Welcome to the Maine Mitten Project!
The Maine Mitten Project began as a part of the Fryeburg Fair Fiber Center Program. After 3 years, the Fiber Center has turned the project over to Sandra Paul of South Portland, Maine so that it can continue as a smaller version of it's original. We are thankful that someone has had the interest in continuing this important community project!
Homelessness always conjures up the images of primarily adult men with substance abuse and mental illness issues. However true that may be, homelessness around the Nation as well as Maine also includes veterans and families; women with children often leaving abusive situations or those in the lower socio economic sectors who may have lost their job in these difficult economic times. Let’s also not forget the sad reality of youths that have no place to call home for a variety of reasons. The troubled, runaways, sometimes unwanted young, trying to escape abuse and troubling situations or those simply finding themselves alone and in need of help, comprise a category of homelessness that is hard to even imagine.
Homelessness always conjures up the images of primarily adult men with substance abuse and mental illness issues. However true that may be, homelessness around the Nation as well as Maine also includes veterans and families; women with children often leaving abusive situations or those in the lower socio economic sectors who may have lost their job in these difficult economic times. Let’s also not forget the sad reality of youths that have no place to call home for a variety of reasons. The troubled, runaways, sometimes unwanted young, trying to escape abuse and troubling situations or those simply finding themselves alone and in need of help, comprise a category of homelessness that is hard to even imagine.
In the 2010 Annual
Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, youths under the age of 18
represented 21.8% of the Nations homeless while persons in families represented
35.2% of the Nations homeless.
The Maine
Mitten Project is being presented to help
keep Maine’s homeless children and adults a little warmer and to let them know
someone cares about them.
Anyone who
knits, crochets, felts or wants to learn how, can make mittens, hats or scarves
for children and adults to donate for a great cause. The hand-mades will be
collected throughout the year delivered to Preble Street in Portland, Maine & WIC in Biddeford, Maine.
The greatest numbers of homeless people are from urban areas so
we have identified shelters in Maine’s largest population areas to be the
recipients of our handmade donations. We have partnered with Preble Street in
Portland for Cumberland County, and WIC in Biddeford for York County.
It is our
hope that you will be inspired to create for this project whether it's because
you love the Traditional Arts, want to learn them, or are a kind soul who wants
to help those in need.
The greatest numbers of homeless people are from urban areas so
we have identified shelters in Maine’s largest population areas to be the
recipients of our handmade donations. We have partnered with Preble Street in
Portland for Cumberland County, and WIC in Biddeford for York County.
