Knitting for Newborns Project

In an effort to establish a way for seniors to stay connected and continue to contribute to the community, the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland launched its Knitting for Newborns Project in 2005.

Starting with an initial group of three Rotarians, two sisters-in-law, and a friend, the club approached the administration of Windsor Regional Hospital with a proposal that our members would recruit and coordinate a group of senior volunteers (all ages are welcome) to knit Warming Caps for every baby born in the hospital.  (Babies benefit from having their heads covered as soon as they are born to help maintain their body temperature when transitioning from the 37C degree environment of their mothers’ wombs to the 20C degree temperature of the birthing room!)

Shocked by the fact that we would need to produce approximately 4,000 hats per year the recruiting began in earnest!

Club members were asked to make contact with Seniors who were their family members, friends, neighbours or a part of their professional network who liked to knit or crochet.  Invitations and patterns were provided for those of all ages who expressed an interest in volunteering to knit or crochet Warming Caps for the babies born at Windsor Regional Hospital. (Warming caps have also been sent to a neonatal unit in North West Ghana where our club has ongoing Medical and Literacy projects.)

Primarily through word of mouth, over the life of the project we have maintained a team of approximately 35-45 volunteers who have managed to produce over 65,000 hats.

Community members or other Rotarians who are interested in participating in this project are encouraged to contact [email protected]

Proud partner and beneficiary, Windsor Regional Hospital.

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Annual Knitters Appreciation Luncheon - Tuesday August 8, 2023, held at the Fogolar Furlan

The Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland was thrilled to welcome our group of amazing community knitters whose nimble fingers click away as they knit those soft, beautiful baby hats so every baby born in our area goes home with a baby hat.

We heard of Knitters with 20, 30 and 40 years of knitting experience. PP Anne Chetty and her team, along with the indomitable Sheila Mosley deserve a round of applause for their enthusiasm. Christina Naccarato – Executive Director of the Windsor Regional Hospital Foundation was gracious in her remarks and shared her involvement with this program.