Helping out one loop at a time

Craft ministry crochets scarves, tuques, more for vulnerable Winnipeggers

Volunteers
By: AV Kitching Posted: 6:00 AM CDT Monday, Jul. 6, 2026

It’s a sunny summer’s day with barely a cloud in the sky but Winnipeg’s bitter winter is already on the minds of the folks gathered in the small library at Epiphany Lutheran Church (200 Dalhousie Dr.).

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Every first and third Wednesday of the month, armed with needles and hooks, they knit and crochet for two hours, transforming “oodles of yarn” into scarves, tuques and headbands, to be distributed to the city’s most vulnerable residents.

The church’s volunteer craft ministry was resurrected in early 2023 by Lynnette Stamler, a retired nursing academic who returned to Manitoba after a 27-year career abroad.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS
Nancy Sperling (from left), Elaine Lochhead and Lynnette Stamler of the Hooks and Needles knitting group with some of the wares inside Epiphany Lutheran Church.

“The group had started several years ago when a few ladies got together to make prayer shawls which they gifted to individuals in need. Then during the COVID-19 pandemic it went the way of all good things,” Stamler explains.

Talking to various people, they seemed interested in resurrecting something.”

Stamler acted as a catalyst, organizing a meeting to re-establish the group. Today between seven to 15 people volunteer their skills at Hooks and Needles. Some regularly attend the fortnightly meetings while others work entirely from home.

They continue to make comfort items; prayer shawls big and small, the latter which doubles up as lap blankets for people in wheelchairs as well as soft baby blankets for those who need. Another branch of their work focuses entirely on internal volunteer appreciation, creating items to gift to the congregation’s broader volunteer network.

Their most intensive effort is dedicated to the winter production cycle.

Volunteer opportunities

The following is a list of volunteer opportunities for Winnipeg and surrounding areas. For more information about these listings, contact the organization directly. Volunteer Manitoba does not place volunteers with organizations but can help people find opportunities. To learn more about its programs and services, go to wfp.to/volunteers or call 204-477-5180.

Inclusion Winnipeg invites you to join their board of directors. Inclusion Winnipeg is a registered charity which has been dedicated to making life better for children and adults living with intellectual disabilities. It is seeking enthusiastic and dedicated individuals with backgrounds in governance, finance and accounting, fundraising and marketing. Successful candidates should have a commitment to the organization’s mission, and be able to attend and actively participate in monthly board meetings. For more information and to submit your application, please contact Caryn Birch, executive director at cbirch@inclusionwinnipeg.org. Deadline is July 17.

The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) Community Health & Corporate Programs is seeking volunteers for their Breast Feeding Support Group. Volunteers assist families at community breastfeeding drop-ins by setting up equipment, organizing materials, greeting families, and aiding with children. They help weigh babies, sanitize tools, and clean meeting areas. Volunteers must attend virtual orientation and training, have breastfeeding experience, and be confident with newborns. Volunteers commit to biweekly Monday shifts from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. for at least six months. Apply online: http://wfp.to/iM3. Deadline is July 31.

Project Linus Canada’s Winnipeg Chapter seeks individuals with crafting skills to donate new, handmade blankets. Their mission is to comfort local children and youth facing trauma from illness, abuse, or grief by gifting them these blankets. The donated blankets are distributed to partners like Toba Centre and Spence Neighbourhood Association. They accept knitted, crocheted, or quilted blankets, as long as they are new and handmade. Volunteers can use their own supplies or request donated materials. Blankets are accepted year round. Contact them by email at projectlinus.winnipegsouth@gmail.com or by calling 204-260-2200. Deadline is Dec. 15.

Be a PAL! St.Amant is looking for someone to be a part of their PALS program who enjoys watching shows like House of the Dragon or Twilight, swimming, going out to the mall, for pizza or sushi, or attending events or games. PALS stands for Partnership through Activities, Learning, and Sharing. It’s a volunteer opportunity designed to build meaningful, one-to-one connections between people supported by St.Amant and volunteers. Rooted in shared interests, the program promotes friendship, inclusion, and mutual joy through recreational and social activities. Criminal and child abuse registry checks are needed, costs to be reimbursed. Apply by email volunteer@stamant.ca. Deadline is Aug. 29.

MS Canada is seeking individuals to join its team to support the MS Bike – East St. Paul, which will take place Aug. 22-23. Volunteer assistance is needed throughout the event to ensure it runs smoothly and that participants have an enjoyable experience while biking to raise crucial funds for those affected by MS. Volunteers are required on Saturday and/or Sunday, Aug. 22-23, with shifts ranging from two to eight hours depending on the shift and level of commitment. For more information, visit the volunteer website and sign up directly by Aug. 17: http://wfp.to/iMs.

Siloam Mission requires kitchen volunteers to help them prepare and serve meals for the community. Shifts are two to three hours long and volunteers must have the ability to stand for two or more hours and be able to work with a team. No experience required. Apply online: http://wfp.to/iMK, by phone (204-956-4344, ext. 2210) or in person at 300 Princess St. Deadline is Dec. 31.

Taste of Manitoba is seeking volunteers to ensure an enjoyable festival experience. Duties include greeting guests, monitoring entrances, answering questions, directing visitors, managing ticket transactions, and serving non-alcoholic beverages. Volunteers should be friendly, reliable, and comfortable in a fast-paced environment. The festival runs from Sept. 3-7, with a variety of shifts available. Volunteers must be 16 or older and capable of standing for long periods, with some tasks allowing for sitting. Apply by email: kimr@mrfa.mb.ca. Deadline is Aug. 1.

The Canadian Red Cross needs volunteers. The Red Cross can show you how to help when disaster strikes. Apply at wfp.to/0pE, volunteer@redcross.ca or 1-844-818-2155.

Anchored by the immediate needs of the Lutheran Urban Ministry, an inner-city outreach program known colloquially as the Urban, volunteers pivot to making practical items from late spring to early winter to ensure vulnerable Winnipeggers receive them before colder weather sets in.

“We make anything that can keep people warm in the winter. We’ve talked about making headbands that just keep the ears warm because teenage girls are more likely to wear that than a tuque,” Stamler says.

“It’s about doing what can we do to meet the needs of people.”

While Stamler doesn’t keep a strict inventory, she estimates the group usually send between four to six large boxes to the Urban.

Packed with crocheted, woven and knitted pieces, almost all of which have been handmade, the cardboard boxes are driven to the outreach’s office where the volunteers there unpack the items to distribute.

The group welcomes everyone; you don’t have to be a member of the church to become a Hooks and Needles volunteer. And you don’t even have to be very good at knitting or crocheting either, as the volunteers are happy to guide those who may need a little help.

They also accept storebought winter accessories for people who want to contribute but have no interest in crafting. During Advent (the four Sundays before Christmas) the congregation erects a “mitten tree” for people to hang gloves and mittens on. All the items on the tree will be passed to the outreach ministry.

Hooks and Needles has access to a small budget within the church’s budget which they’ve had rare occasion to use. Instead they rely on a steady stream of donated yarn. Acrylic and synthetic blends are favoured over pure wool for ease of care as the latter requires special cleaning, Stamler notes.

“There are certain kinds of yarn that just make better prayer shawls or better baby blankets. However tuques and scarves can be made from both natural and synthetic fibres. We get donations from many different areas, many different places, which is wonderful. We had one person recently who wrote to me, she said ‘can I just drop off mom’s stash,’” Stamler shares.

For Stamler, Hooks and Needles is as much about the experience of working together as a community as it is about the things they produce to help others.

“It’s a gift you give to others. When you feel that you have a gift to give, and you do it, you feel much better about yourself. It makes a huge difference to your life,” she says, pointing to the positive impact volunteering had on a patient in her previous place of work.

“I worked in a dialysis unit and there was an elderly woman who was ill but she still volunteered to telephone people about different events. That was something she could do. Her physical condition wouldn’t allow her to do a lot of other things, but she could certainly pick up the phone and she could certainly talk. She still did that and I thought that was really cool,” Stamler says.

If you know a special volunteer, please contact AV.Kitching@freepress.mb.ca

AV Kitching
Reporter

AV Kitching is an arts and life writer at the Free Press. She has been a journalist for more than two decades and has worked across three continents writing about people, travel, food, and fashion. Read more about AV.

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AV Kitching
Reporter