Handmade Winter Wear Donated to Johnson School Students by Group at Mitchellville
Top: Vikki is proud of the effort by everyone -- from those who donated yarn, to those who crafted the winter wear, to those who delivered it to children at Johnson School. Below: Vikki was overwhelmed at the number of items donated.

Friday, February 11 at 8 a.m., Vikki W. facilitates the donation of handmade winter wear,
including hats, mittens, gloves and scarves, to students at Cedar Rapids’ Johnson School.

The idea first came to mind at an Outreach meeting at Christ Episcopal Church in Cedar Rapids. Vikki attended that meeting. 'Mittens and hats for Johnson School students is always a concern. They need them to keep warm, and to replace items that are lost or misplaced. I thought I could ask the longer-term group at the Iowa Correctional Institute for Women in Mitchellville to take yarn we give them and make the garments,' says Vikki.

Members of Christ Church donated yarn and flexible knitting needles and plastic crochet hooks for the project. One of the women in the Mitchellville group said, 'It is heartwarming because when I make a hat or scarf, I wonder what color their coat is. And then I hope and pray it is big enough and warm enough for them.'

Vikki says, 'This is their chance to give back to their communities. It is very important for the women in this group.

'You can never get enough yarn,' Vikki continues. 'And when I saw the number of garments coming back from Mitchellville, all I could do was think, Oh, my! This is so much more than I expected. It’s just wonderful!'

The project will be repeated again next year. Donations of yarn are always welcome. They can be dropped off at Christ Church.