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Charity Spotlight: Mother Bear Project

Many of our fans knit or crochet for charity year-round, but the holiday season is an especially great time to remember those less fortunate. There are so many wonderful charities which accept handmade items for donation, and we recently donated Bamboo needles & hooks to the Mother Bear Project, a non-profit dedicated to providing comfort and hope to children affected by HIV/AIDS in emerging nations.

Mother Bear Project believes that the simple act of providing comfort to a child in the form of a bear can have a very large outcome; they have been knitting together people of all generations, abilities and faiths for nearly 12 years to provide bears to children unconditionally across Africa whose lives have been affected by HIV/AIDS.  Founder Amy Berman of Minneapolis, MN recently returned from personally distributing over 2,500 bears in Botswana, Lesotho and South Africa - including the 100,000th bear! This very special bear was chosen to be the milestone bear because it was knit by an inspiring woman who just turned 100 years old.

This holiday season, they are selling handmade bear ornaments which make excellent gifts - no assembly required. The proceeds from just one bear ornament will help ship 6 regular Mother Bears to Africa! Click here to find out how you can win a bear ornament of your very own by posting your Mother Bear project photos on Instagram!


To get involved in this project, you can order a complete knitting or crochet kit (includes pattern, yarn for a bear, and crochet hook or needles) or you can simply order the knit or crochet pattern (flat or seamless) from their website, www.motherbearproject.org.

Make a bear.  Make a Difference.

GIVEAWAY
The folks at Mother Bear Project have generously donated two knitting kits to give away on our blog; to be eligible, simply leave a comment on this blog post telling us about your favorite yarn-related charity & why you'd like to knit a bear with one of these kits! Be sure to also include your Ravelry ID or email address so that we can contact you if you win. We'll randomly select two winning comments to announce on this blog on Friday, December 12. Good luck!




WINNER
Last but not least, it's time to announce the winner for our Nova Platina Interchangeable Starter Set Giveaway! Congratulations to Sleekymom; we will contact you via Ravelry to arrange for the delivery of your prize!

27 comments:

  1. I love Innocent Hats because its fun, fast and for a good cause. I'd love to knit a bear so I hope you pick me cguard (rav id)

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  2. I love to knit for the Red Scarf project for college aged foster kids. I like to knit items for people in need especially kids.

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  3. i would have to say charlottes medical center for charity I'd end up knitting these for newborns or toddlers in CMC rav ID : aubreykianna email: aubreykianna@aol.com

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  4. I knit for Project Linus. Blankets for children in tramatic situations. Love the bears. Hope to win the kit.

    deblyn153 on RAV

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  5. I have never knit anything for charity but would be nice! Love the bear!
    asteride on Ravelry

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  6. I have never knit or crocheted something for a specific charity but I have done some through my church. They collected the items and distributed them. I think the bears are a great idea and I'd love to win a kit and help.

    littlemomto2 on Ravelry

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  7. I like to knit hats for cancer patients and scarfs for domestic abuse shelters. I would love to knit a bear for my husband to keep in the patrol car to give to kids in traumatic situations.
    Girlieknitwit

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  8. My favorite is the Red Scarf Project, although I've also knit chemo caps and mittens for kids. I'd love to make one of these bears and join in support of The Mother Bear Project.

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  9. My favorite group to knit for are the people on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota--it gets very cold there so warm,wooly knits are very loved and needed. I also enjoy knitting for Stitches from the Heart and Newborns in Need. I would like to make a bear for the Mother Bear project because I would enjoy helping and making a child smile with a teddy bear of their own. Suzieknittingmama on Ravelry

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  10. I have knitted several hats for #HalosofHope but wanting to cast on another hat for my local library which is taking them up for the local homeless.

    yarning4asmile

    kimberlywo@aol.com

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  11. Mother Bear is my favorite charity! If I won I would try and entice another knitter to join the bear clan! jayellesea on Rav

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  12. I've knit hats for our local hospital and homeless shelters.
    I'd love to knit a Mother Bear.
    NanaMamah on Rav

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  13. ladygator (kcrapse@juno.com)3 December 2014 at 10:54

    I do Prayer Shawls for those in need at church. And some hats for preemies at the hospital.

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  14. I love Project Linus because it is also universally comforting like bears. It got me started as a knitter in a time I needed comforting as well.

    I'd love to do a Mother Bear and share this charity with a friend who has a non profit that also works with people affected by HIV/AIDS in South Africa.

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  15. I am already a Mother Bear knitter... they are very addictive! I am hoping to make the 100 bear club one of these days. I also like making chemo caps for a local hospice.

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  16. I love to knit for Project Linus and would enjoy the change to make bears for a while instead of blankets.

    rosebudscott1 (at) yahoo (dot) com

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  17. I knit prayer shawls. I need it for a local church that provides hats, gloves, scarves, and sweaters to the homeless. I knit hats for school children. If I won the bear kit I would be thrilled to learn how to knit the Bears and supply them to be mother bear project. Esther at sombrereptiles dot org

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    1. I apologize for voice transcription errors. I KNIT for a local church group...

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  18. My hubby and I knit hats and scarves for a local mission in the intercity.

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  19. I enjoy knitting as a hobby and plan to start knitting blankets for Project Linus, our daughter was a recipient of one of their blankets so it's close to my heart. I have wanted to get into bear making for a while now and I think this is such a great cause.

    OpheliasWings - Ravelry
    opheliaswings@yahoo.com - email

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  20. My favorite yarn related charity is The Pink Slipper Project! :) They(we) make slippers and washcloths To provide warm, handmade slippers to as many women and children who are living in shelters as we possibly can. One pair of handmade slippers will go a long way in healing a heart and warming toes. They have branched out to washcloths which is what I have done and I think there have been some pet beds/mats done as well.
    I'd love to win a Mother Bear Project kit to make a bear for a child because well I love bears and there's something about having your very own bear or little stuffed animal to hold for all kinds of reasons. It's comforting, brings warmth to the heart and when someone gives you one you feel loved. I want to send love to a child. I can't go there in person togive them a hug and this would be my way of giving a HUGE hug to a child who may really need one. :)
    Mippy/Sabrina bunnysmip (AT) gmail (DOT) com
    RAV: MippyFoofalina

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  21. I belong to a church knitting group that knit adult and baby blankets, hats, scarves, gloves, just about anything that wil help the homeless or individuals in need. This bear kit, once knitted, would give comfort to a child that might have nothing else,or one that feels lonely or just needs something to hang on to. Thanks for the chance.
    sherryglover1 on Ravelry

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  22. I've wanted to start knitting/crocheting for charity the last couple of years but haven't found one that really felt right. I do keep coming back to the Mother Bear Project - maybe I should just make one so I become addicted :) (asimplehomestd on Rav)

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  23. Wow! It definitely would be a good challenge for me to knit a teddy bear!

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  24. Karbonz are the only interchangeable a that don't unscrew on me.

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  25. The karbonz box of joy circular needles are on top of my Christmas list this year. Ravelry Id taraann7

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