The Basic Charity Challenge 2012

For the 2nd year in a row, Cara Wilson from Cara Quilts has issued a challenge to the quilting community. Cara, the host of the ever-popular weekly #talknt chat on Twitter for quilters everywhere, is asking for us all to help those less fortunate in our communities and, in return, she's offering up some fantastic prizes. Here's more from Cara's post on the 2012 challenge:

In our daily lives we have a lot of things we think of as basics.

This morning you brushed your teeth with a toothbrush and tooth paste.

You used toilet paper.

Had soap to wash your hands.

Put on some deodorant.

Ran a brush through your hair.

Maybe took a shower with shampoo, conditioner, body wash and a razor.

Put some make-up on.

You were able to put on clean underwear and socks, that no one else has ever worn.

In the kitchen did you grab some paper towels to clean up a little spill?

At some point during the day you probably grabbed a coffee or tea.

Used some tissue to blow your nose. Maybe sanitized your hands after.

I could go on but you probably have the point by now. We have a LOT of things that we consider basics.

In each of our communities there are places that people don’t have the very basic things we all take for granted. Shelters -- for abused women/children, homeless, men’s missions -- exist in virtual every community. They are a necessary safety net for people in our communities who for an array of reasons need help. But these shelters are almost always in need of the basic items. Many of the people have had to leave everything behind, or don’t have anything to begin with.

So here's Cara's challenge: identify a local shelter or charitable organization in your local community. Ask them what they need. Check online -- they probably have a website and most have a list of what is needed at that particular time. Make a donation of basic goods, and upload a picture of your donation to the Flickr group. That's it! By doing so, you'll be eligible to win some great prizes from Cara's very generous sponsors, like fat quarter bundles, jelly rolls, quilting books, patterns, and more.

But the best prize of all will be knowing you made a difference.