Knotting for Charity

On Sunday there was another front page story in The Kansas City Star about hungry children in the area. A little girl my Natalie’s age – only 6 – drew a colorful picture illustrating how her “back snack” (food that comes home from school) makes her happy. We had just arrived home with hot, yummy pizza and gathered around the table for a festive end to our holiday weekend when I opened the paper and and the words, “Still Hungry” jumped off the page. According to the article, there are 103,000 children in the area who live in home that too often do not have enough food. I clipped the story and put it on our fridge. It is the perfect spot to remind us every time we reach for something to eat: we are so very fortunate.

Recently my parents adopted three children for Christmas. Our synagogue provided my mom with lists of the items the girls needed. My mom told us one of the girls didn’t even have any pajamas. None. She was sleeping in her clothes every night. At only three years old, this resonated even with Gracie. She couldn’t imagine no jammies at all – no nighties, footies or princesses.

So, we decided on a “blankie” project for our Christmas adoptees. While my mom had already bought jammies for the girls, we thought there was nothing warmer or cozier than homemade, fleece knot blankets. So, on Saturday while it rained my mom and I ran to the fabric store and picked out some super-cute fleece. That afternoon our friend Gayle joined the girls and I in a knotting marathon! It was a fun way to spend an afternoon with friends and we loved doing a creative craft project we felt would help someone who might really need it.

I realize this isn’t a new craft and many of you have probably made them before, but just in case you need instructions, you can find a tutorial here (http://anewchelseamorning.blogspot.com/2007/08/no-sew-fleece-blanket.html). Natalie loved the knotting and we had a great opportunity to chat about the girls we'd adopted and what they might need or want. Gracie made lots of little “doll” blankets by fringing the edges of the extra fabric squares.

So, if you are looking for a way to make a difference this holiday season, you might consider knotting up some cute blankets with your children for families who are in need. And, don’t forget, Harvesters is always in need of donations, as well as volunteers. They are currently raising funds for the BackSnack program. (Nearly 12,000 students in the area get food-filled backpacks every Friday afternoon). If you are interested, you can find more information at Harvesters.org.

Written by Lauren Goldman