We’re back to our regularly scheduled programming — but first, a huge thank you to everyone who showed up in August to support the Create-A-Thon (and for gracefully putting up with all my emails and posts along the way!).
I am thrilled to share that in the very last moments of the Create-A-Thon on August 18th… WE DID IT! Over the final weekend, YOU — our amazing community — came through and helped us hit our goal. We’re still counting items that were shipped during the event, but after a recent trip to the office, I can tell you our storage area is looking much more ready for the cold months ahead. You made essential items. You donated. You attended workshops. Look what you accomplished together. We are so deeply grateful. Door Prize Reminder: Items and donations made through September 1 are still entered to win! I’ll notify the winners by mid-September once all postmarked boxes have arrived. Keep those kids’ items coming! On a more somber note, I want to acknowledge the passing of former K4P Executive Director, Kathleen Kropp (Marsh), on July 29, 2025. We are profoundly grateful for her leadership, and our thoughts are with her family during this difficult time. Thank you, as always, for your support, belief, trust, and kindness. With gratitude,
Kelly & the K4P Team |
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Above: Hannah Thiessen Howard chats about her knitting books, her new role as editor of 'By Hand Serial' and how geography helps craft a maker. Below: A reminder that our Bonfire merchandise storefront is still open! Each purchase supports the mission of K4P and helps spread the word of what we do. You are like a walking billboard for kindness! Go HERE to purchase! |
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Community Member of the Month:
Susan Gershwin, Montview Elementary School |
This month we were excited to speak with Susan Gershwin, the Community School Coordinator at Montview Elementary school in Aurora, Colorado. Montview is a public school that has a special designation as a “Community School”, which means they have used specific strategies to transform the school into a community hub that supports students’ overall well-being. Community Schools develop intentional partnerships between schools, families, and community organizations to provide resources and opportunities to help students thrive. Knitting4Peace is proud to be one of the community partners working with Montview Elementary!
The families of students at Montview are primarily working class families who particularly appreciate knowing that this is a school where their child will be loved, cared for, and where the whole family will experience a sense of belonging. Susan works with parents to address needs, and there are many, as over 90% of the families are living below the poverty line. Montview students have the highest percentage of English Language Learners in the school district with over 80% of the students speaking a language other than English. Many of the students have experienced homelessness with families actively looking for shelter.
There is a strong emphasis on supporting Parent Leaders at Montview, and the parents work closely with the school to identify gaps and needs. Last year, one of the identified gaps was a need for items to help keep students warm in the colder months and that is when the collaboration with Knitting4Peace began. Susan told us that after receiving a K4P delivery, she and several of the Parent Leaders travelled through the building, working with small groups of children who got to choose their very own hat, mittens, and scarf. She says it was one of the most joyful experiences she has had as each child was able to choose the exact colors and patterns that sparked a special delight for them. The adults told the children “This was made for you” and it helped to counter some of the feelings of not being welcome that are, unfortunately, so prevalent in today’s world. A message was also sent home to all families to let them know of the contribution of Knitting4Peace makers, connecting the K4P donations to the school’s overall vision and structure. Susan shared that the handmade items from Knitting4Peace are treasured and she has noticed that NONE of the items distributed last year ever showed up in the school’s “lost and found” area.
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| Photo: L-R, Montview Principal Taylor, Jo, and Susan Gershwin during a K4P delivery. |
In addition to the cold weather items, Peace Pals (including some with hijabs) are given to incoming Kindergarteners and to those in need of a comforting special Pal. Because they are a community hub, Montview also has a structure in place to meet many of the needs for items for family members. Parents, especially Dads, uncles, and older brothers, need cold weather gear and families are appreciative of baby blankets, hats, and mittens that help young siblings stay warm.
Knitting4Peace hopes to meet some of these needs in the coming year.
Montview holds a “Community Partner” meeting four times each year. Since they are focused on building long-term, sustainable relationships, Susan invites any maker in the Denver metro area to attend the next scheduled meeting this fall. Knitting4Peace is planning on being there and if you are interested in joining us, please check with Jo for upcoming details.
Many thanks to Susan and the Montview Elementary community for partnering with us in such a meaningful way, and for being the Knitting4Peace Community Member of the Month! |
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Some gentle reminders on infant items: We are receiving numerous requests for infant items from a variety of groups. We are grateful to you for helping to meet this need.
Here’s a few friendly reminders of our guidelines:
Infant blankets must be at least 26” by 26”. Please do not send any blankets that are smaller than this! Blankets that are 26” – 30” on each side are needed most. Larger baby blankets, up to 52”, are also needed. Avoid making blankets that are lacey or have holes as tiny fingers, toes, or IV tubes may get caught in them. Infant hats must have a circumference of 13” or larger. Hats up to 18” circumference are worn by children younger than age 3 and are very much needed. We love seeing all the fun colors you use! Booties may be made out of any soft and washable yarn and should be 3”- 4” from heel to toe. Please use a piece of yarn to tie pairs together. Do not use safety pins as these must be removed. Animal hair and strong scents can be a health risk, especially for infants and young children so please make sure there are no hairs or scents on any item you send us.
Please do NOT send in any premie items as we are unable to distribute the smallest sizes. |
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MITTENS! Cold weather will soon be approaching and we are in great need of mittens, especially for kids. We are nowhere near being able to fill all the requests we’ve already received. We understand that mittens are more time intensive and require specific skills to make so please know that we truly appreciate each and every pair you send us! BABY ITEMS! We are always striving to meet standing, year-round requests for baby blankets (see guidelines above) and baby hats. These items are often sent out the same week we receive them in during Intake! Thank you so very much for helping us to meet these ongoing needs.
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The Fine Print: *Customers must have a registered King Soopers or City Market loyalty card account to link to your organization.
*If you do not yet have a King Soopers or City Market loyalty card, they are available at the customer service desk at any King Soopers or City Market
REMEMBER, purchases will not count for K4P until after your register your loyaltycard.
You must swipe your registered King Soopers or City Market loyalty card or use the phone number that is related to your registered King Soopers or City Market loyalty card when shopping for each purchase to count.
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Have you registered with your Kroger store yet?
In July, we made $6 from folks who chose K4P as their charity at Kroger stores. We think we can do better! Please consider linking your Kroger rewards card with K4P. It's free to you and allows us a small monthly donation from the corporation.
Our assigned Kroger NPO (Non-Profit Organization) number is HL532.
To Use the King Soopers or City Market Community Rewards Program:
Simply visit the appropriate link below for your store:
For King Soopers Stores - go to http://www.kingsoopers.com
For City Market Stores - go to http://www.citymarket.com
Once logged into your King Soopers or City Market account you can search for Knitting4Peace either by name or HL532 and then click Enroll. New users will need to create an account which requires some basic information, a valid email address and a loyalty card.
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Please note: Our donation intake is run solely by volunteers. Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to immediately acknowledge each package as it arrives. Remember, you can always track your package with your carrier.
Remember, mailing costs qualify as tax-deductible nonprofit donations. Keep your receipts! Due to a lack of storage, K4P cannot accept yarn donations unless they are new and still in the original wrapper.
Thank you for understanding. |
| Mail or bring items to: 2600 N. Leyden St., Denver, CO 80207 Drop-Off hours: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 9am-12pm The church is no longer staffed by an assistant so please be sure to go during the timeframe mentioned above.
Ring the doorbell and you will be let into the church to drop off your items. EACH mailed box or dropped-off bag must include a note with the DATE, NAME, MAILING ADDRESS, E-MAIL, AND PEACE POD.
Did you make a local delivery this month? Click the button below to report it and don't forget to send pics! |
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Special thanks to Park Hill Congregational Church for their continued support and allowing us to share their space in Denver. |
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HAVE A QUESTION ON HOW TO MAKE SOMETHING? ASK ARNA! |
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Are you ready to support the mission of Knitting4Peace? Donate using the button below! |
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Contact Arna@knitting4peace.org with questions about patterns and guidelines. Check out our social media posts for the latest news (links below). If you have questions about deliveries or donations please email info@knitting4peace.org. ALL donations sustain our work. Donate online or mail checks to:
2600 Leyden Street, Denver, CO 80207
Donations to Knitting4Peace are tax-deductible. |
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