SCI's Christmas Gift Drive - The Seamen's Church Institute

FALL 2008 VOLUME 2/NUMBER 2A New Way to Give for Christmas:SCI’s Christmas Gift DriveHaving collected Christmas gifts for mariners for 110 years,The Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI) and its “Christmas at Sea”and “Christmas on the River” programs have been helping tomake a family holiday warm for those away from home atChristmastime. Each year, SCI delivers Christmas gifts to anoften unrecognized workforce in the global economy, theworld’s mariners. The centerpiece of the Christmas packageincludes a handknitted cap and scarf. These giftsare, like the mariners SCI serves, from variouslocations, knitted by volunteers, and collectedat SCI Headquarters in New York City.Along with a personal letter, the gift packages also contain other useful items for themariner – things like shoelaces, fingernail clippers, and sewing kits. In the past, SCIpurchased these items to supplement the donated hand-knitted items. Program DirectorJeanette DeVita is making a new appeal to non-knitters this year who may want tocontribute to the Christmas gift program … or to those who may want to do a little extra.In consultation with chaplains and the mariners whom they serve, SCI has produced alist of items that can be donated to be included in the Christmas gift boxes this year. Thelist includes hand lotion, lip balm, books, playing cards and word games in new, unusedcondition. For a full list of the items with important specifications, please visit the SCIwebsite http://www.seamenschurch.org/726.asp. Program Director DeVita encouragespeople to circulate the list, whichChristmas Room InventoryWe’re doing great in our 2008 collection, butwe need to receive many more items to reachour goal. We especially need mariners’ scarvesand helmets. If you would like additional copiesof these patterns, please visit:www.seamenschurch.org/484.aspHelmets: 105Mariners’ Caps: 2,273 (collected during Knit 4 Lent)Mariners’ Scarves: 1424Seafarers’ Caps: 2,630Seafarers’ Scarves: 2,630Slippers: 86Socks: 165Vests: 302includes some information aboutSCI’s mission to mariners and theneed for volunteers and support.In 2007, Christmas at Seadistributed over 17,000 gifts tomariners, whether they traveledacross the world’s oceans or alongthe rivers of our nation. Withyour help, SCI plans to increaseits outreach to hard-working menand women who are away fromfamily during the holidays.To ship items or get moreinformation, contact JeanetteDeVita, Program Director, atcas@seamenschurch.org.The newsletter of TheSeamen’s Church InstituteChristmas at Sea ProgramIn this IssueKnitting for ChristmasAt Sea... At Sea 2NY Fashion Show 3Letter from DirectorDeVita 4Founded in 1834, TheInstitute is a voluntary,ecumenical agencyaffiliated with theEpiscopal Church thatprovides pastoral care,maritime education, andlegal and advocacyservices for mariners.The Seamen’s Church Institutewww.seamenschurch.org

Need...Patterns?Yarn?Readyto mail?Christmas At SeaJeanette DeVitaProgram Director212-349-9090cas@seamenschurch.orghttp://blogs.seamenschurch.orgFall 2008, Published byThe Seamen’s Church Instituteof New York & New Jersey241 Water StreetNew York, NY 10038www.seamenschurch.orgThe Rev. David M. RiderExecutive DirectorDesign & Production by J F Arnold Groupat SeaBettie Rile of Ridgewood, NJ, seems to attract knitters wherever she goes.Coordinator of a popular Christmas at Sea (CAS) knitting group based outof her parish church, Christ Church Ridgewood, Bettie’s charisma draws around40 members from all over her community to participate in the project ofknitting scarves and hats for mariners around the world through TheSeamen’s Church Institute’s (SCI) knitting program.Knitting for Christmas at Sea...Like good stewards of the manifoldgrace of God, serve one anotherwith whatever gift each of you has received.ChristmasGiftDriveRecently, Bettie took to the sea herself. She and her husband, Howell,embarked on a 102-day cruise around the world aboard a Princess cruise ship.Bettie knew that she would have some spare time and therefore took someknitting. “I went prepared with only enough to knit for myself,” says Bettie.“But I soon had to try to find some more needles.” The reason Bettie begansleuthing for knitting equipment is because she unwittingly had started asatellite branch of her own CAS knitting group on the cruise ship.Through the ship’s daily newsletter, Bettie was able to connect with othersonboard who were interested in knitting, needlepoint, and cross-stitch. Sheshowed up at the initial meeting to find a group of about six. The group soongrew in numbers, however. As word got out of the gathering, “kindred spiritsof talented people from all over the world began to come. In fact, we had topick up extra yarn in Sydney and in China to accommodate everyone” Bettiesays. By the end of the cruise, the group had grown to 20 people strong!Much of the reason for the growth in group size is no doubt due in partto Bettie’s own personality. She told SCI that she is constantly recruitingknitters for Christmas at Sea. “One time I went to vote,” she recalls, “anda saw woman knitting who looked like she was having trouble.” Bettie satdown and helped her fix the problem with her needles and yarn. In theprocess, Bettie garnered yet another volunteer for SCI’s Christmas at Seaknitting program.Bettie’s tutelage similarly kindled the needle skills of those onboard thePrincess cruise ship. As they worked together, Bettie shared with them thework of The Seamen’s Church Institute. She explained that she was knittinggifts for mariners – handknitted items that one day might even findtheir way to the crew of a ship like the Princess.“It is not impossible to imagine,” Bettiesaid. “The captain of the ship told methat, early on in his career, he hadreceived a gift from The Seamen’sChurch Institute atChristmastime.” Bettie addedenthusiastically that, “ThePrincess crew was thrilled oncethey learned about what wewere doing.” Bettie hopes thatthe group she helped form willstay in touch and stay interestedin participating with SCI’s Christmasat Sea program.2 • The Seamen’s Church Institute The Knit Before Christmas Fall 2008

Dear CASknitting friends,I hope this newsletter finds you happy and healthy after a restfuland productive summer. I spent the summer doing a bit of traveling –mainly to the world of knitting and crocheting. No surprise, right?My travels began in St. Louis this spring where I visited a knittinggroup that has been contributing to Christmas at Sea since the 1990s.Theresa, coordinator of the Laclede Oaks knitting group, invited mefor a visit. I had a chance to meet a group of wonderful knitters and crocheters and answered theirquestions about the world of seafarers and how knitted items are put to good use.In July, my travels took me to Wisconsin to attend a knitting retreat, where I learned some newtechniques practiced around the globe: Fair Isle, Armenian knitting, Japanese three-needle bindoff, Norwegian purl, and the German twisted cast on. Spending time with this diverse group ofknitters was very inspiring – so much so that I have been knitting more… and better than ever.(This came in very handy during the Ravelympics – a Ravelry-based knitting/crocheting tournamentcoinciding with the Olympics. I knitted a pair of seafarer’s socks for “Team Christmas at Sea.”)While in Wisconsin, I was able to meet with the Reverend Martha Berger, Interim Rector ofSt. Luke’s, Racine, and my co-coordinator of Knit 4 Lent (which is the CAS mid-year challengeto knit 4000 hats in 40 days). Martha and I worked hard to make the project a success. St. Luke’swill participate in SCI’s Christmas Gift Drive this year, as well as continue to knit for us.I urge all of you to help with this project.2008-2009 Important Datesfor Christmas at SeaOctober 15, 2008Please have all your knitting and othercollected items in by this date.New York, NYOctober 18, 2008Packing BeginsNew York, NYNovember 1, 2008Deep Sea Christmas gift distribution beginsPort Newark, NJJanuary 6, 2009Gift distribution endsPort Newark, NJ andvarious locations on the riversJanuary 2009Knitters’ Honor Roll and Newsletter releasedJuly 2009Christmas in July eventNew York, NYChristmas at Sea and Sit’n’Knit New York City will co-host a monthly knitting night inSCI’s Christmas Room on the third Wednesday of every month beginning in October.Please contact me if you would like to attend. You can learn more about Sit’n’Knit at:http://knitting.meetup.com/463/.The Christmas Room at our New York headquarters is filled with handknitted andcrocheted items. If you are in New York, please stop by for a visit; if you are outside ofNew York and would like me to visit your group or parish, please let me know. WhetherI travel for diocesan conventions or personal reasons, I always have my knitting bag andlove spending time with the Christmas at Sea volunteers.Our 2008 deadline is quickly approaching. Please submit all handknitted andcrocheted items by October 15. As always, I thank you for your support. Your helpwill enable The Seamen’s Church Institute to connect more than 17,000 mariners withour world of knitting and crocheting this Christmas.Very sincerely yours,Celebrate our 175-year heritage bybecoming a part of our next 175!Consider a planned giftThe Seamen’s Church Institute will soon celebratea significant birthday.One way you can craft your own legacy and becomepart of SCI’s future is by making a planned gift andincluding SCI in your will.We will work together to ensure that service toseafarers and inland river mariners continues wellinto our next century.Have you already provided for SCI in your estateplans? Please tell us. If not, let us show you how.Please contact John McGrath, Senior DevelopmentOfficer, at The Seamen’s Church Institute at212-349-8064 or jmcgrath@seamenschurch.org.Christmas at Sea241 Water StreetNew York, NY 10038Non-ProfitU.S PostagePAIDNewtown, CTPermit No. 100