The Afghans for Angel Project--History

The AFA Project was founded by Nala Johnson Burroughs in 2001, when she was 6 years old. It served as a way for her to work through her feelings of frustration and helplessness when her schoolmate, Angel, was diagnosed with cancer. In developing the project Nala has discovered: Anyone CAN make a difference--as long as they try; and together we achieve more than we can on our own.

Her parents, CJ and Blair, support her in her efforts, as well as hundreds of individual craftspersons from around the world. Donors are men, women, children; blind and sighted; hearing and deaf; wealthy and poor; beginners and experts. Some donate materials, others time, and some provide financial support for postage, website hosting, and other operating expenses. Each individual contribution is valuable, as The Project is only made possible by the continued support of donors and sponsors.

Over the years, The AFA Project has sent about 50 afghans to kids — usually requested by a close friend or family member. But we don’t just send blankets to kids, we’ve sent a couple to adults with illnesses as well (if we have something appropriate.) Additionally, at Nala’s urging, the scope of the project has expanded over the years to include: making requests for donations of preemie booties, hats & blankets for several neo-natal intensive care units (in honor of my friend Tracey who lost her twin boys when they were born 18 wks premature); scarves, hats, and mittens for a Ukrainian orphanage in Smalia; and a re-gifting program where people could dispose of unwanted yarn and we would re-gift it (often annon) to area education and community service organizations, and skills-training programs for underserved demographic groups. Squares that we can’t use for comfortghans (the name we gave to blankets for cancer kids) are joined together and made into tiny little blankets that we donate to animal shelters and humane societies. Our four legged friends get cold in the winter too, and often the animal shelters keep the kennel rooms colder than is comfortable to keep costs down. Even short lengths, which would be unusable in blankets have a home in preschools and elementary school art rooms, boys and girls clubs, and after school programs in underserved and poor communities—where they are made into hair for self portraits or a myriad of other projects.  Odds and ends balls of yarn can be used for lots of crafts and such—and struggling arts teachers often welcomed our gifts. We’ve sent yarn donations to native American reservations for use in their craft projects they use to help them support themselves, and we’ve encouraged people to make and donate cancer caps for kids who’ve lost their hair.

Participation in this project has helped to teach Nala about the importance of philanthropy— it has shown both of us that everyone, with no regard to age, ability, finances, or geographic location, has the power to make a significant difference. Her small idea has grown beyond any vision I ever had for it. The AFA Project has been honored with donations and from all over the U.S., Canada, Mexico, England, Ireland, France. Our donors are men, women, children; blind and sighted (yes, there are blind crocheters); hearing and deaf, wealthy and poor; beginners and experts; and every one of them, from near and abroad, has poured their best wishes, paryers, and heart into every stitch.  One lady named Pirjo from Finland, sent us knitted squares in lots of different sizes and shapes. (I’m still working on that blanket, which I’ve called Pirjo’s patchwork. ) We never turned away a donation, no matter how oddly shaped or strangely colored— if we couldn’t use it for a blanket, we found another use for it.