Knit a Square is planning its first ever mass distribution of blankets on April 6 this year.  You may have read about this in Leanne's Blog That Warm Fuzzy Feeling.  We want to give you some more information about this endeavor and have a discussion page dedicated to photos and updates.

Each bag is packed with ten blankets and these are ready to be picked up.

   The distribution is scheduled to take place on April 6, and Tracy Timberlake is organizing the event through her home church.  KAS volunteers will be involved and will assist as needed.

   The children who are to receive the blankets will come from informal settlements spread over a large area northwest of Johannesburg.  Here there are smallholdings, lots of plots and many farm-working families that live in informal groups.  Wendy and Ronda went to Kromdraai with Pastor Willem in 2012. This is one location from that area.  Ronda says she and Wendy were horrified at the living condition and the social degradation of the area.

  

  1. Our KAS Barn is located in Randburg, our post office is in Bryanston.    
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  3.    Every weekend there are 950 children who walk, presumably with adults, up to 12 kilometers (about 7.5 miles) on Saturday to collect their weekly "ration" of food.  The man who set this up originally is currently having chemo treatments, so area churches have stepped in to help with the process.  Tracy's church is one of those organization.  The small idea of feeding a few has snowballed into a very large job.  Our KAS blankets and the food rations will be handed out by many helpers.

   Knit a Square is also providing a beanie and pair of hand-warmers with every blanket. Tracey's church members will be rolling these into the blankets before distribution.

   Tracey will pick up the first 500 blankets on February 19.

   What can those of us around the world do to help with this effort?  Well, our shelves will be empty and our supplies of beanies and hand-warmers will be  diminished. Those will need to be replenished before the cooler temperatures of fall and the cold temperatures of winter arrive.  KAS's distributions start in late April.

   KAS is hoping that with a distribution of 950-1000 blankets at one time, we will be able to save money on fuel, and still reach as many children as possible in need of being wrapped in warmth. (The average price of gasoline/liter in South Africa for the last three months has been 15.16 rand.  This equals 1.11USD/liter, or for those of you in the USA $4.21/gallon.)

   Please keep checking here for updates and photos from this event.

   As always, we thank every one of you for your continued support.

 

 

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  • Wonderful news of this outreach. 

  • On Saturday April 6, even with rainy weather and a low turnout of children, our Mass Distribution of Blankets was a huge success.  Many thanks to Tracy, her family, friends and church for taking on the task and caring for so many children in South Africa.

    1800190281?profile=RESIZE_710x1800200836?profile=RESIZE_710xEight Hundred blankets in the trailer.  There were a total of 950 blankets available for distribution.

    1800229793?profile=RESIZE_710x

    Fun times before the distributions begin.

    1800261479?profile=RESIZE_710x1800276797?profile=RESIZE_710xTracy and Cael Timberlake enjoy time with the children.

    1800312121?profile=RESIZE_710xOur team: Nani, Mable (and her children) and Wandi from Knit a Square,  Simphewe Ntshalintshal

    from our youth group, Maryam from SBC, and the Timberlake Tribe (which includes Michael).

    1800347027?profile=RESIZE_710x1800356873?profile=RESIZE_710x1800381096?profile=RESIZE_710xLet the distributions begin.

    There were fewer children than expected. The rain kept some away, violence in a nearby area kept others away. Wandi (Knit a Square volunteer and board member) proposed we give each child two blankets. The guys did a quick count, the numbers worked out.
    We were thankful. Even 50 more children would have meant we couldn’t hand out two blanket packs each, and we would have had hundreds left over. But everything worked out so well!

    1800435651?profile=RESIZE_710x1800442278?profile=RESIZE_710x1800450697?profile=RESIZE_710x1800460611?profile=RESIZE_710x1800470301?profile=RESIZE_710x1800477966?profile=RESIZE_710x1800484935?profile=RESIZE_710x1800496263?profile=RESIZE_710x1800506814?profile=RESIZE_710x1800517316?profile=RESIZE_710x1800526171?profile=RESIZE_710x1800532916?profile=RESIZE_710x1800541453?profile=RESIZE_710x1800551546?profile=RESIZE_710xTracy has her arms full of warmth.

    1800573716?profile=RESIZE_710xTracy's daughter is so excited to help.

    1800589091?profile=RESIZE_710x

    1800632702?profile=RESIZE_710x

    Wandi in her happy place: wrapping warmth around children!

    1800619775?profile=RESIZE_710x

    Everyone had such a good day.

    1800653604?profile=RESIZE_710xRemember some of these families walked up to 12 km to attends this distribution.

    Thank you to all those involved in this incredible event.

    • Wonderful photos!  Big thanks to everyone who made this event such a success. It's quite possible the double blankets mean some children will give one to an impoverished friend or their old Go-Go who is cold or to a brother or sister.  I hope we get a chance to do this again some time, perhaps somewhere else.  Love the photos!

      • I understand that this is a rural area? or a very isolated hamlet - it strikes me that it means KAS is getting to hard to reach kids by doing this which is very worth while.

    • What a wonderful day. It's a pity that some of the children couldn'tmake it. Those that did will be a little warmer this winter.

    • A BIG success !! Congratulations to you ALL!!!

      • you can see by the jackets that grown ups are wearing that the tempratures are dropping already. I think it was a great idea to give each kid 2 blankets as we now know the children behind will be warm too.

        • Sad that there were some unable to make it....but a HUGE thank you to everyone who made this a success.......from our crafters around the world, to Team SA, to the Gogos and the fantastic, very pregnant, Tracy and her family, friends and church.

          What a wonderful, wonderful effort.....and hopefully one day it may happen again.  :))

          Thank you so much, Amy, for sharing this event.  :))

  • I do hope this goes / has gone really well.  Sorry, I am not sure if you are ahead or behind our time zone!

  • Many blessing to everyone !! 

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