Chautauqua County RSVP was the recipient of a grant from Pizza Hut designated for use to purchase items for their volunteers to create necessary handmade items for children in Chautauqua County.
Volunteers from RSVP sew, knit or crochet items to be given to needy children within the community, including hats, mittens, scarves; blankets, sweaters, newborn caps, or other items. RSVP volunteers create and distribute more than 2,500 individual items yearly. Each year hats, mittens, and scarves are donated to the Salvation Army to accompany their Bundle Them Up campaign. The Bundle Them Up campaign provides winter coats to area needy children. Volunteers also make items for holiday gifts delivered for area food pantries and soup kitchens.
Each coordinator at these sites will call the RSVP office and ask for specific items, size or age appropriate, for their clients to dispense at Christmas celebrations. Newborn caps in an array of colors are delivered to the maternity wards at both WCA and Brooks Memorial Hospital. Blankets go to WCA Emergency Room, the Child Advocacy Program, Woman Infant Children, Project Head Start sites and area elementary schools.
Pizza Hut provided the money for RSVP to purchase yards of batting for blankets, fabric, thread and yarn. RSVP relies on donations for the items.
For more information about RSVP, call 665-3038. RSVP is a Senior Corps project governed by the Corporation for National & Community Service and sponsored local by Lutheran. It is funded by New York state and the Chautauqua County Offices for the Aging. RSVP is a United Way agency.