According to Anna Wu, nothing embodies the saying “It’s the thought that counts” quite like something homemade. “Homemade goods have a warmth to them,” says the Crafts for Charity club president, a CAS sophomore.
Wu grew up with a desire to create. Inspired by her mother’s sewing, she learned how to use a needle and thread at age six, eventually learning how to crochet at age 10. Later on, she put her crafting skills to use by making homemade gifts for friends and family. The Pokémon stuffed animal that she crocheted for a young cousin’s birthday gift remains one of Wu’s favorite personal projects.
It wasn’t until this year, however, that Wu had her self-described “epiphany”: she could spread the joy her homemade gifts brought to the people who need it most, like those in hospitals, elderly homes, and homeless shelters.
Inspired, Wu imagined a Crafts for Charity club here on campus. With the debut of her crocheted animals (along with adorable coin purses created from old Ramen noodle packages) at the Handmade BU craft fair, Crafts for Charity raised enough money and awareness to become an official club.
The club’s first general meeting will be held Monday, April 4 at 8 pm in GSU room 321. Wu emphasizes that the club is not only for the craft-savvy. Meetings will offer craft project tutorials, and members are welcome to take materials home to work independently.
Wu plans on collaborating with established charities like Head Huggers, a group that donates handmade hats to cancer patients, and The Toy Society, which has contributors tuck handmade toys in public locations to be stumbled upon by a lucky child.
For Wu, creating crafts allows her to be a kid again: “I regain a little bit of my imagination that you lose when you get older,” she says.
The whimsy and charm in Craft for Charity’s projects will certainly spread this sense of childlike joy to those who could most use a smile.
For more information, email: bucraftsforcharity@gmail.com