A few weeks ago April Wilkerson over at the Wilker Do's Blog brought attention of a good cause in need of some help to the woodworking community. After reading her
Blog and watching her
video she made I decided that I too would dedicate some of my time and material also. The
Garden of Innocence is a non-profit organization that provides dignified burials for abandoned children. They are asking for woodworkers to donate small wooden urns or caskets. I never like to get into the politics and drama that greedy people have turned the whole idea of providing a donation into. Some "non-profit" organizations have board presidents that earn six figures incomes but are always asking us to help. Even this organization was questioned in the news about using the word "abandoned" in their mission statement. But that is how the organization started. They just have expanded since then to include the remains of miscarriages and still births. The first time I ever saw my Dad cry was when my Mom had a still birth. My parents had a service and a burial for that small baby that never even had a chance at life. So I really don't care about the drama and politics. My shop was going to work.
The Garden of Innocence has plans on their website for both urns and caskets. Since most of the remains are cremated they are in greater need of urns. I picked out some pine and poplar boards I had on the rack for the two urns I was going to make. They mention on their website that they make theirs out of Pine but I think they open to any type of wood. Since April first posted her Blog and Video about this I have seen quite a few woodworker post about the donation they made.
The construction is pretty straight forward in the plans. The base is screwed to the body from underneath. I finished mine with a couple coats of wipe on poly.
With them finished I boxed them up and today I will take them to the post office to mail. Here is the address if you decide you'd like to help out also.
It renews some faith in the human race when I see that there are still people can take some of their time and talents and put them to a good cause. Not saying that there is anything wrong with donating money to a cause (even I accept cash), but like I said earlier I don't feel like padding someones six figure salary. So unless I know my money actually is going to the cause I'll find another way to help. After all, I remember a certain female actress who raises money for starving children but looks borderline obese... there is just something wrong about that. If your still reading at this point let me say that this post is in no way intended to tug at any heart strings and to get you to do anything you don't want to do. I just wanted to share. Thanks for stopping by and feel free to leave a comment.
