I learned to sew and quilt as an adult. I watched You Tube videos, joined Instagram, participated in a few quilt-alongs, and attended my local guild despite being the youngest person in the room and needing a babysitter to help me get out of the house. Immediately, I found a sense of belonging and community. I have built my stash with the help of many friends, have swapped my creations with complete strangers, and mailed packages to people I know I’ll never meet in person. As technology and resources bring us together, I also felt the push to share beyond the quilting community. Hands-down the most rewarding connection I’ve made is finding outlets for donation. And, quilters are amazingly generous people! Without much fanfare, I see quilts donated immediately following disasters and grieving families. A call for blocks or supplies doesn’t take long to be answered!

Today I want to share links to some ongoing, organized ways to get involved. I’m based in the USA so most of these will be US-based as well. But, make sure to look around your local area for more opportunities! Also, be sure to carefully read each organization’s requirements before diving in.