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I received a call yesterday from the Director of Sexual Assault Victim Advocacy at the YWCA. She called because they have given out almost all the scarves we have delivered and she wanted to know if we had more ready that they could have.

She met me today to pick up the ones we had ready. You may be wondering… do we really need scarves in the summer?  Unfortunately, yes –she told me that they have been very busy recently, meeting survivors and handing out scarves as they begin a journey of healing.

Even though it may be 100+ degrees outside, a hospital room can feel ice cold, and having a handmade gift that carries a note letting you know you’re not alone helps just a tiny bit at a really tough time.

So, if you can knit or crochet, we need you! The need is great and ongoing, please join us.

Some months it’s a lot easier to be excited about our Work Day than others. There are months that I feel caught up at work and home, I feel like I’ve spent a good amount of time with my family, and I feel rested –these are the months that are easy to be ready to attend. There are other months that one or all of those areas seems like it needs serious attention and it’s difficult to want to take out an afternoon that could be used on something that feels so needed.

But, I’ve never yet wished I didn’t go to our Work Day. Each month I’m refreshed by spending time with our volunteers, I’m encouraged by their participation, I’m impressed by their creativity in the scarves they donate, and I’m strengthened to know that I’m not the only one recovering from a traumatic experience.

I’m glad we continue to have monthly Work Days. I’ve found that those few hours make a good positive impact in my life, and in the lives of others.

So, as it’s Work Day Eve, I’m looking forward to tomorrow afternoon! I’m excited to reconnect with the friends I’ve made through this project and I’m hopeful we’ll have a new face or two join us as we continue to try to offer a bit of comfort to other survivors.

We now have dates for our Work Days for the second half of 2013. We hope to see you at one!

• July 14
• August 4
• September 8
• October 6
• November 3
• December 1

We meet in room A111 at the Memorial Road Church of Christ in Edmond, OK.

It seems that year after year many of us start out hoping, and maybe even planning, to lose some weight and be healthier. Then, regular post-holiday life kicks back in and we continue in our old ways.

This year, if you’re looking for some motivation to move and be healthier, how about joining the YWCA for a 5K in April?

The 2 Minute 5K is a great event! There are people of all skill levels. Last year we pushed our 7 month old in a stroller, walking the whole way. We came in 2nd to last, but were proud to finish!

This information from the YWCA OKC explains where the event gets it’s name:

“Did you know know every two minutes someone in the United States is sexually assaulted? You can help us take a stand against this crime by participating in our 2 Minute 5K on April 20 at Stars and Stripes Park! Whether you participate as a runner, walker, volunteer or even spectator, you will have a voice in saying “no” to sexual violence in our community.”

You can find more information and register online.

We have our monthly work days planned for the first part of 2013. We spend this time working on scarves, packaging them and visiting.  Here are the dates:

• January 13
• February 3
• March 3
• April 7
• May 5
• June 2

We’ll meet from 2-5pm on these Sundays at the Memorial Road Church of Christ in Edmond.

Hope to see you there!

We’ve scheduled our Work Days for the rest of 2012. Hope to see you at some of them!

July 15

August 5

September 9

October 7

November 4

December 9

We’ll be in Room A101 at the Memorial Road church of Christ from 2pm – 4:45pm on these dates.

Again this year we are planning to be at a booth during the YWCA 2 Minute 5 K.

It’s been a neat event for us the past 2 years, we’ve enjoyed meeting survivors and volunteers who distribute the scarves.

If you’re in OKC this weekend, swing on by to say hi, or better yet sign up to walk or run in the race.

Check out the details.

It was so exciting to receive over 30 scarves from family members of YWCA staff!

They came from people in Wisconsin and Oklahoma City.

What a great contribution to this project! It’s so cool that we really can partner with people all over the place.

You don’t have to live right here in Oklahoma to participate. Through various connections and shipping services anyone can join us in offering comfort to survivors!

During the first two years that Threads OKC has been happening we’ve gotten a lot of use out of a couple of nice patterns. The variety of colors and textures has been really cool to see as completed scarves have been donated.

For this month, I thought it would fun to select a pattern for us to all work on together. Lion Brand Yarn has a pattern online that looks neat to try. You can find it here. 

I think it will be fun to see finished scarves in the coming months that are made with the same pattern, yet turn out different based on the yarn selection.

We can even share our finished products on the Facebook page so that people who can’t attend the monthly work day can see how it’s going.