Welcome to Linda's Hats for the Homeless.
You can help keep some of these people a little warmer by donating yarn to be made into hats, or donating already-made hats, and gloves. If you like to knit or crochet and need a project, this is a very worthwhile one. There are a lot of free crochet patterns on the internet or I can recommend a good pattern book, which I use. It is "Quick Caps" from Leisure Arts.
This would also be a good project for school or Sunday school classes, Girl or Boy Scout troups, any club or organization.
Question? E-mail me at: hatsforhomeless@gmail.com
You can mail hats, gloves, scarves or yarn to:
Hats For Homeless
c/o Linda Deal
P O Box 1442
Catoosa, Oklahoma 74015-1442
One More Time This Winter...
January 3rd is the target date, pending acceptable weather conditions. Rodney has already offered himself and his children to help that day. I'll grab whomever is at my house and take them with me.
Any hats remaining from this venture will be taken to the shelter for women and children in Tulsa.
Merry Christmas to All.
2008 Finale
It was quite windy when we got to the Day Center. The management let us come inside to hand out the hats. We stood by the Christmas tree and spread out our wares. Soon we were surrounded by the good people at the Center. I couldn't seem to get good photos inside the building. It's hard for me to describe the experience.Read the rest at the Hats For Homeless website on the Blog page.
I was delighted that Sharon, Rodney, Kylie and Heath showed up to help.
Find more at: http://www.hatsforhomeless.com/blog.htm
This will be the last trip to the Day Center until October 2009. We'll continue making the hats and scarves during the year. Though I probably won't do much posting for awhile I'll still check the e-mail and PO Box so don't hesitate if you have comments or questions.Thank everyone for the fantastic response this year. I wish a 'VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS' to all of you and will see you later.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Handing out more hats
My sister is coming in from Afton to help. The 4 grandchildren who went in October will be going again. The oldest grandson has two friends who want to go with us. Two of the women who helped last time won't be able to be there, but they got their hats to me. The third lady said she will be there. It will be great.
More Ways I Can Help
Shopping For Charity
- Etsy :: lindadeal :: The Crochet Angel
- I am making crocheted items to sell on my new Etsy shop. Twenty-five per cent of all sales will go to help fund my Hats For Homeless project. I would love to have you stop by and check it out.
Make A Difference Day
Today was a wonderful success.
I'm going to start a new lens and will post a link here. Several photos.
Hats For Homeless Make A Difference Day
- Hats For Homeless Make A Difference
- A pictoral lens of our expedition.
Volunteers prepare for day of service
By JARREL WADE World Staff Writer
- Tulsa World - Friday, October 24, 2008
- Read more by clicking on the above link.
Three More Days To National Make A Difference Day
October 21st, 2008
Two good women, Susie from Skiatook and Linda from Sand Springs, have volunteered to help my grandchildren and me hand out the hats on Saturday. With so many to hand out, I am definitely needing their aid.
I intend to try to get some photos. I'm not sure how the people will respond to getting their pictures taken. I will do what I can, though. My thoughts are to make a new lens with the results. When it is ready, I'll post the name for it here.
Then I'll get busy preparing hats for handing out in December.
Thank you, Everyone, for all your good works and good words. You are appreciated.
p.s. I just now received a phone call from Jarrel Wade, the Tulsa World reporter. He is doing a follow-up article in Friday's paper.
***I was able to buy 27 pairs of women's gloves from WalMart. I'll have to check Dollar General for men's gloves.***
Another 45 hats came in last night and this morning for a new total of 356 hats!!!
Also, Terri Schall, of Oakforest, IL, sent 17 pairs of handmade mittens. Great job, Terri. :-D
Tulsa World Newspaper
8/22/2008
Great News!!! A reporter, Jarrel Wade, with the Tulsa World Newspaper interviewed me last night about the Hats For Homeless project. I'm really excited about this. Someone on the newspaper staff saw the website and told him about it. He brought a photographer with him, whose name I'm not able to remember (senior moment), but he was a cutie. Jarrel had some good questions for me, but I couldn't think of good answers until he'd been gone several hours. Anyway, it was fun and interesting. Hopefully, the article will bring in more "Hats For Homeless." And maybe some gloves and scarves, too. Thank you, Jarrel, for your help in putting this project in the public spotlight. Oh, by the way, it should be in Tuesday's (8/26/2008) Tulsa World newspaper.8/24/08 - I just checked the Tulsa World website and found the photograper's name is Cory Young. Thank you, Cory.
We Made The News!!!
- Tulsa World By JARREL WADE World Staff Writer
- Warm heart providing warm hats for homeless
Hats for Homeless is a small, one-woman effort to give handmade, crocheted hats to homeless people in Tulsa twice a year.
Deal is gearing up for national Make a Difference Day on Oct. 25, when she will give away her hats at Tulsa's Day Center for the Homeless, she said. Then she will replenish her stock and return to the center a few days before Christmas. - Talking Crochet with Carol Alexander
- Newsletter just two days ago had this to say about our project:
Making a Difference -- One Hat at a Time
Tulsa resident Linda Deal has turned her passion for crochet into a one-woman, grass-roots project -- crocheting hats for her local homeless shelter. Her goal is to make as many hats as possible (and, hopefully, receive other hat donations as well) by October 25, 2008, national Make a Difference Day, when she will present her hats to the shelter. She plans to present more hats a few weeks later just before Christmas. Click here for the rest of the story.
Making hats for the homeless to help them through the cold winter months is a wonderful project that other crocheters can adopt in their own communities. It's a great way to use up odds and ends of yarn in your stash in a very rewarding way to help some of your neighbors in need.
Homeless---By Chance or By Design?
Should we scorn - pity - or help?
I heard a radio talk show host say he didn't think homeless people should be allowed to vote. That really made me angry. Are these people really stupid and lazy? Or is it just the luck of the draw? I believe anyone at anytime could suddenly find themselves homeless.
Do you think people are homeless because they want to be?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byShould we try to understand and help?
dustytoes says:
It is not for us to judge people who have become homeless. This world is full of compassionless people. EelKat I certainly know what you are talking about when you say that you find out real fast who your real friends are... and I guarantee it will be less than you think. I also believe that it could be any of us, at any time, who experience misfortune such as this. Compassion is what's needed, not judgement.
Posted January 24, 2009
Frankster says:
I actually have met 2 people who chose to be homeless. But I don't believe the majority choose it. EelKat's story was so expressive and eye-opening. I can only imagine what life must have been like for her and her family for the year. EelKat, I admire you for your strength to get through that year and the selflessness and lack of ego to share your story here. I send you my warm thoughts and wishes for you and your family for the rest of your lives. May you ever have to endure this again.
Posted December 18, 2008
BeckyBlanton says:
I was homeless and got one of these hats. I still have it - even though I am not homeless anymore. I lived in my van for almost 18 months, worked full-time and simply could not afford to rent an apartment in Denver. The hat kept me warm, as did sleeping with my dog (rottweiler) and cat. It made such a huge difference to know someone cared. Now I'm on Squidoo and hope to make a difference myself. Thank you....for the hat and the kindness...
Posted December 17, 2008
Lizblueberry says:
I think that some people choose to remain homeless. Most of these are not emotionally healthy. Most people are homeless due to economics. As we enter 2009 there will be so many more in this situation. We need to have compassion and do our part to help. I applaud you for your efforts and sensitivity.
Posted December 15, 2008
Lizblueberry says:
There are some that choose to remain homeless. I don't feel that most of these are emotionally healthy. We face a very tough year in 2009. People need to feel more compassion because so many more will be in this situation in the very near future. I really applaud you for your efforts and sensitivity.
Posted December 15, 2008
Squidoo-Pat says:
It's a fact that some people,particularly men, Do Choose to live on the streets-we call them "Outdoorsmen." I've seen with my own eyes, they have no intention of getting a job and a place to live.
Others, through their own bad choices, fate, or being put through a test/trial, do not want to be on the street and want a helping hand. A lot of them are addicted to something or have mental/spiritual problems. I used to observe the homeless when I was living in a part of town that had many. My conclusion was that they lacked something. They lack drive, self-respect, and a strong desire to remove themselves from that situation and work their way up.
Others are simply down as a result of a sudden lack of money or being evicted. They want training and a hand in getting a job and a half way decent place to live, even being a roommate. This is where honest charities like the Salvation Army come in. They take down and outers, train them, counsel them and help them to rise up and be productive. When people genuinely want help to get a decent paying job and a normal living situation it's up to people of goodwill to donate money to these organizations who do come through for them and give them aid in times of personal crisis.
I think giving hats, clothes, toiletries/personal items is perfectly fine and compassionate. There is a problem when they ask for money though, as they could turn around and buy drugs/alcohol with it. It's best to donate money or time to charities you've investigated and checked out than throw money at them individually.
The ones who want help and are sincere will get help and their lives will eventually improve and normalize. The mentally ill, the addicted and outdoorsmen will more than likely stay on the street.
Posted November 08, 2008
Tiddledeewinks says:
Jesus said- When you do it unto the least of these your brethren you do it unto me. In other words, it is OUR test to see what WE will do, I believe. And you are right, anyone of us can face instant disaster of one kind or another at any given moment. So the Golden Rule STILL applies here- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Put yourself in their shoes for a moment and see how you would want to be treated. On the other hand, there ARE those who would waste money on foolish things like cigarettes. We could donate NEEDED items, such as you are doing instead of money, that you don't know where it would be spent. Remember, we're all in this life together.
Posted October 30, 2008
dc64 says:
No, I was homeless when I ran from a bad situation. I was 19. I lived under a bridge, and then an abandoned car. I got a job washing dishes on the week-ends for a local diner, and the owner let me wash my hair and sponge-off in the bathroom sink. Sometimes, these things just happen.
Posted October 28, 2008
Lisa says:
No I believe they just lose their way and dont know how to get back where God intended us to. Sometimes life is hard and hard times happen!
Posted October 21, 2008
BethErickson says:
I believe it's not true. Everyone needs a home. It's just unfortunate to others that they lost their home.
Posted September 25, 2008
Should we only look down on them?
EelKat says:
My family was homeless from May 2006 - February 2007, after fight a flood and than a fire destroyed are home. The flood left my dad in a coma, resulting in over a million dollars in medical bills. My dad was the only person in the family with a job (our religion does not allow women to work), so we suddenly had no income. We lost our house, our cloths, everything. All we had left was what we were wearing when it happened and I was in the building when is burned, both my cloths and my hair were pretty much cinders.
We turned to family for help, who due to religious convictions said that "god was punishing us" and they than refused to help us because they "would not get in the way of god's plan"; they continued by saying that "god intended man to be self-sufficient", meaning that we had to help ourselves. our friends (from the same religion, btw) said the same. We went to the bishop for help, and was given this same answer yet again.
In the end, we stuck out Maine's 2006 record breaking sub-zero winter, (coldest winter on record since 1927 we were told) by living for 8 months in a "tent" we built out of a tarp and some cinder blocks. We kept warm during the day by staying in the Maine Mall from 9 AM to 10PM. We ate about 4 meals per week at the Salvation Army (they don't serve food every day). The rest of the days were spent in search of wood, leaves, and paper that we could burn at night to keep warm.
Thankfully, 2 months in, I was able to get a job at the Mall, and was able to afford to buy enough food so we could eat every day again. Not having food to eat every day is terrible and you notice just how much you eat, real quick when you have no food at all.
Our time was spent mostly trying to find scraps of food to eat and anything we could burn to keep warm. I always hear people complaining that homeless people are just out looking for money, but you know what? Money is the LAST thing on your mind when you are homeless. Never once did we "panhandle" or "beg for money". Believe me, when you are starving and cold, money is the farthest thing from your mind. I know. All of your time is spent worrying how many days (not hours, but days) it'll be before your next meal, or worrying that the snow will collapse your tent while you are asleep and you'll die before sunrise.
Being homeless is very, very scary, you worry about not living to see tomorrow more than anything else.
You learn to pick trash cans for food, and to pick up bottles and cans to turn in for money to buy food.
Also, you have to deal with a lot of stuck up snobby people throwing things at you (rocks and tin cans mostly), tearing your tent apart while you are away so that you have to keep rebuilding it, and wild animals attacking you at night. (fishers, martens, bobcat, and bear, in our case... my cat who lived in the tent with us was badly scarred by a marten. He's lucky to be alive at all.)
Also, you lose lots of weight (I lost 30 lbs) and you get used to walking miles and miles a day.
You learn that asking to take a shower at a friends house is taboo, and so must go month after month without washing... best you can do is to wash your face in the restroom of a store, but don't keep going to the same store or they'll call the police on you.
You also learn that not taking a shower well cause people to tease you, throw things at you, and go around saying very bad things about you to every one, so that every one who sees you now hates you before they've met you..
You well feel unloved, unwanted, hated, and become deeply depressed. There well be nights when you lay awake staring at the blackness of the tarp above you and wishing tonight's snowstorm will collapse it on you and smother you in your sleep so that you won't have to wake up and suffer another day in this world where humans you once called family and friend are now your worst enemies and hate you, simply because you no longer have a house to live in.
Being homeless was shear hell, I hated it. That was the worst year of my life, but thing that was worse was not the being homeless itself, as much as seeing your friends and family for the first time as who they really are. Believe me, you REALLY find out who your true friends are when you become homeless. We found out that with our friends and relatives, religion and keeping up appearances was more important than your friends. They pretended not to know us. Having no one to talk to during this ordeal, was the hardest thing of all.
Posted September 15, 2008
Handmade Scarves
Loud applause for...
Donna Rutherford, Tulsa. Donna brought in a tub full of handmade scarves. Oh, the colors, the textures. They are great. Thank you, Donna. I love the fuzzy purple one. Such excellent quality. These will be a great hit at the Day Center for the Homeless.Sydonna Pollard - Chester, N.Y. sent scarves
Beverly Davis - Gilmer, TX sent a scarf
Linda McClaflin - Sand Springs, OK - one scarf
Carol Nelson - Bixby, OK - 1 scarf
Jen Grossnickle - Colorado - 6 scarves
Hats
Loud applause for...
Judith Von Holten, Bixby, made half a dozen beautiful hats. I like this style of hat. Great job, Judith. Donated Hats
Received 30 handmade hats from Pauline Johns in Stroud. Great job, Pauline.An anonymous donor in Skiatook sent in some hats and yarn - way to go, Skiatook!!! :-)
Another state heard from: *TEXAS*
Beverly Davis from Gilmer, Texas mailed a box of 21 hats and a nice, warm neck scarf to match one of them.
Barbara from Broken Arrow, OK brought 2 bags of hats she made. People - Barbara is 83 years young and still crocheting for homeless people!!! She's amazing. :-)
Ms. Ricks from Tulsa sent 13 hats that she made.
Sydonna Pollard sent 7 hats along with the scarves.
Jan Olmstead from Broken Arrow - 12 handmade hats brought in by her husband, Steve.
Linda McClaflin - Sand Springs, OK - 50 hats
Carol Nelson - Bixby, OK - 34 hats
Cindy Cardona - Mercedes, TX - 5 hats
Susie Van Dusen - Skiatook, OK - 13 hats
Linda Castellan - Buffalo, NY - 4 hats
Kristine Woosley - Gulf Shores, AL - 3 hats
Ms Harold Reed - Fayettevill, GA - 11 hats
Billie Vann - Inola, OK - 32 hats
Ruby Hockett - Inola, OK - 2 hats
Donated Yarn
This is part of 3 large bags sent by Janie Gill and Maxine Clinton from Tulsa, OK. Thank you, ladies. This is making a LOT of hats. :-) 
Marjorie Abeling from Inola, OK called me to pick up this large load of yarn. She is such a nice lady. She said her sister used to crochet but passed away two years ago. Marjorie was glad the yarn could go to a good cause. Thank you, Marjorie. More yarn donated:
Elizabeth Minnis - Okmulgee - Another box from Elizabeth came in this week. Just picked up 3rd box of yarn at post office from Elizabeth.In memory of Kathy Skelton - Tulsa
Billie Hoffman - Tulsa
Pearl Mallet - Stigler
Becky Miller - Catoosa - 2nd donation
Carolyn Crump - Tulsa - 2nd donation
Anonymous - Collinsville
Anonymous - Salina
Lois Lind - Tulsa
Mrs. Allison - Tulsa
Dorothy Goode - Tulsa
Jana Twombley - Cookson
Kathy Lucas - Bartlesville
Karen Ryan - Tulsa
Jonnie Williams - Tulsa
Thank you, folks. There will be a lot more warm heads this winter because of your help.
Anita Waters from Claremore brought 5 large (33 gallon) black trashbags full of yarn. Thank you, Anita. I'll be making hats in my sleep.
Anonymous - unknown city/state
Out-of-State Yarn Donors:
Betsy Nelson - Lawrence, Mississippi :-)
Carolyn Loftis - Yuma, Arizona :-)
Flyer
Talent in Skiatook
Susie Van Dusen, Skiatook, is not only crocheting hats, but she made a flyer for the project. She is such a talented lady. This picture is the best I can do just to give you an idea of what the flyer looks like. She's passing some out in Skiatook and I'll do the same here in Catoosa and around Tulsa. Thank you very much, Susie. You are great. ;-) You Can Make A Difference
- Make A Difference Day, USA WEEKEND's national day of helping others
-
Home ;About Make A Difference Day; How to Get Involved; Make A Difference DAYtaBANK;
Find A Project; Register A Project; Project Ideas; Idea Generator;
What Others Have Done; Project Tools.
How My Project Started
My mother taught me to crochet when I was about 15 years old. It seemed so complicated at that time. Everything I made ended up having very round corners. Since I was so busy being a teenager, I put it away. When I was 21, I became pregnant with my first child. That was when I had time to slow down enough to get in some crochet practice. I made baby clothes and edged them all with crochet. As the years went by, I tried more crochet projects and eventually became fairly proficient with the crochet hook.Now my children (2) and grandchildren (6) have all the crocheted blankets, pillows, hats, etc. that they can stand. But I have to keep crocheting. It's like an addiction - but a good one. And I finally found a good outlet for my compulsion. Hats for the homeless. Those people make me feel so good when I take my hats to the Day Center for the Homeless. Never has any one of them said, "Oh, no. Not another hat." They say, "Thank you" and "God bless you" and "Do you have any gloves?"
Hats I've Made
Here are two of our granddaughters wearing and holding a few of the hats I'm making for donating to the people at the Day Center for the Homeless. Look and Learn
Do we really understand who they are?
- Linda's Hats For The Homeless
- This is my own website for making and giving hats to homeless people. This is where you can go to contact me for your hats, gloves, or yarn donations.
- Homelessness - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- 16.1 Other itinerant or homeless people or terms for this condition ... The term used to describe homeless people in academic articles and government ...
- Facts About Homelessness
- Why Are People Homeless? Updated August 2007. How Many People Experience Homelessness? Updated August 2007. Who is Homeless? Updated August 2007. Issues: ...
- Homeless People's Network
- An online discussion among homeless and formerly homeless individuals. Discussions and archives may be viewed by all.
- Where Do Homeless People Sleep?
- The obvious "homeless people" are those who are sleeping on the street, in doorways and alleys, on park benches or behind bushes. ...
Fourth Annual Giving of the Hats
This coming winter will be my fourth year to make and give away hats to people at the Day Center for the Homeless in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I always take someone to help me hand out the hats. My grandchildren really enjoy being able to do this with me. I took a friend one year, and my boss and a co-worker went with me last year. So far, during the last 3 winters, we have given well over 300 hats that I crocheted. We actually go twice a year, once during the first really cold week of the winter and a second time a few days before Christmas. Here's my favorite link:
Countdown to "Make A Difference Day"
It won't be summer forever.
October 25, 2008 - Make A Difference Day. I intend to make at least 80 hats by then.August 2 - 16 hats finished. 85 days to go.
August 22 - 45 hats finished.
September 1 - 61 hats finished.
September 8 - 71 hats finished.
September 15 - 79 hats finished.
September 29 - 83 hats finished.
October 10 - 95 hats finished.
October 14 - 12 scarves
I met my goal for Make A Difference Day.
Now I can start working on my goal for December.
Another 80 hats at least.
Reader Feedback
grandma_deal wrote...
Your help will be much appreciated, not only by me, but the homeless people who will wear your scarves. I expect to make my next trip to the Homeless Center in October '09.
Posted April 03, 2009
GlobalGypsy wrote...
What an amazing outlet for your talent! I have been passing on blankets to nursing homes and Red Cross, because I crochet more stuff than I and all my family and friends could ever use! I'm going to start on some scarves to send your way. Bless you!
Posted April 03, 2009
Wysiwigs wrote...
What a wonderful mission you have with your hats for the homeless :o) I salute you not only for making a difference yourself, but for taking the time to encourage others to do the same ~ 5*
Http://www.Squidoo.com/ConnieCrankpot
Posted March 29, 2009
lisadh wrote...
It's amazing what one person with a good idea and a kind heart can accomplish. The world needs more people like you. :-)
Posted March 08, 2009
dustytoes wrote...
Super wonderful and compassionate lens. God bless you for all you do to help the homeless stay warm. Lensrolling and 5 stars!
Posted January 24, 2009
Frankster wrote...
What a wonderful lens. Linda, thank you for all you do for the homeless and those in need. 5 stars, a favorite, and I'm now a FAN! Bear hugs, Frankie aka Bearmeister
Posted December 18, 2008
chefkeem wrote...
A hearty SquidAngel Blessing for your goodness, Linda! I promise to send a picture with my wonderful crocheted bag from you, as soon as I have my camera fixed. :)
Posted December 18, 2008
OhMe wrote...
This is a wonderful charity and a wonderful lens. Great job all the way around.
Posted November 19, 2008
Comfortdoc wrote...
Thank you for including this in the Month of Thanks Challenge.
Posted November 11, 2008
Tiddledeewinks wrote...
To clear up a "misconception" here. My children were "kidnapped" from me and I was taken to court on totally "FALSE" abuse charges , because 12 years AFTER my divorce from an emotionally abusive man, I remarried, and filing "FALSE" charges was the only way they (my ex and daughter) could take my boys from me. My ex refused to pay real estate taxes and trashed his yard to be an eyesore, so that is why the town became involved. These two are very anti-religious and my ex tried many times to destroy myself and other church members, only because they were church members. Then my ex has the nerve to go to that same church to ask for help with bills he refused to pay. He has continually taken me to court and harasses me to no end. Yes, he was in a semi-coma, but came back fighting worse than before and leaves hate notes daily. My ex tried to get my boys to be emancipated from me just because I remarried and tells them I am no longer their mother. Now I ask, should this person be helped.
Posted October 30, 2008
dc64 wrote...
I love when people let their humanity shine through. God bless you!
Posted October 28, 2008
JaguarJulie wrote...
Linda, your crocheting talents are amazing. You also have the biggest heart and I am touched to count you as a friend. I have done a blog post today to help support your 'hats for homeless' @ http://jaguarjulie.blogspot.com/2008/10/hats-for-homeless-yarn-of-good-deeds.html. I will be doing another blog post to, well, discuss your other talents of crocheting! Very amazing stuff. ;)
Posted October 24, 2008
GrowWear wrote...
You are a ray of sunshine. I wish you great success and even more of the many personal blessings I am sure you get from this endeavor. (5*Fav and Lensroll)
Posted October 21, 2008
BethErickson wrote...
You did a great job. I believe we can help each other out to give shelter to the homeless. You deserve 5 stars! I am sharing this to my family and friends. :)
Posted September 25, 2008
triathlontraining wrote...
Wonderful lens and an especially nice thing you do.
Posted September 20, 2008
triathlontraining wrote...
Wonderful lens and an especially nice thing you do.
Posted September 20, 2008
by grandma_deal
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