Get a Hat, Give a Hat
Every hat purchased allows 4 hats to be knit and donated to local homeless shelters this winter.
How It Started
In November of 2024, I was a senior in college in Rochester, New York. I was overwhelmed by classes, my capstone project, difficult, traumatizing situations in my own life, and the state of the world. The more I went about my daily life, the more hopeless I became. One of my only outlets for this anxiety and hopelessness was creating work with my hands. I loved to crochet and knit, but each project was an entire undertaking. I purchased a manual knitting machine, and began making hats in about 30 minutes, rather than the 4-6 hours it would take me to knit a single hat by hand.
I decided to utilize this new ability to bring some good into a world that felt like it was overflowing with bad. I posted on my personal Facebook page asking friends and family for small donations, and with the donations that were given, I was able to knit 50 hats in just over a month, whenever I had free time. During the holiday season, I got to take those hats to a local shelter and know that I had brought a bit of good into the world.
The Next Year
The next year, I decided to go bigger. Finished with school and with more foresight to plan it out, I was eager to improve. I began in late October and was able to knit just over 200 hats in 2025. I donated half to a shelter where I live in New Jersey, and half to a shelter where I grew up in Indiana.
Where We’re Going
In 2026, I’m aiming even higher. I plan to knit 1000 hats, and donate them to various shelters throughout multiple states. I’ve already begun work on these hats, and plan to continue to make hats throughout the year.
The hats for sale at craft fairs provide me with the funds to complete this goal. Every hat purchased allows me to knit 4 hats to donate at the end of this year. Thank you for your support.
