802 items were counted and sorted into distribution batches to be handed out starting this week. This does not yet include the items collected at Steven Be's shop, which will be dealt with soon as well.
We're off for the season! We'll be distributing throughout the winter, so keep those warm items coming.
The final total number of items collected for this past winter season was 3347; the most collected ever per winter season! More and more knitters are finding this group.
We are now starting to collect for next winter. You can hang on to the items for now and send them towards fall or you can send them throughout the year; whichever way you prefer.
We are continuing to meet at Butter Bakery on Nicollet and 37th S on the third Saturday of every month from 11-1, if you'd like to drop off. We'd love to see you there to hang out and knit with us as well.
We have reached an official 2988 items received. We'll be at 3000 for the first time ever this season in no time. 12 crafters sending one more item will get us there. Can we do it?
Last Sunday, the first large sorting of this season took place at Walker Place in South Minneapolis. It happened in a beautiful large room (as compared to a small basement room last year) where instead of being cool and wearing sweaters and coats we were on the wam side and layers of clothing came off repeatedly as we sorted. Who knew this could be such warm work!
The hats were flying across the table in many directions to reach their appropriate piles, as several of us were sorting. Kathy kept us well organized with instructions and took on the bulk of packing sorted items into large bags when the piles on the tables were getting top-heavy and starting to lean precariously. Soon all items were ready in their designated bags to be taken to specific locations in the days to come. Barb had her usual moment of slight panic when everything was sorted and packed and we officially hat NO more hats in our stash anymore (Oh no! And it’s only the start of November!!!).
from left to right: Barb, Joan, Peggy, Kathy
But no worries, we KNOW that there are more hats out there ready to come and that more will be on the needles or crochet hooks in the weeks to come. Winter has not yet started for real, and we believe there will be more incoming items to be sorted and distributed yet again very soon.
So if you have a few items ready and you were holding off on mailing or dropping them off for when you had a few more to add to them, you might decide to get them to one of the collections points soon and then continue your creative streak for the next shipment/drop-off. Distrubtions will continue strong into December and usually slow down a bit after New Year (but not stop until spring is around the corner).
P. S. We were pleasantly surprised by how many hats there were in man-colors and sizes. They are not always the most fun to make, but they sure are needed. Keep them coming!
1912 donated items have been distributed to over 30 agencies, schools, etc.
Good work knitters!
Distributions will continue as hats come in. As most Minnesotans know all too well, we still have at least a couple of months of winter ahead of us. Keep knitting and sending/dropping off!
November 28, 2022
This is what 500 sorted hats look like:
And these are the main 2 sorting elves after the sorting and starting the next step: distribution:
We should have taken a photo of an SUV stuffed with about 1000 hats to go out.
At least 1000 hats have been distributed so far, and more are coming in . We are now starting the coldest part of the start of this winter, and distributions will continue for at least another month as more hats come in. Hats are collected year-round, so it's never too late to drop them off at the yarn stores in our list.
map and phone number: https://www.stevenbe.com/contact.htm
The knitters have a table at the Kingfield Farmers' Market this Sunday, October 30th from 9:00 to 1:00. This is an opportunity to bring awareness to our Hats for the Homeless project in hopes that new knitters join the circle. Bring a knitting project and any hats that you may have finished. We will have patterns available.
RSVP if you are planning to come. In another few weeks we will begin to deliver our "gifts of warmth" to those in need...schools, shelters, foodshelves, and community service agencies.
Thanks for your continued support of this project...this is our 15th year. Since I have moved, we will no longer be dropping off donations on my front porch. Drop off your donations at these 3 local yarn shops...Harriet and Alice at 50th and France, Steven Be's at 35th and Chicago, and Ingebretsen's at 1601. E. Lake Street.
Questions: 612-598-4919Barbara Melom
There's a maxim floating around the internet these days that goes something like this: "If you do not find joy in the snow, you will have less joy but the same amount of snow."
One of the take-aways from that wisdom is it message to those of us who don’t ski jump or go ice fishing. We live with the challenge of finding some way to find joy at a time of year we’re tempted to stay home, look out the window, and hope the “January freeze” is nature’s promise that we will soon find joy in warmer and warmer and warmer …………… and, so on. Joy will arrive -- if not real soon.
But for some of our neighbors, joy is a far reach. For many, snow and cold are simply seasonal barriers complicating their lives. Joy is just that mulch more difficult to find.
So Hats for the Homeless has always been about more than just bringing the gift of physical warmth. We’ve always carried the feeling of giving the warmth of our hearts. This is the essence of reaching out to those who struggle to find their place in the community – simply to bring them hats both for their heads and their hearts. To let them know their community holds them in the warmth of love and regard.
And this is about our finding a joy in “the snow”. It is about the joy we feel in seeing hats go on heads and, more importantly, smiles appear on faces.
The 2021-22 Hats for the Homeless project has distributed over 4,200 hats this year. As before, we bring hats to shelters, group homes, hospital ERs, schools, churches, food shelves, drop-in centers, just to name the more common recipient sites. In addition to hats, scarves and mittens, we received 25 pairs of warm and wooly socks.
Thank you to all the generous knitters for your “gifts of warmth”. Keep the needles clicking. We still have a few more weeks of winter.
For patterns and more details, check out the blog: www.hats4thehomeless.blogspot.com
Best wishes for the upcoming year, Barbara Melom
It’s been an amazing year for hat and scarf donations. THANK YOU KNITTERS.
Knitters from all across the country have shipped hats out to Minnesota where everyone needs a hat to make it through our bitter cold winters. We have received over 2700 hat donations; but didn’t keep track of mittens and scarves.
With schools being closed we had to get creative on how to distribute the hats to kids.
It turned out that even with schools closed, families went to neighborhood schools to pick up lunches and homework assignments. The schools had also set up “warm tables” for distribution of winter clothing. We also connected with food shelves that have stayed open throughout the pandemic.
Now it’s February, another two months of winter and people are still knitting and sending us donations and we keep getting requests from agencies needing warm items to give their clients. Yes, we are still accepting donations.
A REMINDER WHEN KNITTING HATS
Scroll through the blog and check out some of our favorite patterns. Newest pattern is the MINNESOTA HAT.
Thank you for your generosity for folks who need a bit of warmth in their life. The true measure of caring is sticking with a project….this is our 13th year. Thank you knitters for showing that you care.
We don't know from day to day what the news will be bringing us, but one thing for certain is that Minnesota winters are cold and everyone needs a hat.
