The blankets and caps are all in, counted, packed up and headed to Konbit Sante, where they will begin the next leg of their journey. Soon they will be right where they belong, and where the makers of each hat intended - in the hands of the healthcare workers, and on the heads of the newborn babies in Haiti.
I'll update here as your handmade efforts make it to their final destination. And in the coming weeks, I'll share more about what's next for Mama to Mama. But in the meantime...you're probably looking for a final count!
There are 388 hats in this photograph. These are the final caps to come in the past week. Adding that to the already received hats, we have a grand total of....
5523
That's right. Five thousand, five hundred and twenty three. In addition, we collected 169 blankets to send to Konbit Sante.
In a short two months, we've opened hundreds of packages from nearly every state in the US, and over 13 countries around the world. They've come in batches of one at a time, and a hundred at a time. They've come from mamas, papas, children, grandparents, girl scout troops, schools, churches and craft groups. They've come from the most experienced of sewers, and they've come from many who used a sewing machine for the very first time to make these hats. Every single one of them is appreciated and will find their way to a baby's head who needs it.
I've been so moved by the notes that came along with some of these packages - stories of how this project briefly touched your lives, or sparked some hope for you, or prompted conversation with your children. The stories of how the hats were made - with a little one of your own on your lap; with a classroom full of children; with the grandmother who taught you to sew. And on and on. And I've wondered about the stories that weren't written down. The making, in some ways, feels just as important as the final hats themselves. I do believe that the energy and spirit in which the caps were made and sent are carried with them - a little blessing, of sorts, for the baby who will wear it. If you have a moment, I'd be grateful if you shared in the comments here a bit about what this project meant for you - big or small. (If you blogged about it, please leave us a link in the comments!) I'd love for others to hear these stories, too.
I've been so honored to receive the work of your hands and your hearts in this project. It is with great hope for the safe and healthy lives of children in Haiti that I pass your work on. And it is with deep gratitude that I thank you!
~amanda