Charlottetown soup kitchen brings Christmas cheer with handmade hats

Charlottetown's Upper Room Soup Kitchen is adding a personal touch to its Christmas packages for those less fortunate this year handmade hats.

Tracy Carroll and members of herCrochet Room PEI aremaking the crocheted hats for the Hats from the Heart program, so those in need can stay warm this winter.

Carroll says Hats from the Heart came to be when she brainstormed ways to help with soup kitchen manager Tammy MacKinnon.

"We came up with the idea of people purchasing [the hats] at cost and then we would gift them to all the clients who needed them here at the soup kitchen," MacKinnon said.

Many colours, styles

Carroll and MacKinnon started with a goal of 50 hats, but then upped their goal to 100 because of the number of people in need.

The hats will join the pyjamas and toiletries that are staples of the care packages. They also usually include hats, mitts and scarves, typically from the dollar store, but this time they wanted something a bit better.

"The great thing about the hats is that they're very stylish, very hip. They're going to feel very good wearing these," Carroll said. "They're high quality, but they look really awesome, and there are so many different colours, so many different styles."

The hats typically cost $25, but since they're being sold at cost through Hats from the Heart, the hats are now only $10.

So far, Carroll has made 37 hats, and she says several knitters have already reached out to help, including one from Sweden.

'It's a warm gift'

Dee-Dee, a womanwho has been coming to the soup kitchen for years, says she'll be getting one of the packages this year and the hand-knit hats are a special touch.

"I think it will make people feel loved. It's a warm gift," Dee-Dee said. "It makes me feel appreciated. It makes me feel not forgotten. It makes me feel special. I just feel blessed."

Carroll and MacKinnon say it's exciting to do something like this and see the effects.

"Anytime someone feels cared about or is able to feel that they're worth something," Carroll said. "I think that's a positive thing that we've done."

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