Where in the world did September, October, and November go? I blinked and they were gone! Was it the same for you?
Here in Denver it was summer temperatures until late October, and then we had 18" of snow by November 8th! And you know what that means, the requests for items are flooding in! One school, with a very high percentage of free and reduced lunch students, requested over 2,000 items! The world is very much in need right now and we are doing what we can to make it a safer, warmer place. On that note, I want to thank you for your unwavering support of our mission throughout 2024. Together, we have made a remarkable impact, delivering thousands of handmade items across Colorado and beyond. However, our work is far from over.
At Knitting4Peace, we envision a world where everyone has access to warm clothing and items that provide comfort and dignity. Sadly, for many in our communities, hats, scarves, and special pals are luxuries they cannot afford. We can change that, but we need your financial assistance. If you wish to support K4P you can make a one-time donation or join our monthly donor program called, Peace Makers. You can learn more about the Peace Makers below!
As a small nonprofit run by part-time staff, increased resources would enable us to expand our programs and reach even more individuals. Please consider supporting Knitting4Peace this Giving Season. Your contribution will help us continue to provide love and comfort to those who need it most. We are needed now more than ever. With gratitude,
Kelly Wulf, Executive Director |
| My dog, Murray, reminding you it's Giving Season! |
IMPORTANT GIVING SEASON DATES: -
Tuesday, December 3- Giving Tuesday
- Tuesday, December 10- Colorado Gives Day
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Tuesday, December 31- Last day to maximize your 2024 tax benefits by donating to Knitting4Peace. Make sure to date your check in 2024 and mail before the end of the year!
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Community Member of the Month: Remembering Claudia Pfannenstiel
Last month, we lost a special member of the Knitting4Peace family when Claudia Pfannenstiel passed away. Claudia was married to Gary, whom she’d known since she was three years old. She was a devoted mother of three, a teacher, an international traveler, and a long-time crafter who was the embodiment of the saying “If you want something done, give it to a busy person.” She swam laps every morning at 5:30 AM, was an active participant in multiple groups (mahjong, book clubs, card-making, knitting, and quilting to name a few), was a non-stop crafter, voracious reader, and still found time to keep up with her favorite soap opera.
Claudia first learned of Knitting4Peace in 2020 and brought the idea of forming a Peace Pod to her knitting group. They soon became known as the “In Stitches Peace Pod” and have actively donated to K4P ever since. Claudia loved making finger puppets, Peace Pals, and baby blankets, though her favorite items were her adorable quilted NICU blankets. Three years ago, Claudia joined the K4P Intake crew, along with her friends/fellow Peace Pod members, Lee and JoAnn. Together, they spent hours each month eagerly opening boxes and sorting donated items. Claudia also served as a dedicated “Repair Angel” and was always willing to add a cheery smile or happy eyes to Peace Pals in need of a bit of facial reconstruction.
The loss of Claudia is deeply felt by friends, family, her Peace Pod, and all of us here at Knitting4Peace. We will miss her smiling face and her energetic, kind demeanor. The Pfannenstiel family kindly asked for donations to K4P in lieu of flowers. |
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End of Year Giving & Becoming A Peace Maker |
End of Year Giving Please consider making an end of year gift to Knitting4Peace.
Your contribution is tax deductible and helps us to provide handmade, essential items of warmth to those who need it most.
There are many ways to support Knitting4Peace that will also maximize your tax benefits. Please consult your tax professional and consider an end of year gift to support K4P's mission. - Utilize your donor advised funds
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Donate from your IRA
- Date and send checks and all donations prior to the end of calendar year 2024
End of Year Giving Tips:
Make a donation online HERE or mail donations to:
Knitting4Peace, 2600 Leyden St, Denver, CO 80207
Knitting4Peace is a nonprofit organization. Tax ID 74-3227542
Who are the Peace Makers?
Peace Makers are friends who choose to make a monthly donation to Knitting4Peace. There are several levels of being a Peace Maker and you can choose what best suits you! Each level is named after a revolutionary crafter who we find inspiring. You can learn all about them HERE
I already donate- why does being a Peace Maker matter?
Monthly donations, no matter the size, are what sustain K4P. It is regular, consistent revenue that we can rely on and utilize each month. We appreciate any and all donations whenever someone chooses, but it is good to know we can rely on the monthly Peace Makers to sustain our programming each month. What benefit do I get if I am a monthly Peace Maker?
There are tons of benefits! From workshops and prize drawing entries, to useful and thoughtful K4P merchandise. It all depends on what level you choose to give. We have our first Peace Makers Workshop coming soon in 2025 with the History of Revolutionary Crafters! However, the biggest benefit is knowing you are sustaining a very small nonprofit every single month. How do I join?
It is easy! Simply go to https://www.coloradogives.org/donate/Knitting4Peace
Once on the webpage, make sure to select "Monthly Donation" instead of "One-time Donation". Once you complete the donation, we get an email notification and will sign you up for your level! If you are not an online person, that's ok! Just let us know that you plan to send a monthly check and we will be on the look out for that. We are SO grateful for our existing monthly donors and we simply couldn't get through each year without you! Thank you for your belief in our mission! | |
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We are so grateful to you for all the amazing work you do and for sharing your talents with those in need. As you create, please remember to follow our K4P Guidelines which allow us to quickly distribute requested items to recipient organizations. Ask yourself the following questions:
1) Does the item meet K4P Guidelines? Hats must be a minimum of 13” in circumference (no premie sizes!). Baby blankets must be at least 26” on all sides. Scarves should be WARM and a minimum of 4” wide and 40” long. Peace pals should be 5”-7” with realistic skin tones, friendly smiles and no “x” eyes.
2) Is this an item I would be proud to give to a good friend or family member? 3) Is it handmade and fully finished, with yarn ends sewn in?
4) Did I check with K4P before sending any unusual items? Our recipient organizations regularly request hats, scarves, mittens, baby blankets, finger puppets, and Peace Pals. They typically do not have an easy way to distribute other items, no matter how beautiful, useful, or fun they might be so please check with us before sending in items not on this list. 5) Did I make sure the item is free of any pet hair or strong scents? Pet hair can be a danger for infants or recipients with allergies. Removing it is time-consuming for our volunteers. Thanks again for your creativity and generosity. We appreciate you! |
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Pals, Mittens, and Blankets, Oh my! |
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Peace Pals, Mittens, Small baby blankets
We have a very high need for Peace Pals with dark brown and medium skin tones. Please make sure all Pals have friendly faces and meet requirements on website. Pals with hijabs are always in high demand.
Mittens are one of our most requested items and we typically send them out as soon as we receive them. We understand these are more time-consuming to make and are grateful whenever we see them come in. We need all sizes for young children to adults.
We currently have an abundance of regular sized baby blankets but continue to have a strong need for small (26”-30”) baby blankets. Please make sure they are a minimum of 26” in length and width as we are not able to distribute smaller sizes. As always, if you have questions about size requirements, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Jo@knitting4peace.org |
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Free Workshop Announcement:
Peace Pal Make-A-Longs
On November 21st we had our first Peace Pal Make-A-Long and it was a huge success! This first meeting revolved around getting started with your Pal. Evelyn, Peace Pal maker extraordinaire, walked us through all the beginning steps and will host several more workshops in the coming months so we can all make the very best Pals possible. This workshop is completely free and open to everyone. Even if you do not want to make a Peace Pal, but would like the company of fellow crafters, please join us for the next two workshops! Use the button on the right to register!
If you missed the first event you can catch the recording on YouTube HERE!
- December 3, 2024 (4-6pm MT): Stuffing, seaming, basic face and hair
- January 8, 2025 (4-6pm MT): Accessories, fun hair, glasses
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MORE DATES ANNOUNCED SOON!
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Please note: Our donation intake is run solely by volunteers. Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to immediately acknowledge each package as it arrives. Remember, you can always track your package with your carrier.
Remember, mailing costs qualify as tax-deductible nonprofit donations. Keep your receipts! Due to a lack of storage, K4P cannot accept yarn donations unless they are new and still in the original wrapper. Thank you for understanding. |
| Mail or bring items to: 2600 N. Leyden St., Denver, CO 80207 Drop-Off hours: Monday through Thursday, 9am-12pm
The church is no longer staffed by an assistant so please be sure to go during the timeframe mentioned above. Ring the doorbell and you will be let into the church to drop off your items.
EACH mailed box or dropped-off bag must include a note with the DATE, NAME, MAILING ADDRESS, E-MAIL, AND PEACE POD. |
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HAVE A QUESTION ON HOW TO MAKE SOMETHING? ASK ARNA! |
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Are you ready to support the mission of Knitting4Peace?
Donate using the button below! |
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Contact Arna@knitting4peace.org with questions about patterns and guidelines. Check out our social media posts for the latest news (links below). If you have questions about deliveries or donations please email info@knitting4peace.org. ALL donations sustain our work. Donate online or mail checks to:
2600 Leyden Street, Denver, CO 80207
Donations to Knitting4Peace are tax-deductible. |
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