VNAEast In the News

Giving back, one loop at a time -- ‘Hot Chicks’ put knitting skills to use continued

The Chronicle
January 27, 2012

LEBANON — Since 2004, Hot Chicks with Sticks have been heating up the Jonathan Trumbull Library, making scarves for soldiers in Afghanistan, knitting for babies for a children’s hospital in Hartford and raising money for the magnet school in Willimantic.

The wisecracking weavers, most of them knitters — though some of them cautiously admit a preference for crochet — love to get together, socialize and create warm, cozy pieces of art for members of the community.

Led by Diana Cowles of Lebanon, the group is especially fond of “social projects” and even sells scarves in the library — a quick gift item for local shoppers — donating all of the proceeds to the library’s budget. So far, the library has received more than $2,000 from the sale of Hot Chicks scarves.

Barbara Anderson of Lebanon has been a Hot Chick since 2004.

“I’m one of the crazy ones that started,” she laughed. “It’s a nice community get-together. We like to do nice things.”

Most recently, Cowles and the Hot Chicks created a dozen lap robes and prayer shawls for patients of eastern Connecticut’s hospice.

Diane Daigle, volunteer and bereavement coordinator with Hospice of Eastern Connecticut, was on hand recently to receive the donated items.

“I just wanted to meet everybody and hear their stories,” Daigle said, as she made her way around the room in the library basement.

Daigle, who confessed she lacked the talent necessary to make the shawls and scarves donated by the ladies of the Lebanon library, was awed by the creations contributed.

“These are for our beloved patients and families,” she said. “I am extremely thrilled to get something that’s been handmade.”

Daigle said she was grateful to know there were individuals willing to offer outreach to the hospice community.

Daigle said, “I want to extend my appreciation to this community, to this group. Being able to give to someone else is very powerful.”

Cowles explained her interest in offering the group’s time and energy to hospice.

“I’ve had this thing about hospice for a long time,” she said, also mentioning a fellow knitter whose mother was a hospice patient.

“ I knew that I would do the vol­unteer thing,” said Cowles, who recently completed training that will allow her to care for hospice patients, providing respite for primary caregivers. “I just went through the volunteer program this fall. I want to give back,” she said. “Just because my life is so good.”

Daigle spoke highly of Cowles, Hot Chicks founder and a hos­pice volunteer. She said Cowles is doing a “phenomenal job” with her first patient.

“We call our work a privilege,” said Daigle

By SARAH L. HAMBY

Chronicle Staff Writer

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