Wool-Aid is working with the Lamia Afghan Foundation to help Afghan children in the refugee camps in Kabul, Afghanistan. The New York Times has reported that more than 20 babies and children under the age of five have died from the cold in the refugee camps. In response to those reports, Wool-Aid has partnered with the Lamia Afghan Foundation to send more than a quarter of a ton of warm, woolen clothing and blankets for these Afghan children. The shipment totaled nearly 800 items, including blankets, sweaters, vests, hats, mittens, and socks — with nearly half of it in infant and toddler sizes. Our mission is to help keep children warm, but in this situation, it is a matter of helping keep children alive.

This winter in Afghanistan has been colder than any in the last 20 years, and the children in Kabul’s refugee camps have suffered disproportionately. Wool-Aid is honored to have been able to help. A heartfelt thanks to all of those who have contributed to this effort, with special appreciation to the Lamia Afghan Foundation for transporting everything to Kabul through the Denton/USAID program. We look forward to partnering with Lamia Afghan Foundation in the future.

Wool-Aid is pleased to have been able to help three communities in Canada this fall through the Warm Hands Network: the Innu in Sheshasuit in northern Labrador, the Cree in northern Ontario, and the Inuit in Nunavut.

We received a request to provide sweaters for young people in Sheshasuit before they headed out on their ice fishing and hunting trips. In addition to 45 sweaters, were able to send 10 vests, 84 hats, 21 pairs of machine washable socks, 12 pairs of mittens, and 6 pairs of neck warmers and/or leg warmers:

We sent additional items to the Cree in northern Ontario, including items from the Baby Shower campaign that are not pictured below. All in all, we sent a total of 68 hats, 19 baby sweaters, 6 baby sweater/hat sets, 1 pair baby socks, 4 vests, and 1 machine washable blanket to the northern Ontario community.

And last, but not least — even though these items were the littlest — are the hats and mittens that were sent to Inuit Daycare Centers in Nunavut. We sent 101 hats and 86 pairs of mittens to the children from Wool-Aid:

Heartfelt thanks to all of you who made these shipments possible, whether through your lovingly knit or crocheted handiwork or your contributions toward the cost to ship them up north. You truly make a difference in the lives of many children.

Our Wool-Aid community joined together to create more beautiful blankets for afghans for Afghans — Oddball Blankets, Odd-Block Oddball Blankets, and a few by individuals — 6 warm, wool blankets in addition to the 13 blankets that were sent in February. They were delivered to the afghans for Afghans HQ in May 2011.

Thanks to all who participated in our community project, helping to bring warmth and peace to the children of Afghanistan.