Hospital auxiliary knitters help keep kids warm one stitch at a time

At the PECM Hospital Auxiliary presentation of 282 handmade sets of hats and mittens, from left, are: Barb Sills, OPP Community Engagement Officer, Rosemary Moore, volunteer knitter, PEC OPP Constable Alexandre Lebel, Lynda Jenkins, volunteer knitter, Cathy Lemkow, craft group manager. Missing from the photograph are volunteer knitters Kathy Watt, Pam Huckle, Wilma Spiers, Angie Hall, Julie Yardley-Chang, Kathleen Hanna, and Diane Splaine.

The Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Auxiliary Craft Group has once again made a heartwarming contribution to the Keep Kids Warm program.

This year, the group presented the Prince Edward County OPP with 282 handmade sets of hats and mittens, lovingly knitted for local children. The cozy creations will be distributed alongside new boots and winter outerwear to families who need a little extra help to keep children warm through the cold months.

The Craft Group has proudly supported the program for more than a decade.
The Keep Kids Warm initiative, led by the PEC OPP and neighbouring police detachments, helps working families and those in need to purchase new winter clothing for their children. Registration for this year’s program took place in September, and parents who signed up can collect their child’s warm gear from Monday Nov. 3rd to Wednesday Nov. 5th between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. at the PEC OPP detachment (569 County Road 1).

This year, the program aims to assist approximately 1,500 children, from newborns to 12-year-olds. Key partners include Quinte Broadcasting, Belleville Police Service, the Township of Stirling-Rawdon, Marmora and Lake, Centre Hastings OPP, and Prince Edward OPP. Families participating in the program come from across the region — including Prince Edward County, Belleville, Madoc, Marmora, and Deseronto.