- Title: Time of giving: Poles knit hats and scarves for people in need
- Date: 25th December 2019
- Summary: LUBLIN, POLAND (DECEMBER 14, 2019) (REUTERS) VOLUNTEERS KNITTING SCARVES FOR NEEDY WHILE GOING UP ON ESCALATOR VARIOUS OF VOLUNTEERS SITTING AT TABLE KNITTING VOLUNTEERS KNITTING AND GOING DOWN ESCALATOR (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) VOLUNTEER AND CO-FOUNDER OF CAMPAIGN, IWONA TROFIMENKO, SAYING: "I keep this idea in mind, that today we have our positions at work, but tomorrow the future is uncertain, whether we would still have our jobs or not and we need to hold onto this idea. In addition, the following slogan was created throughout the duration of this action, simply 'helping is fun'." VOLUNTEERS SITTING TOGETHER KNITTING IN WOOL SHOP HANDS KNITTING SCARF VOLUNTEERS SITTING AND KNITTING HANDS KNITTING SCARF (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) VOLUNTEER AND CO-FOUNDER OF CAMPAIGN, BARBARA FATYGA, SAYING: "When I take part in various charity activities, I notice that people do not even want to stop for a moment, do not want to listen to those whom they can help, assuming there is no time but I think that we all just use it as an excuse that we do not have time, yet we really do have this time, we really do." VOLUNTEERS SITTING AND KNITTING VARIOUS OF VOLUNTEER KNITTING PILE OF FINISHED HATS (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) VOLUNTEER AND CO-FOUNDER OF CAMPAIGN, IWONA TROFIMENKO, SAYING: "Generally, I devote every spare moment to knitting because I know that there is quite a number of people in need, and unfortunately we need some more scarves and hats so we knit as much as we can, whenever it is possible, on the tram, on the train, on the bus, wherever we can knit." LUBLIN, POLAND (DECEMBER 16, 2019) (REUTERS) TROFIMENKO SITTING ON BUS WITH FRIEND AND KNITTING TROFIMENKO'S HANDS KNITTING TROFIMENKO'S FACE TROFIMENKO SITTING NEXT TO FRIEND, KNITTING (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) VOLUNTEER AND CO-FOUNDER OF CAMPAIGN, IWONA TROFIMENKO, SAYING: "For each hat and each scarf you need approximately 15-20 hanks of wool. Ten hanks of wool is about 200-250 metres (218 - 273 yards) so it is very easy to count how many kilometres we have already made and how many kilos we have." LUBLIN, POLAND (DECEMBER 18, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF VOLUNTEERS TEACHING CHILDREN IN KINDERGARTEN TO KNIT HATS AND SCARVES LUBLIN, POLAND (DECEMBER 14, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF VOLUNTEER ANNA AUGUSTYNIAK TRYING ON HAT AND SCARF VOLUNTEERS HANDING BUNDLES OF WOOL VOLUNTEERS LOOKING AT WOOL WOOL ON SHELF (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) VOLUNTEER AND CO-FOUNDER OF CAMPAIGN, ANNA AUGUSTYNIAK, SAYING: "I think we will be able to give all those who are in need, all the homeless who will be there on the Christmas Eve of Mercy, and everyone will have these warm, wonderful winter hats and scarves and they will have them for a long time, because they are made by people who love other people, have a lot of empathy and they know that such a warm scarf, such a warm hat will give great comfort to those who need it." LUBLIN, POLAND (DECEMBER 24, 2019) (REUTERS) MEAL ON CHRISTMAS EVE FOR HOMELESS AND PEOPLE IN NEED VARIOUS OF PEOPLE BREAKING OPLATEK WAFERS REPRESENTING DAILY BREAD AND TO WISH EACH OTHER A HAPPY NEW YEAR (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) WOMAN WHO RECEIVED HAT AND SCARF, MALGORZATA SZTORC SAYING: "What they made will probably be good to wear. It will be nice to put on. It was made with their hands. All the love they gave us. It will be very good. " VARIOUS OF PEOPLE RECEIVING HATS AND SCARVES (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) MAN WHO RECEIVED HAT AND SCARF, KAZIMIERZ BARAN SAYING: "Everything is just right. The atmosphere is right. I am delighted, really, really. I am delighted."
- Embargoed: 8th January 2020 10:34
- Keywords: Christmas spirit Polish women knit for homeless gift-giving homeless people knitting
- Location: LUBLIN, POLAND
- City: LUBLIN, POLAND
- Country: Poland
- Topics: Human Interest / Brights / Odd News,Society/Social Issues,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA001BBH3J21
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Whether on buses, trains, or while running errands, a group of women in the Polish city of Lublin knitted throughout December to make hundreds of hats and scarves for the homeless and people in need.
Volunteer and campaign co-founder Iwona Trofimenko said that she was motivated by the thought that the future is uncertain even for those who have a job and so she wanted to do something for those who were less fortunate.
Trofimenko took her knitting with her everywhere, even on her 40-minute commute by bus from Lublin to her workplace in another town.
Fellow volunteer and campaign co-founder Barbara Fatyga said she wanted people to realise that despite their busy lives they do have time to spare to help others.
The campaign also visited a local kindergarten to teach children about the value of helping others as well as how to design and knit scarves and hats.
For each hat and scarf set, the volunteers need to use more than of 300 metres of wool, meaning with hundreds of sets the amount of wool used stretches into several hundred kilometres.
On Tuesday (December 24) hundreds of people in need were invited to a Christmas Eve meal where the volunteers distributed hats and scarves.
People who received the gifts said they looked forward to wearing their new warm winter garments.
As well as the volunteers in Poland, donors in the Netherlands and Britain also sent in knitwear after hearing about the campaign on social media.
Trofimenko, Fatyga and Anna Augustyniak started the campaign last year, giving out around 200 sets of hats and scarves.
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