Earlier this week after Carolyn previously had told the ladies that knit with her of the need at Lydia House of the Open Door Mission, her friends told her they had more items for her to pickup and deliver to Lydia House. Carolyn and Bob picked the new items up and then loaded the SUV and headed to deliver the new items. When they arrived at Lydia House, Gwynne, the Development Associate, came out to meet them and accept the baby items. Gwynne told Carolyn how much they were needed and thanked her and Heartland Pioneers for the donated items.

Submitted by Carolyn and Bob Wolkins

During the early part of December Sandy shopped for personal hygiene products of need for the Josie Harper Hospice House. After purchasing the needed items of Creamy Body Lotion, Ocean Breeze Shampoo, Cherry Blossom Shampoo, Ocean Breeze Body Wash, Smoothing Body Lotion, Hypoallergenic Baby Powder, St. Ives Rose and Argon Oil Smoothing Body Lotion, Shaving Cream and Creamy Body Lotion with Cocoa Butter & Shea. It was time to arrange a time to deliver the items.

Sandy called the Josie Harper office and made an appointment to deliver the of personal hygiene products she had purchased. She was told that December 22, 2020 after lunch would be a good time to stop over. Meeting us outside of the Hospice House to unload the SUV were Heidi LPN, Elizabeth volunteer assistant, Lisa Development Director and Sandy. We were told that they were going to distribute the donation all over Hospice House, filling up the personal care rooms and fully stocking the closets.

Submitted By Sandy Viner

Helen Loyd and her daughter Sherry Lynn Riddle were pioneers in the Western Horizon Council of New Frontier Chapter in California. Almost two years ago they relocated to Lincoln, NE and connected with the Heartland Council in Omaha, Ne. They found that there was a need to help children in Lincoln that wasn’t being met. There were many retired pioneers in Lincoln that worked at the Omaha Works and they soon had made a connection with many of them to help them with the new project

They decided the new project in Lincoln would be called Care Bears of Lincoln and work with the Heartland Council Pioneers of Omaha. The project would connect with Police Trauma Unit, the Cedar Home for Children, Homeless Children, Local Hospital and Fire and Rescue Units. The first thing they did was make some bears for the children, then got retirees, friends and neighbors to donate stuffed animal for children. The Cedar Home for Children told them that the children in their care didn’t have anything to put there belonging in when the came to the home so Helen and Sherry Lynn made tote bags for the children.

Helen Loyd and Sherry Lynn Riddle made 100 CARE Bears, over 300 hundred stuff animals, and 200 cotton hand bags which were picked up by a Lincoln, NE Police representative on October 15, 2020. They are donated to be used by the Santa Cops for the Children Christmas party.

Submitted by Helen Loyd and Sherry Lynn Riddle

After Carolyn delivered what she and her friends had purchased and knitted the last couple of months and delivered to Risen Son in Council Bluffs and Lydia House at the Open Door Mission. Carolyn and her friends got busy and knitted up some more items this time just for the Lydia House at the Open Door Mission. Pat, Dixie, Sharon and Carolyn enjoy knitting and making items for others. This time the four ladies crocheted some cocoons, baby blankets and baby hat. Jessica at receiving accepted the items made by Heartland Pioneer volunteers for the Open Door Mission and thanked them for the donations. She said the items were in need at the Lydia House of the ODM right now just before New Years Day.

On Sunday afternoon, January 3, Bob and Carolyn picked up some more crocheted baby cocoons from Pat. They then went over to Dixie’s to pick up more baby blankets that Dixie and her mother Sharon had made after Christmas. With the need at Lydia House of the Open Door Mission all of recent items they collected were deliver to them on Monday.

Submitted By Carolyn Wolkins

This year has been very difficult for the Hooks and Needles group coping with the covid-19 virus and not being able to meet once a month. The ladies in the group continue to make many different items to be donated to different organizations in the metro to help the needy. The chair of the group stated they still has over 20 members in the knitting group and plan to continue on making items for those in need.

The leader of the group said that being able to not hold their monthly meetings and turn in their items they have been working on for delivery. They held a vote and decided each of the ladies would delivering their completed items to the charties when they have a number of items ready to deliver. Nancy Domina’s husband took a picture of her when she delivered 126 scarves to the Salvation Army on December 8th. After the deliver she stopped by Betty Golmanavich’s and picked up a new supply of yarn to continue making more items.

Submitted By Nancy Domina