Story 10

KIDS Warm Up America!

Rotella Elementary School Knitting Club presented their Warm Up America! afghan to residents of Meridian Manor, a health and rehabilitation center in Waterbury, CT. Crosby High Knitters taught the grammar school class how to knit and joined their WUA! sections into the afghan pictured.

• Waterbury, CT‹Crosby High School Knitters

Students at Crosby High School in Waterbury, CT, have been Warming Up America for four years now, with new students joining all the time and being taught by those who have been involved the year before. At the heart of the Crosby Knitters is language teacher Rosemarie Carvalho, whose knitting during a free period attracted one male student and started the whole project.

Today, Rosemarie estimates the group has completed and donated more than 75 afghans to numerous local groups, including the St. Vincent DePaul mission, nursing homes, shelters and to Project Linus. And yes, there are just about as many boys as girls. As one sophomore teen confessed: “I've been a part of Crosby Knitters for two years, and the reason I started knitting was because of the girls, but now I like doing it for fun.” He has knitted 25 sections.

Students in Mrs. Wolmer's 4-H group at Seminole Trails Elementary School in West Palm Beach, FL, completed this beautiful afghan, which they donated to Warm Up America! The fourth graders had never knitted before, but with the help of Mrs. Wolmer, Mrs. Ullom and Mrs. Schmitt, and helping each other, they all learned. Pictured are: Stephany Wolmer, Jalysa Simmons, Rachel Evens, Desiree Humphrey, Ashley Smith, Rachel Catalano, Taja Slydell, Amber Balbosa, Sarah Smith, Keisha Maharajh, Savanna Hudson, X'aviera Benjamin, Valeria Marchese, Dominique Williams, Andrea Tremblay, Amber Kelley, Asha Harper, Dana Stevenson, Yoshani Harrell, and Monica Tookes.

Crosby Knitters have also shared their knowledge with students from the Rotella Elementary School, teaching fourth and fifth graders how to knit. The grammar school children, with the help of teachers Joann D'Angelo and Ann Tucker, then started their own knitting club, with each student completing a colorful square. Crosby students assembled them and the Rotella Knitters selected the place where they wanted to donate the afghan‹to a resident of Meridian Manor, a local retirement home.

Students from Triton Regional High School in Runnemede, NJ, display their first WUA! afghan completed by the HERO Club, the Health Careers Club, and several patrons from the local Wal-Mart. The afghan was on display in the school's Library Media Center for two days before being sent to Council headquarters. Carol G. Bronk, Cooperative Education Coordinator at Triton, wrote: “We know that the afghan will be put to good use, and we are well underway with our second project. Thank you for your support of such a worthwhile effort.”

When third graders at the Driggs School heard about the Crosby Knitters, they asked them to visit their school, too. There were 90 grammar school students. Reports Rosemarie, “As usual, the kids (both mine and the Driggs third graders) loved every minute of it.”

Like many educators, Rosemarie Carvalho says, “...I've seen the knitting make a difference in so many of their lives.” She teaches the skills of knitting and crochet to help build students' confidence and self-esteem, gets them involved with community service through WUA! and encourages them to act as role models. Getting donations of yarn and needles keeps her just as busy as the students!

United Samaritan Services of Vernon, TX, a church-run charity, received a gift of love from the local Che La Ca Camp Fire group. Last year, the group of fifth graders started a Warm Up America! project with the guidance of co-leaders Teresa Ansley, Rosemary Teague and Pam Bond, who taught them how to crochet (seated in the front). They tied it in with visits to the Morning Star Retirement Home where they would meet with residents and crochet. The Camp Fire members include: (1st row) Debbie Teague, Lauren Wilkinson, Michelle Williams, Melanie Haynes, Megan Haynes; (2nd row) Amber Wiest, Meredith Bond, Beth Ansley, Elizabeth Coble, Kelly Clifton, Kimbra Streit; (top) Sherrie Campsey, Camp Fire Executive Director; Faye Standridge and Patsy Wright. Pictured to the right are Maxine Cardwell, Ginger Ness and Elise Parsley from Morning Star.

Eileen Lambert, a teacher at Intermediate West school in Toms River, NJ, introduced WUA! to seventh and eighth graders because she thought it was a great way to bring the group together. Well, her idea worked. Beginning last September, students learned basic stitches and progressed from there, finding different steps that they enjoyed doing. The students donated six blankets to Ocean of Love, a cancer facility for children, and the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Ocean County.

 

Mrs. Hornbostel's class at the Richmond School in St. Charles, IL, heard about WUA! And decided to adopt it as a class project. At last report, the students, with the help of parents and friends, were enthusiastically learning to knit.

Marbury High School students deliver their warm holiday greetings.

• Marbury, AL‹Marbury High School Teens Reaching Out to Teens

Every Christmas, the students in Augusta Gray&s Family, Career & Community Leaders of America class make something handmade to give to the boys in the Youth Services facility, Autauga Campus, in Prattville, AL. Last year and the year before, they assembled Warm Up America! afghans and presented one to each of the boys at the home.

In thanking Augusta and her students, Superintendent Keith Duck wrote:

“The efforts of you and your students are so greatly appreciated by the students and staff of our program. Being here on Christmas morning, as the boys opened their gifts, was very touching. Many of the boys expressed disbelief as they thought they would not receive anything...”

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