Give a Hat a Home donates up to 1,000 hats a year locally

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As winter looms on the horizon and temperatures begin to cool, the thought of warm clothing starts to arise. Four local women are prepared for it in a significant way; by making and donating hundreds of hats.

Knitted or crocheted, these hats can be found at local shelters and nonprofits, and the women -- Wendy, Gloria, Sherrie, and Linda – are eager to serve this season.

“We make hats, and we donate to people in need, or to places that house people in need,” Wendy explained.

The four women, with occasional help, make and donate between 600-1,000 hats every year. The effort began six years ago, Wendy said, as she and a girlfriend from high school brought the idea from Carmel to Kokomo. While the early products showed the result of trial and error, today the women have their knitting and crocheting down pat.

“My friend and I grew up here, and I knew a lot of places to donate to because I used to work at the courthouse and with the welfare center,” said Wendy. “So, I started calling people to help.”

That’s where Gloria, Sherrie, and Linda come in. The quartet stay hard at work all year round, making hats in their spare time. It’s a big job, and the ladies are always looking for more sets of hands ready to knit.

Give a Hat a Home has donated hats to Cops 4 Kids, the Hands of Grace food bank, the Kokomo Rescue Mission, United Way of Howard and Tipton Counties, the Gilead House, Kokomo Urban Outreach, the Howard County Domestic Violence Shelter, Lil’ Mess N Gers, Coordinated Assistance Ministries (CAM), the Military Foundation, and Restored Life.

For those who can knit or crochet, Give a Hat a Home is looking for help. They can be reached at 765-398-0514 or by emailing giveahatahome@gmail.com.

For those who just want to help, Give a Hat a Home is holding a Dine to Donate night at Texas Roadhouse on Tue., Oct 27. From 3-10 p.m., those presenting a flyer (available on Give a Hat a Home’s Facebook page) will authorize 10 percent of the total food bill to the organization. The offer also applies with to-go orders.