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Warm ears for all
YOUNGSTOWN
Youngstown City Schools students got their pick of hats of all colors, shapes and sizes to keep their ears warm this winter.
The Loose Knit Guild and the Western Reserve Knitting Guild provided hand-knit hats for students last week before students kicked off their weeklong school break.
Melissa Puhalla, city schools early childhood supervisor, said students, parents and teachers all enjoy the annual hat giveaway.
“It’s just an all-around great tradition,” she said.
No one could pinpoint how long the tradition has been going on, but about the time the Western Reserve Knitting Guild started in 1984, Eileen Dodson, hat chairwoman, said the group was focused on giving back.
“It was a service project,” Dodson said. “We called it ‘Caps for Kids,’ and we gave knitted hats to kids who needed them.”
Now, the project has extended to all children – offering warm ears to everyone.
Personally, Dodson said it feels rewarding to be a part of the project.
“I feel like we are doing something for ... children who didn’t have warm hats, gloves and scarves,” she said. “I have a great sense of satisfaction because we are giving something to someone who needs it.”
And that effort is well-received.
Kimberly Gibson, mother of preschool student Kemon Gibson, 5, treated the hat distribution as an event to remember.
“Honestly, I just appreciate seeing him be able to pick a hat to keep his ears warm for the cold weather,” Gibson said.
Hats, gloves, scarves and coats also were distributed last week during Wilson Elementary’s coat drive.
District teachers and school personnel can connect students and families to resources and services they need for the winter weather season and other needs that may arise.