We are experiencing sun, but nearly freezing temperatures! How does that happen? Some of you might have gone shopping today, the day known as Black Friday. I can think of nothing worse than shopping early in the cold. OK, I can probably think of something worse than that, but I’m content just staying home updating this blog.
We have some exciting things happening! First, notice the special guest in our photos. Angela Witte from Fort Wayne was crowned Mrs. Indiana on November 13, 2010. She will compete for Mrs. America in April. While interviewing her for a newspaper story, I discovered she is available and anxious to attend charity and volunteer meetings to be involved in community service. When I asked her to attend our next Stitches of Hope meeting, she jumped at the chance.
Angela was a delight for us to get to know at the meeting as you’ll see from our smiling faces (she is the one wearing the crown).
She was amazed, as are all of our visitors, at the number and quality of our caps. “They are boutique quality,” she said to me. That is our emphasis in sending out caps – they must be clean, pet-free, smoke-free, new yarn, soft and beautiful! Sounds like a tall order but our volunteers always come through. This past meeting we had two garbage bags full of caps to send out. Several churches help us. We could not do it without them.
The caps are now making their way to children’s hospitals across the nation from coast to coast. In future posts I’ll relay some of the words of thanks we’ve received from these facilities. They’re coming in hard and fast!
The financial contributions of our volunteers and a local organization called Wells Community Health Services Foundation Auxiliary enable us to send out hundreds of caps each month (fewer in the warmer months). Thus far, we have sent out approximately 5,000 caps in 2.5 years!
Thanks to everyone who has made this possible. It’s such a joy working with people who care about comforting people of all ages who are ill and need encouragement.
Take care,
Kayleen Reusser
stitchesofhope@gmail.com
