WENDELL — Moe’s Mitten Project seemed like a perfect fit for Camille St. Onge-Magin and Suzanne Tanzyus.
Their brother, Moe St. Onge, died on Oct. 6, 2013, from complications related to drug and alcohol use after years of homelessness in Amherst. Moe had spent much time at a homeless shelter there and his sisters wanted to give back. With harsh New England winters on the mind, they decided to buy 25 pairs of mittens for charity — and Moe’s Mitten Project was born.
Since 2014, the project has transitioned from purchasing mittens to hosting instructional workshops on how to make them. The Wendell Free Library will host one of these free workshops from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. Participants will learn to make mittens from recycled wool sweaters and all the mittens made at the workshop will be given to people who are homeless. All can leave with the skills to make more pairs at home for themselves, their friends or Moe’s Mitten Project.
St. Onge-Magin said this year’s mittens will be donated to the Greenfield homeless shelter, the Amherst Survival Center, Springfield Rescue Mission and the emergency room at Baystate Mary Lane Hospital in Ware, while she keeps some in her car to give to people she sees on the street.
Wendell Free Library Director Rosie Heidkamp said the library hosted the workshop last year and it was a great success. She said she learned about the project and contacted St. Onge-Magin after two pairs of mittens were donated to Good Neighbors, which the town’s website states is a volunteer-driven pantry providing Wendell and New Salem residents with free food and referral services to other programs serving low-income individuals and families.
“These are our community members who, for whatever reason, are down on their luck,” she said. “I just think all the time people are looking for ways to help people. I think everyone wants to help make someone’s life easier. So we’re happy to take on these types of partnerships.”
She also said replacing “homeless person” with terms such as “a person currently without a home” or “a person without permanent housing” can help humanize the issue of homelessness.
St. Onge-Magin said each pair made at the workshop will come attached with a small, one-sided laminated card with a Biblical verse for inspiration. She recalled offering shelter to her brother but her brother could not guarantee sobriety around her children. Tanzyus lives in Colorado.
According to St. Onge-Magin, workshop participants will cut out mitten parts from patterns, pinning parts together and sewing parts into finished mittens using recycled wool sweaters and fleece under her instruction. People who can sew are asked to bring their portable machine, if it is in good working condition, and sharp fabric scissors, if possible. Those who do not know how to sew can still participate by cutting out pattern pieces and pinning the mittens for those who sew.
St. Onge said there should be plenty of prepared materials at the workshop, but donations of sweaters at least 70 percent wool and washed in hot water and dried will be accepted at any time by Moe’s Mitten Project. Sweaters with holes are acceptable to use.
Sign up for the Wendell workshop by calling 978-544-3559 or stopping by at the library. Contact St. Onge-Magin at moesmittens@gmail.com.
You can reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com
or 413-772-0261, ext. 258.
On Twitter: @DomenicPoli