Prayer Shawl Ministry to hold blessing ceremony for caps

GIRARD — The Prayer Shawl Ministry of the Unity Church Centre, 1226 Naylor-Lloyd Road, will hold a blessing ceremony from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday for the newborn caps the group knit for the “Knit One Save One” program sponsored by Save the Children and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundations.

This is the second year the group has participated in this program.

In 2006, the ministry, along with the Western Reserve Knitting Guild and Liberty Knitting Group, produced 200 caps for the “Caps to the Capital” program, which has since been renamed “Knit One, Save One.” More than 250,000 caps were collected from around the country in that same year.

“Knit One, Save One” is a grassroots initiative of the global humanitarian organizations, Save the Childrenand The Warm up America Foundation.

The project seeks to engage people who knit and crochet, to take action.

Research shows that 50 percent of the 4 million newborn deaths that occur each year could be prevented if mothers and children in poor countries had access to a simple package of health measures.

This package includes antibiotics to fight infections, immunizations, and training for skilled birth attendants, education on breastfeeding and hygiene, carrying the baby skin-to-skin, and keeping a baby warm by covering the head.

This year, in addition to the work on “Knit One, Save One,” the Prayer Shawl Ministry of Unity Centre is knitting mittens for the children of the Niles Family Center and making items for its third annual holiday sale, which benefits the church’s building fund.