tons of resources, from making blankets for newborns with HIV/AIDS to helping the homeless and comforting wounded veterans. If you’re a knitter and have already sweatered and scarved your family and friends, don’t give up the hobby…extend your reach. Here is a link to just one of many lists of organizations and initiatives looking for volunteer knitters: http://www.knitnstyle.com/knitforcharity/

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OK, it seems like a cute overload meme to brighten your first day back at work…or an Etsy promo…but this adorable call for volunteers is no joke. While the crisis has passed, awareness and action (as well as vigilance) are still, and always, required.

Skeinz yarn shop in New Zealand is hoping knitters from far and wide will keep clicking those needles to make tiny sweaters for penguins who were endangered by a devastating oil spill. Not so much to keep the little birds warm, but to help keep them from poisoning themselves when they preen and groom naturally, until they can be cleaned and rid of the oil sticking to their feathers. It’s like your dog’s veterinary “cone of shame” (Elizabethan collar) to keep it from licking injuries–but a heck of a lot more fun. There are very specific directions for knitting the sweaters: size, number of rows and stitches, finishing off the collar, etc. on their website.  If there is an overflow of goodwill knit goods, they will be used as a fundraising tool (with stuffed animal mascot penguins) to support the Penguin Rescue Fund.