Prime Publishing LLC

Prime Publishing Hosts Sixth Annual Shawls for Charity Drive

Northbrook, IL – AllFreeCrochet and AllFreeKnitting proudly partnered with Rush University Medical Center and JourneyCare Hospice during November 2022 for the sixth annual Shawls for Charity Drive. With the help of our generous readers, we collected approximately 200 handmade knit and crochet shawls for those in need.

The shawls were donated to families on JourneyCare’s inpatient hospice unit in Chicago, IL. JourneyCare also partners with local hospitals such as Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL, Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, IL, and more.

“Our patients, families and we greatly appreciate them. At times, there are no appropriate or adequate words one can say…and the prayer shawls speak volumes as evidenced by the smiles, tears, and snuggles,” says Timothy Lankford, MAPS, BCC, JourneyCare Chaplain.

“Hundreds of our patients will be comforted by these lovingly made gifts!,” says Katie Kirby, Volunteer Services Coordinator at JourneyCare.

To learn more about JourneyCare, and the impact the donations have on their recipients, be sure to check out our insightful and inspiring interview with Timothy Lankford, MAPS, BCC, JourneyCare Chaplain.

For free shawl patterns and inspiration, visit AllFreeCrochet.com and AllFreeKnitting.com.

Learn more about JourneyCare here.

Prime Publishing Raises Money for UNICEF

Northbrook, IL – From February 20-February 27, 2023, Prime Publishing raised money for UNICEF through its quarterly Clicks for a Cause program.

UNICEF has a presence in over 190 countries and territories, working to ensure that every child is healthy, educated, protected, and respected. They are currently on the ground responding to the needs of thousands of families and children impacted by the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria on February 6th. UNICEF health and nutrition teams are providing urgently needed care for children via their mobile clinics.

We shared popular charity-themed DIYs and comforting recipes with our readers to help raise awareness for UNICEF’s mission. Featured craft tutorials included this Spread the Love Granny Square, a Comforting Hug Prayer Shawl, and a Beautiful Butterfly Quilt Pattern. Featured recipes included this Classic Baklava, a Turkish Eggs Breakfast, and Turkish Tahini Sweet Rolls.

Learn more about UNICEF here and how you can help.

Learn more about Prime Publishing’s Clicks for a Cause program here.

Prime Publishing Hosts Annual Shawl Drive for Charity

Northbrook, IL —  AllFreeCrochet and AllFreeKnitting are proudly partnering with Rush University Medical Center and JourneyCare during November 2022 for the Shawls for Charity Drive . Together, with the help of our readers, we are collecting homemade knit and crochet shawls for those in need now through November 30, 2022. 

This is our sixth year running this shawl drive on behalf of JourneyCare. The shawls will be donated to families on JourneyCare’s inpatient Chicago hospice unit. JourneyCare partners with local organizations including Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Ill., Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, Ill, and more. 

“We received more than 200 shawl donations during our last shawl drive,” says Jenny Bowden, managing editor at Prime Publishing. “I am always blown away by the support, kindness, and compassion of our readers. We can’t wait to see how many donations are received this year!” 

“The prayer shawls are appreciated every day by our patients,” says Timothy Lankford, Chaplain at JourneyCare. 

For free shawl patterns and inspirations, visit AllFreeCrochet.com and AllFreeKnitting.com. 

The Shawls for Charity Drive runs November 1 through November 30, 2022. To learn more about how to donate, visit us here. 

Learn more about JourneyCare here. 

Prime Publishing Raises Money for World Central Kitchen

Northbrook, IL – From March 21-March 28, 2022, Prime Publishing raised money for the World Central Kitchen through its quarterly Clicks for a Cause program.  

WCK is first to the frontlines, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. During March 2022, WCK served thousands of fresh meals to Ukrainian families fleeing home as well as those who remain in the country. We are proud to have supported their efforts at this time.

We shared Ukrainian-themed DIYs and popular Ukrainian recipes with our readers to help raise awareness and celebrate our friends in Ukraine. Featured recipes and tutorials included this Ukrainian Borscht recipe (the national dish of Ukraine), Peace for Ukraine Sunflower Quilt Pattern, and the Crochet Ukrainian Heart Pattern. 

Learn more about the World Central Kitchen here and how you can help.

Learn more about Prime Publishing’s Clicks for a Cause program here. 

Prime Publishing Celebrates American Heart Month

Northbrook, IL – From February 21-February 28, 2022, Prime Publishing raised money for the American Heart Association through its quarterly Clicks for a Cause program.  

Heart disease is the most common cause of death in the U.S. for both men and women, and February is American Heart Month. In support of American Heart Month, the Clicks for a Cause effort benefited the American Heart Association, which builds public awareness, improves healthy behavior habits, and ensures research is inclusive for heart disease and stroke.

We shared heart-healthy recipes and red DIY projects with our readers to celebrate American Heart Month, such as the Red Knit Cowl pattern, Heart Healthy Chili, and more. 

Learn more about the American Heart Association here and how you can donate.

Learn more about Prime Publishing’s Clicks for a Cause program here. 

Prime Publishing Hosts Cards for Veterans Charity Drive

Northbrook, IL – From October 11 through November 30, 2020, Prime Publishing is hosting a Card Drive for Veterans through its website FaveCrafts.com. Prime has partnered with Help Heal Veterans, an organization that provides free therapeutic arts and crafts kits to hospitalized and homebound veterans.

Readers are encouraged to send a card — homemade or manufactured– to a recovering veteran or military member. The cards will then be added to a Therapeutic Craft Kit assembled by our friends at Help Heal Veterans. These craft kits help injured and recuperating veterans improve fine motor skills, cognitive functioning, manage stress and substance abuse, cope with symptoms of PTSD and TBI, while also improving their sense of self-esteem and overall physical and mental health.

The design and message of the cards donated are up to you. For card tutorials and inspiration, check out our collection of Handmade Cards for Every Occasion.

Learn more about how you can donate to our Cards for Veterans Charity Drive here.

Learn more about how you can support our friends at Help Heal Veterans here.

Prime Publishing Participates in Letters to Santa Program

In December 2018, Prime Publishing participated in the annual Chicago Sun-Times’ Letters to Santa program, which collects toys for under-served children around the Chicagoland area. Each year, thousands of elementary and daycare students from all religious backgrounds write letters to Santa, asking the jolly old elf for Christmas presents. And each year, the Sun-Times reviews those letters and sends them to individuals and companies that sign up to act as “elves” to help fulfill the children’s wishes. The Sun-Times sent Prime 15 letters from a daycare located in Garfield Park, an under-served community on Chicago’s west side, and Prime employees got busy buying toys for the children. The Prime Christmas tree certainly looked very festive once everyone nestled their wrapped gifts beneath its boughs!

“It’s such a happy sight!” Jaji Hammer, Editor, said upon seeing all the presents piled high. As she examined the beautiful wrapping, she remarked, “Everyone wrote their kids the sweetest, encouraging letters from ‘Santa’!”

Many at Prime also donated money directly to the Sun-Times’ Empty Stocking Fund which uses the funds to purchase gifts where needed.

“I am so grateful for your partnership and support,” said Nykia Wright, Interim CEO of the Chicago Sun-Times, and Trustee of the Chicago Sun-Times Charity Trust. “Because of your generosity, we were able to give a gift to every single child who wrote a note to Santa this year.”

Together with thousands of other generous individual participants and companies around Chicago, Prime employees helped make 11,596 wishes come true!

Prime Publishing plans to make this charity event a yearly endeavor so we can help even more deserving children next Christmas!

Interested in participating in the Letters to Santa program? Click here for more information.

Prime Publishing Hosts Fourth Annual Prayer Shawls for Charity Drive

Northbrook, IL — AllFreeCrochet and AllFreeKnitting proudly partnered with Rush University Medical Center’s Prayer Shawls at Rush initiative during the months of October and November 2018 for our fourth annual Prayer Shawls for Charity Drive.

 “There’s more to the prayer shawl than meets the eye – besides just keeping you warm, prayer shawls provide comfort during challenging times. For a patient receiving a shawl, knowing that someone out there took the time to hand make the garment means so much. Knowing that there are others out there invested in what they’re going through, it makes a difference,” said editor Julia Wiatr.

This year, hundreds of knitters and crocheters from around the world sent in shawls to donate to this charity along with personal notes to the patient who received the shawl.

The charity drive, in its fourth year, collected 503 completed knit and crochet shawls that will be shared with local hospice patients. For more information on Rush’s Prayer Shawls at Rush initiative, and to learn how you can make a difference, please check out Rush’s page here.

Prime Publishing Hosts Food Drive with Greater Chicago Food Depository

Northbrook, IL – From November 12^th to November 16^th, Prime Publishing hosted its second annual Thanksgiving Food Drive. The company-wide food drive, in which employees were encouraged to bring non-perishable food items into the office or donate money online, was hosted in partnership with the Greater Chicago Food Depository, a food bank which provides nourishment to the people of Cook County, IL. With Thanksgiving occurring the following week, it was an appropriate time to give back to the local community and help those less fortunate.

During the week-long event, each of Prime’s 50+ employees were divided into four teams that competed to see who could donate the most food items and money. For every dollar donated online, a team received three “meals,” or points. For ever food item donated, a team received five “meals,” or points. The competition provided a fun way to inspire and encourage employees to donate as much as they were willing!

All food donations were dropped off at the Northfield Township Food Pantry in Glenview, IL, a local partner agency of the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

This year’s Thanksgiving Food Drive was a huge success! In total, Prime employees collected 304 food items and raised $1,000.97 – far surpassing our goal of collecting 150 food items and raising $800. Employees are already looking forward to the opportunity to serve members of our community during next year’s food drive with the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

Interested in hosting a food drive with the Greater Chicago Food Depository? Click here to learn more

Prime Publishing Packs Meals at Feed My Starving Children

Northbrook, IL – On October 9th, 16 Prime Publishing employees volunteered at Feed My Starving Children in Libertyville, IL, packing over 20,000 meals for children living in Haiti. Our combined efforts filled 93 boxes and will feed 55 children for a year.

Founded in 1987, Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) is a non-profit Christian organization wherein children and adults hand-pack meals specifically formulated for malnourished children living in 70 countries around the world. The meals are used in schools, orphanages, clinics, and feeding programs to break the cycle of poverty.

FMSC’s meals are a dry mix of varying ingredients that can include potato, soy, rice, vegetables, and vitamin and mineral vegetarian chicken flavoring mix. To pack a meal, a team of five fills and seals a bag assembly-line style.

Jessica Thelander, Premium Content and Book Editor, said “This was my first time volunteering at Feed My Starving Children, and it was such an eye-opening experience. When you’re privileged enough to live five minutes away from the grocery store with its endless array of cereals and fruits and pre-packaged meals, it’s easy to forget or turn a blind eye to the masses of people who consider themselves lucky to get one solid meal a day. It was humbling and gratifying to have the chance to give back and help out those who need it the most.”

Dana Byerwalter, Senior Content Editor, said “This was my third time doing Feed My Starving Children and it was a wonderful experience as always! Every time I volunteer there, I wonder why I don’t do it more often. It’s a lot of fun and a great way to make a big impact with just a couple hours of your time.”

Kristin Anderson, Senior Content Editor, said “This was my second time volunteering at FMSC, and I will definitely do it again. The staff there do a great job of explaining why the work is important, plus they know how to make the session fun. It was also a great team building activity!”

After the event, Dana McCarthy, staff member at Feed My Starving Children, expressed her appreciation for Prime Publishing’s efforts by saying “…your group [has] turned Hunger into Hope! FMSC is thankful for your packing. Your help is always needed.”

For more information on volunteering at Feed My Starving Children, please visit www.fmsc.org.