Knitting Charities: Are Prayer Shawls Worth the Effort?
Help prayer shawl knitting charities and send love and comfort when most needed
Lending a helping hand to knitting charities is fun and fulfilling. However, knitting charities that get the most help are those that knit fun baby items, simple hats, and scarves and this is certainly fine. I think any time you donate your time, effort and love to knitting anything for anyone in need is invaluable.
But while all these knitting charities are certainly important - and please don't stop knitting for them - knitting charities that often get passed up are prayer shawl charities. Why? I personally think it's because they are a little bit more of a challenge to knit.
I can whip out chemo caps, baby blankets, and scarves in no time flat. What's more, I've knit so many, I don't even really have to think about it anymore. I can knit these items while watching TV and visiting with friends.
But, even though we've featured prayer shawl knitting charities before on Knitting for Charity, I've never knit for one. I'm now regretting that and am having to reconsider.
FIRST UMC Prayer Shawl Ministry
I recently had a chance to sit down and visit with my husband's Great Aunt Venita Proctor, and she mentioned her knitting charity. It turns out that Venita has knit for the prayer shawl ministry at First UMC in Hartselle, Alabama for years. She not only told me how special this group was to her, but how they had helped hundreds of people over the years.
To date, they have given away over 400 prayer shawls. To this amazing number, they also knit baby blankets for the local hospital and chemo caps for local cancer patients. In short, these little ladies have been knitting their sweet little fingers off to help others.
What makes this group especially important to me is that they recently gave my mother-in-law a prayer shawl. My mother-in-law has battled Lupus for years and also had a hip replacement several years ago. Unfortunately, these two things are working against each other and she can now barely walk and faces an unknown future that's not looking very bright.
After Great Aunt Venita shared about her prayer shawl ministry, my mother-in-law told me how they gave her one of the shawls and what a comfort it is to her. She says that whenever she's upset about her condition, she puts the shawl on and immediately feels peace. Venita shared several other stories similar to my mother-in-law's that were all special and heartwarming.
Let's Help Out Prayer Shawl Ministries
So, with this in mind, why don't we spend some time dedicating extra attention to prayer shawl ministries? Most likely, you have one of these ministries in your area that would love help. If not, help the angels at First UMC in Hartselle, Alabama.
Read Free Knitting Patterns - Simple Shawls You Can Knit in a Snap on the Knitting for Charity site for a great resource for simple shawl patterns. Or, use your own favorite shawl pattern. As you finish each shawl, send it to:
Prayer Shawl Ministry
c/o First United Methodist Church
210 Hickory St., SE
Hartselle, Al 35640
If you find you don't have time to knit prayer shawls, these ladies can always use donations of yarn. They aren't picky either. They'll be happy with whatever yarn donations you send their way.
By all means, don't stop knitting for your favorite knitting charity, but let's concentrate on knitting charities that supply prayer shawls for a bit. And know as you knit them that there are real people with real needs that truly appreciate them.
