Happy Monday dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! We’ve got the first Stand Downs of 2024 right around the corner! We are hard at work collecting donations for these Stand Downs and also have our heads down crafting goods of our own at our HQ! If you are interested in crafting gifts for T.H.R.I.V.E. Association, please take the following to heart:
When you donate your handcrafted gifts to T.H.R.I.V.E. Association for us to disseminate at VA Stand Downs, the veterans and their dependents are ultimately the ones who chose what they will accept from our booth. Please understand that we are not trying to be persnickety or impose arbitrary rules. Over the years, we have witnessed numerous instances at Stand Downs where veterans would rather leave empty handed (in freezing temperatures no less) than accept garments that they deemed were undignified. This is always so heartbreaking! Therefore, it is essential to always keep the recipient of every handcrafted gift in mind.
As crafters, it is sometimes tempting to use flashy colored yarns/textiles, color work, and fancy stitches in our crafted goods. However, these qualities are by and large not desired by the community that we serve. These proud individuals tend to prefer darker colors and straight-to-the-point garments. We want to provide them with what they need. If you have your heart set on practicing your color work, then sports team colors are always a fan favorite. However, the vast majority want either straight camouflage or solid blacks, blues, greens, grays, dark reds, and royal purples. Happy crafting!