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Rensselaer Staff Participate in “Warm Up America” Project
More than 40 members of the Rensselaer community are knitting afghans as part of “Warm Up America,” a nationwide effort to provide blankets for individuals and families in need. The idea to initiate the project at Rensselaer came from Jody Malm, administrative secretary in the Office of the Provost, who was searching online for a crochet pattern to give to a co-worker when she came across the Warm Up America Web site.
According to the national organization, its primary purpose is to promote, organize, implement, and assist in the creation of afghan blankets by volunteers and to distribute the blankets through social and governmental organizations and agencies serving those in need. Volunteers are encouraged to work with friends, co-workers, and family members to complete a section or an entire afghan and donate it to an organization in their community.
To make a full-size afghan, 49 (7-by-9-inch) rectangles are needed. For the past six months, Malm and several members of the Rensselaer community worked on knitting and crocheting the required sections needed for the project. To date, the volunteers have created more than 200 rectangles. Malm, Melissa Hogan, Eleanor Burns, and Sandy Redman-Butcher have completed assembling two afghans. In addition, there are plans to use the remaining sections to create either two more afghans or four lap throws. At the end of the summer, the group will donate the completed blankest to local organizations.
“I was delighted to find so many giving and caring individuals at Rensselaer who were interested in participating in this worthwhile endeavor,” said Malm. “The individuals who responded to my request are just as enthusiastic about this project as I am. Many have inquired if we will do something similar in the future, with suggestions of making baby blankets, hats and mittens, or chemotherapy caps for cancer patients.”
To view the completed afghans and to see a list of participants, go to http://rpi.edu/~malmj.
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