From time to time, people will ask us at Access to Independence about how they can give back to their community – even when they have little income and they feel some of their skills may not be something that can directly help another person. With the Holiday Season upon us, we thought this would be a good story to share…
The “Hat Lady”, as she likes to be called, is a person with disabilities. However, that doesn’t stop her from giving back to the community. She knits hats for charity that are donated to groups like the American Cancer Society and local winter clothing drives. She says it’s easy to “share the warmth,” and wants to share her “recipe” with others. To make the hats, she uses a simple circular loom, and often gets her yarn from friends and her church group who supply her with donations of “recycled” yarn (“think green!”). Another way that the Hat Lady gets her yarn is through resale stores that often have yarn at very reasonable prices. Since the Hat Lady cannot afford fancy holiday gifts for her friends, she donates the hats in their name. I asked if I could share her story, because she asked me to challenge other people with disabilities to consider the gifts they have to give. Her husband gets in on the joy of giving, by making old-fashioned hand-made wooden toys from scrap lumber. This modern-day Mr. and Mrs. Clause remind all of us that the real joy of the season is giving. The Hat Lady wanted to share the message that giving back is easy, fun, and affordable. You may not have money to donate to charity, but the best gift we have to give is our time. Even if you may not be able to knit like the Hat Lady, there are many ways to give back to your community. Just look around, and take a tip from the Hat Lady!
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