Volunteers Deliver Handmade Scarves to Those in Need

Volunteers Deliver Handmade Scarves to Those in Need

This past Valentine’s Day, volunteers from The Salvation Army in Calgary hit the streets of the downtown core to show love and provide hand-knit scarves to struggling people.

“It was an eye-opening experience for all of us as we discovered how widespread the need was,” says Allison Patrick.

Patrick and her team of volunteers engaged with people experiencing homelessness on the streets and in shelters and drop-in centres.

“At each stop we learned a little more about people and their circumstances,” says Patrick. “We met a man whose home was a tent made of tarp. He welcomed us into his space and explained how he protects himself from the elements. We interacted with people struggling with addictions, job loss, illness and relationship break-ups.”

That day the volunteers from CommuKNITy Cares delivered close to half of the 140 scarves that were made and hung the remainder on fences around the city for anyone to take.

“CommuKNITy Cares is a group of dedicated knitters who want to show love to others,” says Patrick, who founded the group in 2017.

Beyond scarves, group members, from ages nine to 91, knit blankets and shawls for hospice care and mittens for Salvation Army Christmas hampers.

“We are a charitable group of women with goals and busy hands. We use our talents and handicrafts to bridge the gap with us and others¯to let them know we care and they are important to us.

“Volunteering allows us to combine our passion for knitting with love for others,” says Patrick. “Recipients will often ask, ‘Is it hand-knit?’ When I say yes they draw the items close to their heart. Actions sometimes speak clearer than words.”