Monday, March 15, 2021

Winter Update

Hello Friends of WHN!

Hope you are all well and starting to see signs of spring where you live!  I have a little news for you from this past winter.

You may recall that a few years ago we partnered with the Inuuqatigiit – Centre for Inuit Children, Youth and Families in Ottawa to share warm woollies (we provided sweaters and vests at that time - in 2017).

As you know, our operations are postponed due to the pandemic. However, we did have some items at HQ that could not be squeezed into the boxes for our last pre-pandemic shipment North, as well as others that came into headquarters after our hiatus started. But the best place for your lovingly made knits are on cold hands, heads, and feet - and not sitting at HQ!

So in November Anita reached out to the Inuuqatigiit – Centre for Inuit Children, Youth and Families, to inquire if the warm woollies we had on hand could benefit their Christmas hamper program, supporting families in the community. The Centre said they would be pleased to be able to add the hats, mittens, socks and neckwarmers to their hampers, so in December, Anita and I masked up, sorted, and brought them into the Centre (we drove there with all the windows down for ventilation - fortunately it was only around zero Celsius!).

I waited to post this until we heard back from the Centre, once their busy time managing the hamper program was over. The staff have passed on their thanks and gratitude for your wonderful knits, and shared that the recipients were very happy to receive them as well.

So while we are still on hiatus until we have more certainty, we are very happy that some more beautiful knits went out into the world, to be gifted to families and children in time for the holidays, and to share some cheer and warmth during these difficult times for so many.

Please continue to hang onto your items at home, and/or do feel welcome to share your knits with other organizations receiving items at this time. Hopefully in time we will have more certainty with our operations! But we are thrilled that we got one more delivery out in 2020.

I hope that everyone is keeping warm, safe, happy and healthy! And I hope that all the generosity, warmth and compassion that you put forth into the world returns to you in 2021. Happy knitting, and here’s to less challenging times for all of us this year!

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