Scarves With A Purpose!

Welcome to SWAP
Scarves With A Purpose!

A "Tight-Knit" Community Effort.

Knitting scarves for the homeless and deserving.

Interested in Knitting?

To volunteer to teach knitting

To learn how to knit

To volunteer to knit

To donate yarn

To donate scarves

To learn more about SWAP

Suggestions?


Scarves, and scarf-knitting and crocheting supplies, have been graciously donated by people from:

Northbrook, IL; Santa Barbara, CA; Tampa Bay, FL;  Millegeville, GA ; Boston, MA; Deerfield, IL; New York, NY; Grand Rapids, MI; Sacramento, CA; Chicago, IL; Gurnee, IL; Oreland, PA; Missouri; Barrington, IL; Arlington Heights, IL; Del Ray Beach, FL; Decherd, TN; Maryland; Ft. Myers, FL; Honolulu, Hawaii; Harvest, AL; Richmond, VA;  Orland Park, IL; Grove City, OH; Ann Arbor, MI; Durham, New Hampshire; Champaign, IL

 ... where next?!


Charities of Note:

Connections for the Homeless - Serving homeless adults and families and those threatened with homelessness.

Housing Opportunities and Maintenance for the Elderly (H.O.M.E.) - Committed to improving the quality of life for Chicago’s low-income elderly.

A Safe Place - Providing shelter, court advocacy, referrals and comprehensive counseling programs for victims of domestic violence - women and children.

PADS Crisis Services, Inc. - A not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to Providing Advocacy, Dignity, and Shelter to the homeless in Lake County, Illinois.
 


Official SWAP Branches:

  • Northbrook Illinois
  • Durham, New Hampshire
  • Ann Arbor, Michigan
  • Champaign, Illinois

... where next?!


 

More thanTwenty-Five Hundred!!! scarves donated to date!

Knitted by hundreds of knitters in the Chicagoland area,
and from around the United States, and Canada!

Knit with other SWAP-ers, in person, on the last Friday of each month!
Email for details.

The Story of SWAP

"My mom learned to knit from her mom. She was always knitting like crazy, so one day in junior high I asked her to teach me. Then I was knitting like crazy! We started making scarves for family and friends as holiday gifts. After about six months of keeping their necks warm, we realized that there were far more people out there who really needed a hug around the neck - the homeless. We thought we should knit some scarves for those who could use them in this cold Chicago weather. And so it began.

"My friends decided they wanted to learn how to knit, too. One thing led to another, and here we are - everyone's HOOKED!!!!! I now hold monthly S.W.A.P. meetings where all are welcome to knit all night long. Sometimes we have as many as 50 people at one time! Every time a scarf is finished, we roll it up and attach a tag, box it up, and off it goes to a homeless shelter. Sometimes we’ll go and knit at another school or a nursing home. Sometimes we even cook and bring dinner to a shelter in Evanston. Now with the web site, we receive yarn and scarves from people far and wide - all working to help Scarves With A Purpose.

"Unfortunately, my grandmother never got to see S.W.A.P. materialize. I know that she somehow knows, though, and is smiling from above.

"I'd be particularly pleased if you'd like to join us in making a difference. To learn more, follow a link on the left side of the page."

- Melanie Hebeisen

NEWS and NOTEWORTHY

by Jodi Hebeisen

January 2010:

October 2009:

  • ANOTHER TWO NEW S.W.A.P. BRANCHES HAVE BEEN FORMED!  One at the University of Michigan, and another at the University of Illinois. Yes, the girls are growing up and have started new clubs at college! All scarves knitted will be donated locally.
  • We are still getting interested knitters from around the country -- BIG donations from Virginia, Chicago, New York, Georgia, and as always, Florida! Thanks, ever so much.
  • Under the heading of "Happy Birthday to YOU!" our "oldest" knitter just turned 105 this year!  

January 2009:

  • A NEW BRANCH OF S.W.A.P. HAS BEEN FORMED! A group of knitters in New Hampshire has decided to hand out scarves to the homeless on their streets this month. It has been reported that 55 scarves have been completed and ready to go.

December 2008:

  • 65 scarves were donated to the PADS Crisis Center in Libertyville, Illinois.
  • A group of retired ladies in Florida who call themselves The Sunshine Knitters have sent about 65 to date "to help keep our Northern friends warm". 

November 2008:

  • Roughly 50 Glenbrook North High School (Northbrook, Illinois) students handed out 50 scarves to the homeless on the streets of Chicago the day before Thanksgiving. It was the first attempt of physically handing them out and proved to be very successful.

August 2008:

  • Close to 500 scarves were received by knitters across the country and from the Friday night meetings and donated to Connections for the Homeless. Dinner was also cooked and served at Hilda's Place.

June 2008:

  •  15 knitters go to Norwood Crossing to knit with the elderly.

March  2008

  • 76 more scarves are donated to Connections for the Homeless.

January 2008 

  • I'm pleased to announce that the scarves are continuing to roll in -  men's scarves, women's scarves, wool scarves, winter scarves, head scarves ... all sorts of shawls and wraps and scarf-like knitting for the homeless and underserved. Another 200, in fact, were recently added to the total - some from as far away as Alabama! Thanks to everyone who's helping the cause.

  • In other news, I'll be teaching basic and advanced knitting at the house, again this year. So, if you want to learn how to knit, increase your knitting skills, or just enjoy some fun storytelling and conversation, all are welcome to join us, in person, on the last Friday of each month! (Email for details.)

  • Too, I'm now also teaching knitting at St. Norbert's Church, here in Northbrook, Illinois, on the first Tuesday of each month. 

  • And, I just finished a class at Glenbrook North High School for the HERO (Home Economics Cooperative Education) class. 

March 2007

  • SWAP is alive and well.

  • In fact, we've been receiving scarves for the homeless via mail from some fabulous knitters in California, Florida, and throughout the Chicagoland area - that's 100 more scarves ready to be donated, courtesy of the winter's knitters! Thank you one and all for knitting your Scarves with a Purpose!

  • Too, this summer we'll be doing more soup kitchen work and helping out at the shelter.

  • Stay tuned, volunteers. And keep knitting!

July 2005

  • It's too hot to knit in the summer! Come back when the weather's cooler, yes?!

March 2005

  • Jodi Hebeisen is invited to teach students at Wood Oaks Junior High (Northbrook, District 27) and to talk about SWAP.

February 2005

  • SWAP received a donation of more than 200 skeins of yarn this month to knit and donate scarves.

January 2005

  • SWAP expanded its services to include cooking meals for the residents of Connections for the Homeless in Evanston, Illinois. As an added bonus, 142 knit scarves were delivered to them.

November 2004

  • Connections for the Homeless receives more than 100 scarves from Scarves with a Purpose, benefiting both Hilda's Place shelter residents and the organization's Entry Point program.

November 2004

  • The Northbrook Star (a Pioneer Press newspaper) prominently featured an article on SWAP.

October 2004

  • The knitting club of Maple School (Northbrook, Illinois District 30) joined the SWAP movement. This middle school added an option of  knitting scarves to the list of approved activities for their annual eighth-grade service project.

September 2004

November 2003

  • SWAP donates almost 130 scarves to A Safe Place, a Chicago-area battered women's shelter and PADS, a homeless shelter and soup kitchen in Waukegan, Illinois that serves people throughout Lake County, Illinois.

June 2003

  • First SWAP-meet (knitting party) held for aspiring knitters.

Each scarf comes with a tag that reads: "A group of crafters has been knitting and crocheting scarves to let you know someone out there cares about you. Wrap this around your neck and feel the love."

It's time to knit!

Knitting - it's not just for grandmas anymore!

Founded in 2003 in loving memory of "Cookie"

      last updated: January 27, 2010