Organizations respond to your generosity
Pamela MacKenzie
Courier News and Home News Tribune
On Monday, I got a call out of the blue from a woman in Minnesota. She wanted to know if I was still collecting hats. Someone she knows in Central Jersey apparently sent her a copy of this column late last winter, thinking she might like to help us.
"I'm an avid crocheter," she said. "I got the column too late to send you hats last winter, but I've been making hats all spring and summer for you. And I have matching scarves. I don't do mittens, though," she added.
I told her we've already started making hats for this winter, and we'd be delighted to have hers. She was so happy to be able to help others in this way. I was just amazed that someone so far away was helping us.
READ:In Stitches: Making a lasting impact
READ:Pat yourselves on the back; your hats are delivered
READ:You surpassed yourselves with hats this year
You never know how far and wide our reach goes. Over the years, I've received hats from Pennsylvania, New York, Wisconsin and Rhode Island, among other places.
Because I had so many hats left over from last year, I reached out to the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Somerset County a couple of weeks ago and asked if they would like some. The organization is based in Somerville, and they have been serving homeless families with shelter, food, job networking and financial training for decades.
They immediately said they'd take 10 adult hats and 15 children's hats. Here's the thank-you for that gift:
On behalf of the client and staff of the Interfaith Hospitality Network, I would like to extend a heart-felt thank you for your donation of knitted hats to our agency. Donations such as yours are greatly appreciated, and our clients are very grateful for your thoughtful generosity.
Best Regards, Karen L. Donohue, Director of Volunteer Services, IHNSC
This week, I also got another thank-you note from the corporate office of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Basking Ridge.
It is my pleasure to thank you for recent in-kind donation, which is a generous and meaningful show of support to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). This letter serves an official acknowledgement that MSK received the following gift from you: 135 Hand Knit Chemo Cap for MSK Basking Ridge Faciiity.
Again, on behalf of everyone in the MSK community, please accept our thanks for your generous gift and know that you have made a lasting impact on MSK's patients, clinicians and staff.
Richard K. Naum, Senior Vice President
We have our work cut out for us this fall. I promised Jim Zullo, the executive director of Elijah's Promise, that I would bring at least 50 hats to their 5K Run on Nov. 11. I think we have enough to fulfill this already, but frankly, I'd like to double that quantity.
The Old Bridge Food Bank also said that the 160 hats, along with scarves and mittens, that we donated last year were a huge hit with their clients, and it would be great to have more hats this year. The food bank distributed our hats at their annual Thanksgiving meal last year, and we'd like to do the same again. They need our things by Nov. 15.
Stony Brook School in North Plainfield is also welcoming children's hats, mittens and scarves from us.
As you knit and crochet your hats, scarves, mittens and cowls, if you can choose colors that are appropriate for men or women, that will be the most useful to us. I know a lot of you do your charity knitting and crochet from stash, using up leftovers, so a lot of your yarns have a distinctly feminine hue. But we do need hats for men and boys, too.
Stitching for dolls
A few of you have mentioned that you are making doll clothes for the foster girls we stitched for last spring. I have not wanted to dissipate our winter hats/scarves/mittens project because I know how enthusiastic you get when it comes to the dolls.
But I will be collecting doll accessories in November for the December holidays. At this time, I do not think we need dolls. If we do, I will let you know.
Staff Writer Pamela MacKenzie: 908-243-6616; pmackenz@gannettnj.com. For more knitting news, book reviews, and knitting patterns, read Pam's In Stitches blog at www.mycentraljersey.com/institches.