Crafting In Crisis
Think before you bust out the sewing machine.
If you’re anything like me, 2020 has made you a bundle of nerves so far. From the Australian brush fires to the coronavirus pandemic, it may seem like we can only expect short stints of relative normalcy. With global chaos such a steady undercurrent in everyday life on Planet Earth these days, it can often feel like very little is in our control.
One common thread I’ve noticed in observing the social media conversation surrounding both world events I’ve noted above is a movement among bystanders to create in the absence of comforting or even lifesaving supplies. During the peak of the Australian brush fires, this movement manifested in a gush of hand-knitted and sewn mittens for koalas, pouches for orphaned joeys and hanging bags for bats forced to flee their homes. I watched as Facebook Groups such as Rescue Craft Co. popped up, flooded with free patterns and photos from proud sewers and knitters of their care packages bound for Australia. I quickly felt myself sucked in, heartbroken by photos of marsupials with singed fur, armed with a sewing machine and ready to get to work.
This wouldn’t be my first time crafting for a charitable cause, as every winter I knit hats and scarves for local refugee service providers. However, in this case the global desire to make and send these items out to adorable creatures of the Outback overwhelmed many rescue organizations in Australia, and large numbers of them went to waste. It was only around the time I was getting ready to head to the fabric store that I stopped to ask the question:
“Is this the best way I can use my time and money to help the situation?”
After a little digging, I found that some wildlife rescues were floundering to sort through donations, and losing the bandwidth needed to attend to their patients. And I was grateful that I never went through with my crafting. But as a crafter, the sentiment of wanting to use one’s skill for good is something that resonates with me.
Now fast-forward to today, where I find myself in a similarly helpless situation, advised to stay home while my partner heads out every day to his job at a hospital where COVID-19 patients are being treated. As a member and follower of the crafting community on Instagram, I see more and more crafters sewing cloth face masks to send to first responders and hospital staff on the front lines of fighting the spread of coronavirus. This seems to me a movement borne of the same sentiment. There is a perceived need, and plenty of bystanders willing to lend their skills to help.
I admit that the lesson I learned from the Australian brush fires was at the top of my mind when I first learned that a similar movement had burgeoned around sewing cloth masks. I would be lying if I didn’t admit that my motivation to craft items to donate to worthy causes is partially a sense of self-satisfaction in my skills, although it’s mostly altruistic. This time around I wanted to be more mindful of my reason for participating in charitable crafting. And I already know that cloth face masks do little to stop the spread of coronavirus. But it would be a disservice to healthcare workers putting themselves at risk of illness to assume that this situation isn’t one without its own nuances.
Although it is true that surgical-grade masks such as the N95 respirator offer the best protection against coronavirus, there is currently a clear and documented shortage of all kinds of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the U.S., and many hospitals, government agencies, and even craft stores like JOANN Fabrics are encouraging individuals to make and donate hand-sewn masks. The CDC even approves the use of home-made masks and scarves for healthcare workers during PPE shortages. Navigating this new crisis is a lesson for me that each unique situation deserves its own consideration, rather than comparing apples to oranges and assuming the need for supplies is being overstated.
My only words of wisdom to my fellow crafters in times like these is to do your research. Ensure that there is a concrete need for handmade items before you start sending them. This may even mean reaching out to an organization personally to make sure they are still accepting donations. Keep a read on the situation as time passes, and reevaluate your contributions accordingly. Consider the possibility that a monetary donation might go further towards rectifying the problem than your crafts, even though it may hurt your ego.
Aim to be a conscious crafter, as well as a compassionate one.
