Afternoon Gathering Turns into Act of Giving

Sitting in a warm living room at The Terraces seniors home in Vancouver, a group of seasoned knitters called In-Stitch-Us explain how they turned their afternoon gathering into an act of giving.

The lively group says their afternoon meetings are full of laughter, knitting, and a commitment to help those in need. “We started out knitting for family and friends, and then someone suggested we make hats for the cancer clinic. It was a great idea, but we like to make more than just hats,” says Ivy, who meets with seven other women on Tuesday for In-Stitch-Us meetings.

The women talk about everything from the weather to the challenges facing women today. “We’ve noticed the increasing number of people who live on the streets, so we decided to knit gloves, hats and scarves for them,” says Joy, an enthusiastic woman originally from England. She told the group about her experience knitting sweaters for Oxfam and offered to coordinate a similar knitting effort at The Terraces.

Joy told her daughter Sarah and son Christopher Gaze about their plan and asked if they knew the right place to donate. Her daughter recommended the YWCA. “I went on a tour of YWCA Crabtree Corner and I knew we found the right place to give,” says Joy.

Located in the Downtown Eastside, YWCA Crabtree Corner helps some of the most impoverished women and children living in Canada. The multi-purpose building offers a variety of integrated services including a donations room, hot lunch program, parenting programs, child care and housing for pregnant and parenting women struggling with addiction.

After connecting with the YWCA, In-Stitch-Us knitted 47 sweaters, 34 baby blankets and numerous hats, scarves and gloves. Vanessa Wellington, Donor Relations Coordinator, says, “I met the women for the first time in May and by November they knit enough to fill my car.” In-Stitch-Us topped up their fall donation with second-hand clothing that they collected from people living in their building. They also raffled off several knitted teddy bears and mice and used the proceeds to buy toiletries for the women and children at Crabtree Corner.

Ivy says, “We tell people about what we are doing and all kinds of wool comes our way.” Much like charitable giving, In-Stitch-Us demonstrates that remarkable things happen when resources are matched with the right people.

Learn more about donating goods to YWCA Vancouver.