Volunteer knitters lend talents to county program
By Elna Seabrooks
Staff Writer
HOULTON — As northerly winds chill the air and glistening snow ices the landscape, stepping out into Maine’s freezing temperatures can be difficult without the proper attire. That’s where the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) can step in and make a difference. In southern Aroostook County, opportunities abound for volunteers who want to get involved and help.
IN STITCHES — RSVP Volunteer Constance Barry says she loves to help out with her knitted hats, scarves and socks that help keep area children warm. The “Warm Hands and Feet” program welcomes donations of yarn so that volunteers can make accessories for area children.
RSVP’s knitting program, “Warm Hands and Warm Feet” is busy all year round making hats, scarves, socks, mittens, hats, afghans and lap robes. Gini Garrett, southern area coordinator for RSVP says “the initial thought for that was that there are a lot of children who run around without a hat, without a scarf, without warm clothes. So they got the idea to get volunteers to knit.” To do such vital work and distribute the knitted items, Garrett says they need donations of “new yarn, old yarn, bits and pieces, we’ll take it all.” In addition to children, the program supplies knitted and crocheted items for adults through various programs.
Among the volunteers who turn skeins of yarn into warm apparel and household textiles, is Constance Barry who devotes a good deal of time to knitting accessories like scarves, socks, hats and even dish cloths. She says she’s been knitting all her life and volunteers because she feels there are people who need these things as much as she does and “if you see children that need stuff, you can give it away.” Barry’s been a volunteer for four years and says she loves it. “I can sit by the hour,” she says while never seeming to miss a beat or drop a stitch, even during the interview.
Barry, a former military wife from the area who has lived in various parts of the U.S., also helps the agency price items for sale at craft fairs which raises money for more yarn. She says she learned to knit from her mother and grandmother and was encouraged by friends to volunteer with RSVP’s southern Aroostook program.
Garrett says RSVP matches people age 55 and up with organizations that fill various community needs. “At one time we had a guy who was 101. So, age is not relevant, actually.” More than 100 volunteers are actively engaged in a variety of programs from serving and delivering meals, to reading and mentoring in after-school programs, and visiting homebound individuals. Some volunteers work in museums, libraries, thrift shops and hospitals in a variety of jobs from assisting curators to helping the fundraisers.
Anyone interested in volunteering with RSVP or making a donation, can call: (800) 439-1789 or 764-3396. Yarn can be dropped off for the “Warm Hands and Warm Feet” program at SCRAPS! in Houlton’s Market Square.
