Hugs from Home

This story was originally published in 1995. Please email us at bigbearmagazine@gmail.com, if you have any updates to the story or people involved.
Thank you, Barbara Scharnhorst

The 28 members of the Big Bear Knitting, Crocheting and Sewing Group are a part of a nationwide organization called the Ships Project. They have been busy creating hand-knitted hats and slippers and cool-ties for the men and women serving in the military.
Founded in 2001, the Ships Project was the brainchild of one woman, Ellen Harpin. Responding to a letter requesting warm handcrafted items for the crew of the U.S.S. Bataan, Harpin began knitting slippers and hats for the sailors. Since then the project has grown with more than 1,000 individuals, as well as dozens of church and civic groups supporting the project. As of March 2005, the Ships Project has sent over 140,000 items to the troops.
Laurie Nahay started the Big Bear group in May of 2003. Soon she had two more recruits, Joy Traylor and Julie Delgado. Together these women started knitting hats for the troops and meeting once a month to collect the hats and mail them to Harpin in Florida where the hats are divided up and shipped to the troops.
“We take our knitting every place we go. People often ask us what are we knitting for and that’s when we explain the Ships Project,” said Nahay, whose son, Joshua Jansen is in the Navy.
The Big Bear group has continued to grow over the past two years, producing between 75 and 100 hats per month. After the hats are received by the troops, they will often write back to Harpin with stories and thanks. Harpin passes on these e-mails to the groups around the country.
One of Delgado’s favorite thank you notes said, “Thanks for sending big hats cuz some of us have big heads.”
“Belonging to this group and knitting hats and slippers for our troops makes you feel like you are supporting our country. There really is something you can do from home that helps,” said Nahay.
The knitted hats are worn under helmets, are slept in and worn for fun on crazy hat Fridays. Hospital patients are given hats as well to keep them warm while they are recuperating. The troops have named the hats, “Hugs from Home.” Ships send requests to Harpin and let her know the number of hats they need. A new request came in for 650 hats per month from the USS Kearsarge, a large deck ship that carries Marines, helicopters and sailors. They have as many as 4,500 men and women aboard including a large hospital.
In addition to keeping up with the demand for hats and slippers, donations are needed for postage as well. Postage costs to ship boxes of hats so far have topped $70,000. Those interested in joining the Ships Project have a number of options open to them. To join the Big Bear Group contact Laurie Nahay 909.866.9652 or Julie Delgado 909.585.6668. Visit the Ships Project Web site at http://www.theshipsproject.com to find out how to start a group or find other groups in different locations or send a donation for postage to: Ellen Harpin, P.O. Box 564, Goldenrod, FL 32733-0564.
 Christie Walker
 © 2005 Big Bear Magazine, All Rights Reserved