Low-income seniors in Issaquah and Snoqualmie Valley will be a little warmer this winter with scarves, lap blankets and hats knitted by a variety of congregations and clubs.
The project began with North Bend’s Cascade Covenant Church contacting Snoqualmie Valley Senior Connections, a coalition of service providers for the elderly in the Snoqualmie Valley.
Members of the church wanted to distribute 42 gift bags, including warm scarves, to elderly residents in need.
Eastside Friends of Seniors, a member of Snoqualmie Valley Senior Connections, contacted congregations and handicraft clubs in the area, to see if they could help make scarves for these gift bags. The response was overwhelming.
The Eastside Knitters Guild, the Crochet Guild of Puget Sound, the Interfaith Council of Washington, Westminster Chapel, First Presbyterian Church and individual knitters from Eastshore Unitarian Church, Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Church, Bet Alef Meditative Synagogue and Pine Lake Covenant Church all participated in the project.
More than 120 hand-crafted items were made.
Timberlake Church decided to put together their own shopping bag project, and they assembled 15 bags for low-income seniors in the greater Issaquah community.
An additional 15 scarves went into American Red Cross disaster kits for Eastside Friends of Seniors’ low-income isolated clients. These disaster kits were funded by the Issaquah Kiwanis Club and Puget Sound Energy.
The remaining scarves will be distributed to isolated homebound seniors who receive “Meals on Wheels” through the Issaquah Valley Senior Center.
Eastside Friends of Seniors provides free services to seniors in communities from the Snoqualmie Valley to Bellevue. Volunteers provide minor household repairs, occasional rides to medical appointments, help with shopping and other services designed to allow seniors to retain the dignity of living independently.
Call 425-369-9120, or by email info@eastsidefriendsofseniors.org to request services, participate in next year’s knitting project or become a volunteer.
