WYOMISSING, Pa. – As the temperatures dip, members of one Wyomissing church are giving the gift of warmth.
They spent much of the year making hundreds of hats for folks in need.
The “blessing of the hats” is the culmination of a year’s long effort by more than a dozen members of the Knit Hat Ministry at Bausman Memorial United Church of Christ.
“The receptiveness of the people in the congregation for this project and the support that they have given us. It is awesome,” said Bonnie Shiner.
More than 1,100 hand-made hats are on their way to about a dozen organizations in Berks County, and to the Lakota Indians in South Dakota, where a group member noticed a need.
Bonnie Shiner’s mom started the effort in 2011, not long after Bonnie’s dad died. The pastor at the time suggested her mom take on a project.
“She was at a loss,” Shiner explained. “They were married for over 60 years. And so, she was needing something to fill her time.
Bonnie took over in 2019, after her mom died. She says some members made nearly 300 hats this year and she’s grateful for the yarn drives and donated gift cards that make this possible.
“So, it’s really at no expense to the person that participates because everything is provided for them. We even do instructional classes for people that want to join in but are not quite sure what they need to do,” said Shiner.
Organizers say they hope to make even more hats next year.