Hats and Mittens celebrates 30 years of warming hands and hearts
In a small warehouse in Hopkins, Minnesota, a group of volunteers for the organization Hats and Mittens is busy packaging hats and mittens for kids and adults in need.
"People in Minnesota are generous they understand cold, and they are generous," said Rebecca Jorgenson-Sundquist.
Donations from community and volunteer knitters help them spread the warmth.
Their goal is to make sure no hands or heads are subjected to the cold winter months Minnesota can produce.
Jorgenson-Sundquist started the organization 30 years ago.
"I was downtown Minneapolis on a very cold raw November day on Third Avenue and Fifth Street," said Jorgenson-Sundquist.
Jorgenson-Sundquist says she looked over and saw a young mother standing with her three small children.
"And they were dressed like it was summer and I thought for 'crying out loud what are thinking,' and it just came to me that they don't have the resources. I had a blue sweater on and the Holy Spirit said give her your sweater and I did," said Jorgenson-Sundquist.
That's when she realized there was a need in the community to provide warmth for all of Minnesota's children.
"It was tough time in my life, and I tell you it took the total focus off my troubles and put it on this young family and thinking about other families that needed help and that's how it grew. That was the seed," Jorgenson-Sundquist said.
Volunteers work to package hats and mittens donated from people all over the country with purpose. In Minnesota, 11.7% of children live in poverty.
"There is this whole under belly, this whole under belly that we don't see, and they are just struggling, " said Jorgenson-Sundquist. "We can take this one component. We can take hats and mittens, people can check that off their list so that they can use their money to pay for heat or pay for groceries."
About 50% of orders are from schools and it takes all 120 volunteer knitters, like Marla Lurie, to fill those donation bins.
"It's the most calming soothing. I mean your blood pressure really goes down," said Lurie.
Lurie learned how to knit from her mom, who is nearly 100 years old and still knits. She says making these warm hats and mittens gives her purpose.
"I'm accomplishing something, I'm helping somebody, and I just donate them i just drop them in the bin over there, " Lurie said.
So far, she has crafted more than 500 hats and mittens.
Over the years, the need has grown. In the beginning, infants and small children were the focus for the organization. Now they fill more orders for ages 15 and up.
"We have orders for 37, 081 sets of hats and mittens," said Jorgenson-Sundquist.
"When kids get something hand knit like this is a signal to them that somebody is thinking about them. Somebody cares about them, somebody loves them," said Sundquist. "As I reflect on 30 years I just think the gift has been mine I just love doing this and love meeting all the people along the way."