Students in Clarkston’s Life Skills Center, an adult program for post high school students, were looking for a way to give back to the community when Sue McEvoy, para educator at the center, had an idea.
McEvoy saw a newspaper article about a group looming hats and donating them to local nonprofits.
“I thought that would be a great project for the students,” she said.
She researched how to make them, then taught the students and staff how to loom.
“It took off from there, the students and staff really embracing the project,” she said. “The students started making hats and selling them to staff with great success, so they branched out to craft shows.”
With profits from the craft shows and staff sales, the group would buy more yarn to make more hats. After the initial success from the sales of the hats, the group learned to make and sell scarves and dish cloths.
Once they made enough to cover costs, they searched for a place to donate extra items.
“My daughter-in-law works for Gilda’s Club Metro Detroit, a nonprofit cancer support community located in Royal Oak, who are always looking for soft knit hats and scarves for their members who are going through treatment,” McEvoy said.
She found a chemo hat pattern using a special soft yarn and, along with her students, Life Skills teacher Yvonne Skillman, and para educator Kim Miller, began making chemo hats for those who were going through cancer treatment.
The group took a tour of Gilda’s Club Metro Detroit on May 26, bringing the donated hats.
Gilda’s Club Metro Detroit provides free social and emotional support to children, adults, families and friends on any kind of cancer journey. The organization offers more than 100 program and activities, from traditional support and bereavement groups, many cancer-specific and community-focused, education and lectures, health and fitness workshops, art and music therapy, and social events.
For more information, check www.gildasclubdetroit.org.