Norfolk resident Joani Gramm has joined hundreds of thousands of volunteer crafters from around the world to help the animals of the bushfires in Australia.

Professional seamstress Joani Gramm of Norfolk, Virginia, has put her business on hold to dedicate her efforts to sewing for the displaced and orphaned animals of the tragic bushfires in Australia. She's diligently sewing Joey pouches, blankets, hanging pouches, 3D hanging pouches, bat wraps, flat bat wraps, liners, animal sweaters, kitten onesies, and bird and rodent nests. And she’s caught America’s eye for her generosity.      

“I NEED YOUR HELP! AUSTRALIA NEEDS OUR HELP!” Gramm posted on Facebook on January 6. 

She was called to answer the need, and on January 6, Gramm posted on her Facebook page that she was volunteering and sewing requested items for the rescued animals in Australia. As a result, she had created a Facebook fundraiser to help with shipping costs.

Donations exceeded her initial goal of $1,000 to that of $1,260 in less than three days (as of publication time). This is excellent as Gramm has pledged she will sew until she has no more fabric to sew.

"I closed the fundraiser. We met our goal and within the next week when the money is deposited I will share screen shots of exactly where that money was donated to. I'll be sewing in the meantime," Gramm recently posted on January 9.

How honest is she—being completely transparent with her donations for all to see! She's also gone above and beyond and has now volunteered to be a collection center for other local and regional crafters to help the Australian animals (please beware of scammers; Joani’s fundraiser was approved by Facebook, and she has pledged 100 percent raised will be given to this effort).

Courtesy of Joani Gramm's Facebook

Like many of us, Gramm wanted to help but don’t know how or where to start. That's when her husband introduced her to the Animal Rescue Craft Guild Group. This group has gained over 30,000 new members in the last few days, and the numbers are increasing as everyone searches for a trusted place where they can help.

On the surface, the Facebook group seems extremely reputable. They specify the items needed for the animals and also provide downloadable patterns for the crafters, and for people like me—who have no crafting skills—they provide a place to donate money to cover shipping costs. There are also other reputable organizations helping the animals of Australia, such as the Humane Society. 

Have another idea how we can all help? Please share any other methods you know of in the comments!