Area Volunteers Knit Hats for Disadvantaged Children

When Back to School Shop holds its 7th annual event on July 25th, 450 children and their families will drive through the parking lot of Davenport Ridge Elementary School to collect items they’ll need to go back to school next year. The children, who are chosen and pre-registered by elementary school social workers, will receive a backpack, school supplies, books, toiletries, socks, underwear, a sweatshirt and a generous gift card to help them complete their back-to-school shopping. And this year, thanks to an army of volunteer knitters and crocheters, each child will be able to select a hand-made winter hat.

“We are overwhelmed with the response we’ve gotten from local knitters and even those from other states who heard about our program” said Nan Gordon, a Back to School Shop Board Member and event organizer. “We had set a goal of 450 hats-one for each child registered for the event- but fully expected that we would have to purchase hats to supplement the hand-made ones. Instead, despite the fact that this was a tough year for everyone, we have received over 700 hats, and they are still coming in. We are so delighted that the last child through the event will have lots of hats to choose from, just like those that come earlier in the day."

Back to School Shop reached out to its local volunteers and supporters through social media, email and on its website, but it was word of mouth that amplified the message. “We have the most wonderful group of loyal volunteers” said Lorraine Kweskin, board member and volunteer coordinator with Back to School Shop. “When we put out the call for hand-made hats, our volunteers who knit or crochet got to work. Those who weren’t knitters, reached out to their friends to spread the word.” Knitting groups at First Presbyterian Church, St. Francis Episcopal Church, Temple Sinai, and others got on board, as did many individual knitters from the local area and from as far away as Colorado.

The Back to School Shop organizers were pleasantly surprised, but puzzled, when they received a package of hand-made hats from Colorado. The mystery was solved when they learned that one of their long-time volunteers in Stamford, Carole Gladstone, had contacted a friend in Colorado who loves to knit. “I’ve found that giving is better than receiving. Making these hats has been fun for me” said Vicki Christensen from Evergreen, Colorado.

Sandy Golove, a Back to School Shop volunteer, received an email about the project, and made it into an activity she could do with her 14 year old granddaughter, Sammi. “I knit the hats and my granddaughter made the pom-poms” said Golove. “It was such a fun project for us! As a volunteer, I have had a chance to see how excited the children get with their back to school items, and if we could help contribute to that, it was the right thing to do.”

The Gathering, a group of knitters at First Presbyterian Church in Stamford meets once a month to knit for others in the local community. They knit prayer shawls, baby blankets and lots of hats. This year alone they have made hats for Pacific House and the children in an after school program held at the church. “When we heard about Back to School Shop from a member of our congregation, it sounded like a perfect project for us” said Alina Petroni, the group’s organizer. We started knitting hats in April and just delivered nearly 150 hats! Our group of knitters is thrilled to be able to be part of a community project that makes a difference. It feels so good to know that you can provide some warmth to a child during a cold Connecticut winter.”

The knitting tradition started in 2015, Back to School Shop’s inaugural year, when two Westport knitters, Linda Cassuto and Mary Lou Woodruff, heard about the program through a friend and started knitting hats for the children. The hats were displayed along with the purchased hats for the children to choose. It was such a success that they continued to knit hats each year. “We are so excited that others have gotten involved so that each child can have a handmade hat!” said Cassuto.

“It’s a joy to look through the hats” said Kweskin. “They are cozy and beautiful and there is something for everyone: solid hats, striped hats, multicolored hats as well as hats with hearts, and even hats with Batman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle logos! We can’t wait to see the smiles on the children’s faces as they choose a hat and realize that someone took the time to make it just for them!”

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Back to School Shop, Inc. is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
whose mission is to provide economically disadvantaged elementary school children in the local community with brand new clothing and school supplies, to help build the confidence and enthusiasm they need for a successful start to the school year.
For more information: www.backtoschoolshop.org