Making red scarves for the Orphan Foundation of America
Overview
Employees Knit Red Scarves to Warm the Orphan Foundation of America
WHEELING, WV, Dec. 11, 2009 — Dr. Julie A. Osland, psychology professor at Wheeling Jesuit University has a masters and doctorate degree in psychology from the University of Albany, New York (SUNY) and a degree in stitchery from her mother, Ann, an avid needlewoman, who knits, cross stitches and quilts.
Her mother is so passionate about knitting that she even taught her nephews to knit. A native of Southeast Minnesota, a small town called Lanesboro, Osland carries her knitting with her often and has enlisted her fellow professors and employees at Wheeling Jesuit in knitting for a reason — making red scarves for the Orphan Foundation of America.
Bright red scarves in warm wool and acrylic yarn are now being packed and shipped to the Orphan Foundation. WJU employees Debra Hull, Barbara Kulpa, Connie Myer, and Osland knitted scarves. Professor Hull got her Bethany Woman’s Club involved and the ladies there added to the red scarf count. Plus, professor Osland's mother created a beautiful cable stitch washable merino wool model to add to the gift package.
Other Wheeling Jesuit employees donated gift cards to add to the care package, including, Janet Bischof, Jamie Brogan, Kelly Mummert, Jane Neuenschwander, Laurie Ruberg and Julie Osland. Employee Erin Ball donated gift bags.
Founded in 1981, the Orphan Foundation of America (OFA) is a non-profit group that supports young adults who are "aging out" of the foster care system. According to the OFA about 25,000 young adults "age out" of the system each year. Many of them want to pursue a higher education, but unlike many of the students who attend Wheeling Jesuit, they do so without any kind of family support, because they have no family, explained Osland.
One of the things the OFA tries to do for these young adults is to serve as a surrogate family. For those who are enrolled in a college or university, they send care packages to them three times a year: September, February, and April.
“The items we send to the OFA in December will go in the February Care packages,” Osland said. Which is so appropriate since red is the color of Valentine’s Day and these scarves definitely have some love woven into every stitch.
For more information on the Orphan Foundation, please visit the foundation's Web site at http://orphan.org/index.php
Location:
Comments (1)
Connections
- Brazil
- DubuqueUnited States
- OsloNorway
- ChicoUnited States
- OgdenUnited States
-
- United States
-
- United Kingdom
- New YorkUnited States
- GlasgowUnited Kingdom
- NatalBrazil
-
- BronxUnited States
- CardiffUnited Kingdom
-
- Saint LouisUnited States
- ToulouseFrance
- United Kingdom
- United Kingdom
- GlasgowUnited Kingdom
- ClevelandUnited States
- Sweden
-
- BaltimoreUnited States
Multimedia
Impacts
No impacts have been left for this site yet - be the first!