Thursday on the YarnThing Podcast with Marly Bird: Halos of Hope president Pam Haschke!
Pam is the Executive Director and Founder of Halos of Hope. She was diagnosed with Inflammatory Breast Cancer in June of 2004. Her treatment included chemotherapy, the most apparent side effect of which is hair-loss. Throughout her treatment, her favorite scarves and hats that provided her comfort from pain on her scalp were handmade. She decided that this was a great way to help other people dealing with the same feelings she had while undergoing chemotherapy. And that is how Halos of Hope started.
So if you haven’t heard of Halos of Hope before, they are a non profit corporation that gathers handmade hats that they distribute to cancer treatment centers across the United States. Halos of Hope uses 100% of individual monetary donations for the shipping and handling expenses for distributing the hats. The hats they distribute are made by handcrafters across the US and can be made anyway you know how: knit, crochet, or sewn. The only caveat is that they must be soft, so they don’t irritate already sensitive scalps.
This year has been pretty big for Halos of Hope. They ran a voting donation campaign called the Great BuZZ this year that culminated in shaving Drew Emborsky, the Crochet Dude; Mark Moraca, owner of Kollage Yarns! This campaign raised a total of $20,000!!! You can watch the video of the shaving on their website here. They also partnered with Purlescence Yarns and who hosted a 24-hour craft-a-thon which produced over 215 hats that were donated to Camp Happy Times. Listen in below to hear all about the other things Halos of Hope has been up to in the last year, including the Podcast Throwdown and Drew Emborski’s 2013 Chemo Cap Challenge!
Be sure to check out their Stories of Hope, to read about all the great stories connected to hats and Halos of Hope. You will be inspired by these amazing stories. And also participate in Stripe it Up January, use up those little bits of leftover yarn in your stash to make a hat and send it in.
You can find Halos of Hope on: their website, Facebook, and Twitter and the Podcast Throwdown on Ravelry.
Let’s give some love to our sponsors!
XRX Books, Knitter’s Magazine, STITCHES Expos
Indian Lake Artisans
Fiesta Yarns
Drew Emborsky
Love of Knitting and Love of Crochet
Bijou Basin Ranch
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Halos of Hope all about?
So here’s the thing… Halos of Hope is a wonderful non-profit that collects handmade hats for folks going through cancer treatment. They distribute these cozy hats all over the US to help keep people comfortable during chemo. The hats can be knit, crocheted, or sewn, but they just need to be super soft!
How did Halos of Hope get started?
Honestly… the founder, Pam Haschke, was diagnosed with Inflammatory Breast Cancer and experienced hair loss from her chemotherapy. She found comfort in handmade scarves and hats, and that inspired her to help others feel the same way. It’s such a heartwarming origin story, right?
What kind of donations does Halos of Hope use for expenses?
Yes! Halos of Hope uses 100% of individual monetary donations specifically for shipping and handling costs. This means your yarn stash donations go directly to making hats for those in need.
I saw something about a “Great BuZZ” campaign? What was that?
Oh, that was such a fun one! The Great BuZZ was a voting donation campaign they ran. It even culminated in some brave folks, like the Crochet Dude Drew Emborsky and Kollage Yarns owner Mark Moraca, shaving their heads! It was a big success and raised a lot of money.
What can I do to get involved with Halos of Hope?
You can totally help out! They have a “Stripe it Up January” event where you can use up leftover yarn scraps to make hats. You can also check out their website and social media to learn more and see other ways to participate, like reading their inspiring Stories of Hope!
