Area Volunteers Knit Hats for Disadvantaged Children

A wonderful tradition has sprung up at Back to School Shop, the annual event that provides brand new school clothes and supplies to disadvantaged elementary school children in Stamford. Area volunteers, looking for a way to help, began making hand-knitted hats for the children to choose during their shopping spree.

Linda Cassuto, 79, and Mary Lou Woodruff, 91, heard about Back to School Shop when the inaugural event was in the planning stages in early 2015. They wanted to help, and since they both love to knit, they decided to make hats for the children. Last year they knitted over 150 hats, which were a big hit with the kids. Linda Atkins, and her friend Robin Levey, do all of the shopping for the clothing and supplies to fill the Back to School Shop. Levey says “They definitely started a tradition! This year, in addition to the over 200 hats that Linda and May Lou contributed, other local knitters including Anne and Edie Davidson, Rosalea Fisher, Lynne Pearce and Betsy Stone pitched in and contributed additional hats for the children.” Adds Atkins, “Since we have to raise all of the money to purchase the clothing and school supplies for the Back to School Shop event, it is a wonderful help to have these hand-made, donated hats. And best of all, it makes the children feel special that someone took the time to make them a hat!"

Cassuto and Woodruff were on hand to visit the Back to School Shop at it’s 2nd annual event on July 31st, and they were able to talk to some of the children who were taking home the hats they had knitted. “We were so happy to make the hats for Back to School Shop again this year,” said Cassuto. “It was exciting to watch the children pick out their hats, and all of their other new clothes and school supplies. We had seen pictures, but we were amazed at the awesomeness of the shop!”

Photographs by Beth Shepherd Peters