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When Ronda put out the call for squares, she had no idea how much love would come pouring in from all over the world.  In the beginning, it was manageable.  She worked from her home, had a few volunteers, and used her own vehicle to make distributions.  Things hummed along nicely.

Knit-a-Square grew.  It grew because people everywhere wanted to share their time, their talent, and their love to help ease the suffering of the millions of children in South Africa.  We have consistently sent our items to Ronda and she has consistently delivered them to the children. Thank you, Ronda!

So much KAS love arrived on Ronda's doorstep that her home could no longer hold the mountains of squares and items that kept arriving.  More volunteers were needed.  Sometimes they were found, sometimes not, but the flow to the children never stopped.  Those who were there just worked harder. 

When Ronda’s little car finally gave out under the strain of distributions, G4S stepped in with a most generous donation of a vehicle.  What a blessing that was!

Knit-a-Square has grown to such an extent because of love.  We love KAS; we love the feeling of helping the children; we love to knit and crochet and our donations are loved and appreciated beyond imagining ... both by Knit-a-Square and by the children and their care givers.

Sadly, Knit-a-Square has found itself in a very difficult situation.  Money is needed in order to keep going.  Having to rent space in order to deal with the enormous post each week is essential … but expensive.  Fuel must be put into the vehicle in order to distribute blankets to the children. There are postal costs and customs charges.  

Knit-a-Square pays gogos to sew squares together.  They receive only R10 [75 cents US; 50 pence UK] per blanket but this is amazingly empowering for the gogo groups who are otherwise marginalized in many ways.  Nobody wants to see this come to an end. 

Thank you to Helen Flagg for initiating this option to help raise funds to pay these women to sew together the 1600+ blanket packs!

Volunteers are needed to load and unload the massive post that arrives weekly.  People are needed on opening days to help open and sort the items that arrive.  Administrative assistance is urgently needed as every donation and expenditure is documented, and Knit-a-Square keeps track of everything they receive in order to let us know our parcels have arrived.

So now what?  Does Knit-a-Square ask us to stop sending and fold under the pressure?  Or do they ask for our help in any way we can give it to continue reaching out to the child who has yet to be reached? 

Knit-a-Square and its supporters are not quitters!  For the sake of the children who are unknowingly counting on us, we have decided to make you aware of our situation and ask for your help.

We know from the outpouring of love that has come in from everywhere that you have the best interest of the children at heart.  In order to keep Knit-a-Square moving to deliver all this love to the children, can you help?

If you are anywhere near Johannesburg, South Africa and have a few hours each week that you could give, please contact Ronda at 082 655 5150.

Likewise, if you are anywhere close and have strong arms, please consider calling to offer assistance.

If you are too far away but still want to help, there are a few ways you can do this:

Sew your squares together before sending.  I know we were told not to do this, but Knit-a-Square is in a situation where this task is becoming too monstrous to tackle in South Africa.  Please use the new inventory slip found in Postal Information.  Remember to mark Bona Fide Gift for Charity - No Commercial Value on your parcels.

Send a donation (one-time, weekly, monthly, or whenever you can) to help with operating costs.  

Whenever you talk about Knit-a-Square, be sure to highlight the financial need.

Nobody likes a charity that asks for donations and then skims off the top for themselves … except perhaps those doing the skimming.  You can rest assured that every penny you send to Knit-a-Square is used for expenses as shown below.  You will notice this does NOT include pay cheques for the volunteers.

Knit-a-Square has been operating on a shoestring for quite a while now, but is faltering under the weight of all your love.  The postal trouble is giving the volunteers in South Africa a much needed respite, time to catch their breath and tidy up the backlog.  However, once it is over and we are back into the swing, Knit-a-Square on behalf of the children is going to need our support, both physical and financial, more than ever before.