Aussie Hero Quilts and Laundry Bags

Charity - Aussie Hero Quilts
Items - Quilts and Laundry Bags
Links - Facebook | Website

Aussie Hero Quilts (and Laundry Bags) is designed to encourage sewers to make quilts and laundry bags for our Aussie Servicemen and Women currently serving Overseas. We care about the person, not the politics or the mission.

Quilts If you can only make one quilt that could be the quilt that turns up somewhere when someone really needs a boost. If you are able to make complete quilts from start to finish, or if you can take a quilt top and turn it into a quilt - we need you. If you can take a set of blocks and put them together with some of your own stash to produce a quilt, we need you. For quilt specification please click HERE

Laundry Bags Our laundry bag production has taken a hit recently, two of our regular sewers are currently not able to sew for family and health reasons and that means we need you. Laundry bags are easy to make -if you have been thinking about getting involved with AHQ but don't want to quilt - then make a laundry bag, choose some bright colours from your stash and go for it. For Laundry Bag specifications please click HERE

The Australian Outback Baby Project

Charity - The Australian Outback Baby Project
Items - Handmade Toys and Baby Sets
Links - Facebook

The Project is made up of many wonderful volunteers from mostly Australia and some from around the world. We knit, sew,quilt, felt and or crochet clothes and items for donation to hospitals, Outreach clinics and remote midwives in Outback Australia and rural New South Wales as well as Careflight NSW & NT so that they can donate the gift sets to grieving families of stillborn & miscarried babies and give comfort to preemie babies whilst in hospital and their flight to hospital.

We receive no government funding help what so ever, and rely on community donations & sponsorship to create our care packs and special baby packs. At the moment what we really need is hand made (sewn, knitted, crocheted) toys please. Also baby sets in Aboriginal colours (Black, yellow, red) and Torres Strait colours (blue, green, white, black).

Cure Our Kids - The Children's Hospital at Westmead

Charity - Cure Our Kids - The Children's Hospital at Westmead

Item/s - Currently seeking small and large Drawstring Bags

Medical treatment is only half the solution when it comes to childhood cancer. Cure Our Kids is here to help children with cancer and the families who love them with the rest. Our mission has been to restore normalcy to the lives of children with cancer and the families who love them at The Children's Hospital at Westmead. Through programs that address the emotional, social and financial needs of brave young patients and their families, Cure Our Kids empowers families to cope with the many painful challenges that childhood cancer presents.

Cure Our Kids receives no government funding. Our ability to deliver vital support services to families in crisis relies entirely on the support of our generous donors and supporters.

We are currently seeking handmade donations of small drawstring bags for our Bravery Bead program and large Drawstring Library Bags for children on the oncology ward so they can borrow books from the hospital library . Donations can be sent to Cure Our Kids, PO Box 404 Westmead, N.S.W 2145. For more information visit our Facebook page and website:

Post and Antenatal Depression Association (PANDA)

Charity - Post and Antenatal Depression Association (PANDA)

Item/s - Currently seeking items to be auctioned off for charity fundraiser

Post and Antenatal Depression Association (PANDA) is committed to a community where perinatal depression and anxiety are recognised and the impact on women, men and their families are minimised through acknowledgement, support and education. Our mission is to support and inform women, men and their families who are affected by perinatal depression and anxiety; and educate health care professionals and the wider community about perinatal depression and anxiety. 

We are primarily a Helpline with little direct contact with families to forward handmade gifts. However we would be delighted to receive any handmade items to be included in a silent auction at regular fundraising events. Please send donations to: Anna Christofidis, PANDA 810 Nicholson Street, Fitzroy North VIC 3068. For more information please visit our Facebook page and website:

Pregnancy Loss Australia

Charity - Pregnancy Loss Australia

Item/s - Beanies, Booties, Blankets, Gowns and Smocks

Pregnancy Loss Australia (formerly known as Teddy Love Club) is a national support program for bereaved families who suffer the loss of their baby or babies from miscarriage, stillbirth, termination for feotal abnormality and neo natal loss through our early support program and professional support services.

We provide parents with the comfort of knowing they are not alone right from the beginning, and offer significant ongoing support and understanding to bereaved parents, their families and their friends.

The program operates in every state of Australia with the program provided to every maternity hospital across the country. We are leading the way in providing professional support, guidance and comfort to bereaved parents, their families and friends.

As part of the PLA program, we often receive items that we pass on to the hospitals to use for premmie and stillborn babies. We accept the little hats/beanies, gowns or smocks, booties and even little blankets. Any items to be donated can be sent to us at Pregnancy Loss Australia, PO Box 7176, West Lakes, SA, 5021 and we can then send them out to hospitals when we do our own allocation of resources. Our allocations are done twice a year and we send our resources to every maternity hospital in Australia. For more information visit our Facebook page or website below:

Project Respect

Charity - Project Respect
Item/s - Knitted and Crocheted Beanies for Women, Children and Babies

Project Respect's vision is for a world where women are free from trafficking, prostitution and sexual exploitation. We support women in the sex industry; through direct outreach, practical assistance, referral, ongoing emotional support, social inclusion and a sense of community.

The Project Respect team is made up of a diverse team who believe women matter and who are committed to supporting women in the sex industry. This includes women who have been, or still are involved in the sex industry holding positions throughout the organisation; from the Committee of Management, right through to volunteers. We believe this enables Project Respect to maintain the most current and extensive insight into the Australian sex industry.

If you would like to donate handmade items to assist us in our outreach, we would greatly appreciate any crocheted and knitted items for women, children and infants including blankets, memory blankets and pillows, beanies, and muslin wraps. For more information visit our Facebook page or website below:

The Salvation Army

Charity - The Salvation Army

Item/s - Handmade items to be sold or donated

The Salvation Army is about people finding freedom. We believe in freedom through community. We believe in the power of community. People loving other people, and people helping other people. Those who ‘have’ sharing generously – sacrificially – with those who don’t. People finding acceptance, encouragement, healing and support without discrimination. We believe no-one should have to ‘go it alone’.

Salvos Stores will gladly accept handmade goods, which will then be sold in store with the money raised going directly to people in need. Alternatively people can contact their local Salvation Army welfare centre if they would like their handmade goods to go directly to a person in need. We have hundreds of welfare centres throughout Australia however each welfare centre will have their own guidelines on what they can accept and what will be most useful to their clients. If you prefer this method the best thing to do is enter your suburb here: http://my.salvos.org.au/about-us/contact-us/find-the-salvos-near-you/. Under "Type" select community welfare and from there you can contact your closest welfare centre to discuss what kind of items are the most useful. For more information visit our Facebook page or website:

Canberra Hospital Foundation

Charity - Canberra Hospital Foundation

Item/s - Knitted and Crocheted Adult Beanies, Scarves, Blankets and Premature Baby Beanies and Blankets

The Canberra Hospital Foundation launched in 2011 and assists the Canberra Hospital to provide exceptional clinical care by raising funds for equipment, to support research and to enhance facilities for patient and family centered care.

Patients and their families are always grateful to receive handmade items during their stay at the Canberra Hospital. Knitted and crocheted items such as scarves, beanies, blankets, premature baby clothing are greatly appreciated. Contact the Canberra Hospital Foundation for details on how to donate. Visit our Facebook page and website below for more information.

Tea Cosy Competition for Cancer Council Victoria

Charity - Cancer Council Victoria
Item/s - Tea Cosies

Every year, almost 30,000 Victorians will be diagnosed with cancer, and 11,000 will die from cancer. The number of cases will increase as our population grows and ages. Survival will also improve as we get better at early detection and treatment of cancer.

Since their establishment in 1937, Cancer Council Victoria has developed an international reputation for our innovative work in cancer research, prevention and support. As an independent, not-for-profit organisation, the Cancer Council plays a leading role in reducing the impact of all cancers on all people.

If you’ve always wanted to make a tea cosy here’s a good reason! The aim of the competition is to raise $10,000 for the Australian Cancer Council. There is a $250 prize for the best tea cosy, as judged by our panel! Entries can be posted to ‘Tea Cosy Competition’ PO Box 109, Ringwood East Post Office, 3135.

Closing date for entries is Friday 27th June, 2014. The tea cosies will be on display and for sale at Warratina Lavender Farm from 5th-13th July, 2014. To make a donation click on the website below.

Warming Beautiful Souls

Charity - Pediatrics
Item/s - Handmade gift for children & teenagers

Warming Beautiful Souls was created to bring moments of happiness to children battling cancer, inspired by the beautiful children we met during our own daughter Maya's journey with cancer. Maya was born with Rhabdomyosarcoma and spent most of her 23 months of life in hospital receiving treatment, before finding eternal peace in November 2013.

After months of distributing hundreds of wonderful donated gifts to children fighting cancer in eight hospitals around Australia, we decided to expand our focus. On each hospital visit it tore at our hearts that so many children were suffering prolonged and repeated hospitalisation, for serious illnesses other than just cancer. A child suffering is a child suffering, despite their illness. So we have expanded our focus to include all children suffering serious illnesses.

We are pleased to announce that WBS now has wonderful people in each state/territory helping distribute the items people donate, so your gifts will go to children in your local major hospital. Warming Beautiful Souls accepts handmade gift for babies, children and teenagers including knitted, crocheted and sewn goods. For more information and a list of local distributors visit the Facebook Page

Craft4aCause - Ayla's Rainbow Foundation

Cause - Craft4aCause
Item/s - Handmade items to be sold at markets

Craft4aCause is a group of crafters who use their skills in crafts such as sewing, knitting, crochet, spinning etc to create funky projects to be sold at markets. Craft4aCause was brought about as both a creative outlet and an opportunity to financially support Ayla's Rainbow Foundation. Ayla's Rainbow Foundation has been created to raise much needed funds to assist Ayla, who has a Neuro Migrational disorder, called Polymicrogyria. All proceeds of items sold at markets help fund Ayla's ongoing therapy costs.

Polymicrogyria is a genetic condition and creates similar symptoms to a child with Cerebral Palsy. Like all therapies for children with disabilities, the therapy is a time consuming, labour intensive and expensive. For Ayla, her therapy lasts around 3 hours every day and costs approximately $28,000 per year. Due to this ongoing cost we are seeking support to help assist us with Ayla’s treatment. For more information visit the Facebook page and website via the link below.

Pillowcases for Oncology Kids

Charity - Pillowcases for Oncology Kids
Item/s - Handmade Pillowcases

Pillowcases for Oncology Kids creates and donates pillowcases to oncology kids in hospitals around Australia. Our Vision is to provide every child undergoing treatment for cancer receives a pillowcase to brighten up their room. We want to see every child smile and with all our pillowcases being made and donated with tonnes of love it is sure to put a big smile on every child's face when they receive a pillowcase from POK.

Brittany was 6 months old when she was diagnosed with a rare GERM CELL tumour, she had treatment for 3 years and was given a 0.01% survival rate. She is now a gorgeous 15 year old who still has a long way to go, but has decided to help put a smile on someone else's face by creating the foundation.

What started out as a small pillowcase drive to collect and create handmade pillowcases for oncology kids in hospital, has now escalated to something she wishes to continue 365 days a year and donate pillowcases not only to the hospital where she was treated, but hospitals around Australia.

So, if you are able to sew, why not get your creative side happening and create a pillowcase for boys and girls, young and old who are in hospital having treatment. For more information visit the Facebook Page.