Keeping Kids Warm (by Donna Atkinson-Wilson)

We as a group of women are widows, retired, seniors, disabled or people who just want to help Keeping Kids Warm in any way we can. I have found that a lot of these ladies just want to still feel needed and useful.

When I started this group back in 2003 I never thought that some of these ladies would actually become close friends.  When I started this charity to help our homeless teens I did it as a memorial to my own mother and grandmother. My mom passed away at the age of 50. I was then 32 and the oldest of 10 children.

Unable to properly grieve for my own mom, I did so when my maternal grandmother passed. My grief was so overwhelming that I grieved for both, realizing that this is not what either of them would have wanted me to do.  So, I got hopeful and started Keeping Kids Warm.  KKW provides knitted warm clothing items to homeless teens.

With my journey started now I try and get others like myself who enjoyed knitting and wanted to feel useful. We have been able to distribute over 10,000 items and still going to our homeless youth in our community.  Its a wonderful feeling for all of us to know that we have helped so many.

It has now been 8 years and we are going strong.  Keeping it going has been a struggle but with yarn donations and our wonderful volunteers and some small monetary donations, we are still active and always looking for more people to help. We have just recently been given space to store supplies and run a small office. We are so grateful for this.

Keeping Kids Warm is a small not-for-profit charity and we will continue for as long as we are able.

Homeless youth are in dire need of help… One Stitch At A Time
Thank You