As I mentioned in my previous post HERE, my sweet friend and her family have been helping and donating to Hearts Knit Together, a non-profit who supplies beautiful welcome kits to the 16 battered women shelters across Utah, for a couple years. It initially started when Fran started having some health problems and became basically home bound. She was crocheting blankets for Primary Children’s Hospital and was notified that they could no longer accept her blankets as they were getting snagged on the tubes and machines of the patients. She was struggling with feeling needed and productive so her husband googled ways to help in Utah and Hearts Knit Together came up. Fran started making her beautiful blankets, scarfs, hats, and bibs, and she started feeling needed again. “It felt so good both emotionally and psychologically to be needed again. After you retire you need to find ways to contribute, to feel needed in your community, like you are making a difference” said Fran. She does a few hours each day and donates these beautiful items.
Eventually their daughter Sarah started putting her crochet skills to work to add to the amazing welcome kits that Heart Knits Together puts together. They started 8 years ago with just 200 kits, and it has grown so much that they made almost 5,000 kits last year alone! Each kit has a THEME, and at times they have asked Sarah to crochet a little something to complete one of the kits that need to be delivered. Between taking care of her kids and working full time, Sarah always makes time for her beautiful creations. When I asked her how she does it she said “How can I not do it? It’s a great way for me to show my gratitude for all my blessings”. Sara said there are lots of fun free patterns online, and Hearts Knit Together has bins of donated yarn – if you are low on funds but want to help, Hearts Knit Together will let you pick up yarn and make blankets, scarfs, hats, and stuffed animals to help complete their Welcome Kits.
Sarah’s dad Steve got in on the action as well. One day when he was dropping off one of their donations, he saw some small wooden cars that had been donated and decided to put his wood working skills to work. With each toy he made he wanted to get more and more detailed, he even purchased Little People online and made toys to go along with the Little People, each of these toys have been treasured by the children who receive them.
“There is no exchange of money, but all of what we do is appreciated. Linda and the other volunteers always “oooooo” and “aaaaa” over all we donate. ” said Fran. ” The more we did, the better we felt. We saw how happy they were with what we were doing, and we have just kept going”. They have gotten their whole family involved. Their daughters and daughter in law have been sewing bibs and blankets , their grandchildren help Steve to sand and paint, Sarah’s mother-in-law donates yarn, everyone has helped. It has become a family effort, and they are seeing how it has been a benefit for them all, and they love how the grand kids are learning how to serve too.
- If you want to donate your time, Hearts Knit together is looking for anyone that can commit to making the Welcome Kits and volunteer a few hours each week. You would be trained, and your help would be greatly appreciated! It is suggested that you visit the Hearts Knit Together location so you can see what is done and make sure it would be a great way for you to serve. The address info is found HERE.
- If you have a big box of yarn, fabric, thread, or any other craft materials you want to donate, you can drop it off at a few different locations found HERE.
- If you are crafty and want to put your skills to work, you will find a list of crafts and sewing instructions HERE. Remember if you are short on funds, you can pick up materials to make and return.
- If you are a youth group, a Relief Society, or an Eagle Scout looking to do a project to help Hearts Knit Together, you can contact Linda by phone or email, found HERE, and she can help you plan one out.
- If you want to donate money they have a goal to reach $5000.00 to help with the expenses for 2016, and can donate online or send a check. Click on the Hearts Knit Together Fundly Link.
Right now there are some items that they are in desperate need of, and can be donated at a few different locations found HERE :
- matching shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and lotion for women
- three in ones, shaving cream and lotion for men
- towels
- games for teenagers such as uno, skip-bo and other similar games
The benefits of helping others are many and have been proven to help those of us who struggle with depression. Giving of yourself, your time, talents, or what you have brings an amazing degree of satisfaction. I hope you will see a way that you can help such a wonderful cause – Hearts Knit Together.
See the Happy!
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This is amazing! I did an internship at a women’s shelter, and they really do need all the love and comfort they can get when they arrive.
How cool to have been able to work and help in a shelter! I would love to hear about it sometime. I guess I did not think that so many women had to go through this type of thing, but I am so glad that we have shelters to help them escape the violence and protect their children and themselves.