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Special to The Advocate
EVERETT – For their first-ever community service project, the Parlin Memorial Library Yarn Club came together to create scarves intended for distribution through the Elliot Family Resource Center (FRC) in Everett. The Everett Public Libraries posted a call for donations of yarn and finished items, accepting donations from library patrons outside of the club. The drive ran from October 2023 to December 2023, and with the donated yarn, the Yarn Club crocheted and knitted 105 scarves for the community. Additionally, patrons dropped off 45 other handcrafted items for citizens this winter, including hats, booties, baby blankets and other essentials to provide warmth during the winter season.
“Yarn Club had been meeting every other week starting at the beginning of 2023. It was our first time running the program since its previous existence before COVID, and most members were part of the club before,” said Head of Circulation Victoria Strand, who runs the club’s now weekly meetings on Tuesday nights at the Parlin. “Once the fall came around, we wanted to do some sort of project for the community. So, we chose scarves because they’re something everyone can use and they come together quickly, which meant we could make a lot of them.”
According to Strand, the Yarn Club realized that the FRC would be “the perfect community partner for distribution” due to their frequent food pantries, diaper distributions and community baby shower events.
FRC Program Manager Eleanor Gayhart commented on the Yarn Club’s hard work and the success of the donation drive. “There will be so many happy clients,” she said. “We see so many people come for food pantry and other services without appropriate winter gear, and it will be so meaningful to be able to provide these to them. All the items are beautiful and the club members did such amazing work! We look forward to finding additional ways to collaborate.”
Library Director Kevin Sheehan expressed pride in the staff’s community contribution, inviting everyone to witness one of the Yarn Club’s projects displayed at the Parlin Library. “I’m really proud that our staff found a way to help our community through our Yarn Club. You can come to the Parlin Library to see some of their work festooned on the wall.”
