Helping Hands Keep Heads warm with Hats for the Homeless

We have some new helping hands. Please wave hello to Jackie M. a friend of DaMary's.

What a nice think, soft and warm hat this is. Awesome colors! Many thanks Jackie for joining in, we appreciate it. Drop us a note in the comment section and let us know if you have a blog, or facebook page and what state you're from. Love to get it added to the blog.

A few days ago I posted a rather shocking statistic about 9 years old being the average age of homelessness nationally. If you didn't get a chance to read that post, please do. Click HERE. We have through our last couple of years collected more hats for kids then adults, mittens too. These items for kids have been donated to the shelters and the 2 free clinics and directly to some schools. I wanted to re-state that we have been donating for children's benefit so folks didn't get the impression we were only donating to adults and totally switch gears to only making items for children. To date, the group we collect the least for is adult men.

I will be launching a program called Welcome Home in the next couple of days, so please keep checking in for the post. This will be tied into our recent mission expansion that includes The Homeless Families Foundation in the list of those we help. If you've not yet read the post about that, please do, HERE.

**the large amounts I stocked piled during the summer months donations have been delivered to Rae for the clinics and Bridge Folks, Lynn for Holy Family, and Karie for The Homeless Families Foundation.** It was wonderful to have such a nice stockpile on hand and be able to beat the weather turning cold. Yesterday it was 43 here for a good portion of the day. Folks, that's only 11 degrees above freezing!! So please keep those hooks and needles busy.

**September is Scarf Month, and we're having another contest.
From now until October 8, I'll toss names into a hat for everyone who donates a scarf for a teen or adult...male or female. Feeling like we need to bump those numbers a bit and will draw the winning name from the hat and send out another box of yarn. Contests are fun. We've had several fun, productive, and successful contests. Every scarf donated for a teen or adult (at least 5 inches wide and 5 feet or longer please), will qualify. **

2011 Donations:

Scarves 285
Hats 581+1=582
Mitts 133
Socks 115
Squares 454
Rain Ponchos 80
Cotton Washcloths 305
Sweaters/Poncho's 6
Slippers 86
Afghans 33 (2 sent to our friends at Pine Street)

All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated, and all donations keep someone warm. We help, one stitch at a time. YOU truly DO make a difference. THANK YOU!