I know knitters are caring people. I know knitters love to make things with their hands. I know knitters are some of the most generous people I have ever come across. I also know that the folks in the Philippines do not need crocheted washcloths, knitted teddy bears, or handmade afghans. They need cash.
I realize that online fiber folks are seeing a lot of pleas for disaster relief right now. People really want to help, and truly the best way is to donate to a well-known charity such as Doctors Without Borders, the Red Cross, or another reputable aid organization. These people have boots on the ground in areas hit hard by the typhoon, they know what they need, they know what people can use, and they have the organizational infrastructure in place to use your donations to assist people immediately. Shipping a giant box of baby soakers to Manila because someone in your knit group said their neighbor's nephew knows someone who was once stationed at Clark AFB is a super-bad idea and just contributes to the problems they're having right now.
If you simply MUST knit something, why not try one of the many organizations that are actually requesting donations of knitted or crocheted items? Pine Ridge Reservation, the Project Linus, and the Mother Bear Project are always looking for donations.
Take up a collection at Knit Night, sell a few items from the stash, and give the folks most affected by this disaster what they really need, not what makes you feel good. That's what altruism is, right?
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