Since its inception in 2004 as the Shanghai Patchwork and Knitting Guild, the Shanghai Guild has sought to assist those in need both within Shanghai and in the provinces beyond. The Guild has formed a series of relationships with local charities in an effort to assist them in the valuable work they do. Below is a brief description of the groups we assist and the ways in which we do so:

The Josephine Charles Foundation. Much of the Guild's output goes to support the work of the Josephine Charles Foundation. This organization, which operates in the Liangshan in Sichuan Province, helps to educate the children of the Yi minority group through construction of facilities and scholarship aid, especially to orphan or abandoned girls. We provide them sweaters and blankets and, through the proceeds from the sale of our goods, direct donations of money. See Kathy's account of her visit to the Foundation in April 2009 here.

Heart to Heart Shanghai. Heart to Heart helps up to 100 children per year while they are in hospital in Shanghai for heart surgery. Volunteers visit them, supply clothing, toys, and toiletries to the children and their families, and raise funds to pay for surgery. Executive Director Christine Cullen writes "we now do at least 4 field-trips per year out to the provinces to meet up with our sponsored children in their villages where we hand out clothes to those in need. Winter is especially harsh on these children and all of their family and village members as they live in extremely basic dwellings with little if any heat... and so knitted sweaters, beanies, gloves and scarves are always gratefully received! We would be most grateful if the Knitting Guild could continue to donate some of your wonderful hand knits to these children through Heart To Heart!" The Guild is delighted to send along hats, scarves, sweaters and toiletries and gently used clothes and toys. In addition, our members have been asked to design outfits and accessories for the bears that Heart to Heart sells to raise funds. (The basic bear cardigan pattern is posted on this site under Patterns.) Anyone who would like to try a hand at design may feel free to come pick up a bear. Several of the Guild's members have also gone on field trips with Heart to Heart. See Kathy's blog posts about her visit with Heart to Heart to villages in the Wu Yuan area in spring 2010 beginning here.

Shanghai Charity Foundation. The Guild has formed a close relationship with the Shanghai Charity Foundation and members are regularly involved in their visiting and fund-raising activities. Members of the Shanghai Charity Foundation regularly come to Guild meetings and share skills and good cheer with our members. The Guild is an enthusiastic fund-raiser for various Charity Foundation initiatives, including campaigns to provide hand-knit sweaters to disabled children and to children who were victims of the May 2008 earthquake in Sichuan Province. In the past, members have had a particular interest in helping Shanghai's elderly population by means of visits and making scarves and other warm items for them.

The Giving Tree. A joint program among Community Center Shanghai, the Shanghai Charity Foundation and other agencies, the Giving Tree invites donors to fill gift bags with clothes, school supplies, and toys for distribution to needy children at Chinese New Year. The program has grown in a few short years from 1000 gift bags to a goal of more than 10,000 each year. The Guild has supplied many scarves and other items for the bags, and our members have served as coordinators and donors alike.

Second Chance Animal Aid Shanghai. This group seeks to assist the companion animal population of Shanghai by linking abandoned cats and dogs with foster and adoptive parents. In the past, the Guild has produced cat and dog quilts and dog sweaters for sale to animal lovers, with the proceeds of sale going to SCAA. In 2010, as in past years, we will donate a beautiful blanket for auction at SCAA's gala benefit.

Charity Carnival 2009. Continuing our tradition, the Guild donated a gorgeous knitted blanket to the Charity Carnival auction for the benefit of children with congenital heart defects as they obtain surgery.

Mifan Mamas. This organization's mission is to meet the most basic needs -- food and clothing (hence the name "mifan," which means rice in Chinese) -- to the approximately 200 children in an orphanage in Anhui Province. Very many of these children have special needs, and their living conditions are extremely difficult. In the summer of 2010, we emptied our coffers to pay for emergency heart surgery for one of these children. We continue to supply Mifan Mamas with knitted socks, gloves, sweaters and other items, as well as occasional food donations from our members.

If you would like to suggest a group in China whom you think we could help, please contact the Guild here!