Crotcheting for charity
Tinley Park grad and Illinois Wesylan freshman Emily Kleffman makes clothes, blankets for needy
Tinley Park grad and Illinois Wesylan freshman Emily Kleffman makes clothes, blankets for needy.
Emily Kleffman has been through enough winters in Illinois to have developed a great appreciation for hats, scarves and blankets.
Kleffman, a Tinley Park graduate and a freshman forward on the Illinois Wesleyan women's basketball team, can't imagine not having such necessities when the temperature drops.
“Personally, I hate the cold, so thinking of people having to go through the winter without anything warm to wear, it sounds terrible,” Kleffman said. “That would drive me crazy.”
Kleffman wanted to help. So, for the last several years, she has put her crocheting hobby to good use, making hats and scarves to donate to area children in need.
“My great-aunt taught me how to crochet when I was in middle school,” Kleffman said. “She taught me how to crochet blankets and that was simple, so eventually I wanted to start learning how to make different things. I thought I could make baby hats for those in need.
“So, for the last three or four years, I've been making baby hats, scarves and blankets to donate. You see people who need help, who can't afford things, and you can help out and be the change youwant to see.”
In past years, Kleffman has donated to PASS Pregnancy Care Center in Tinley Park. Like many places, PASS is not currently taking material donations due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Instead, Kleffman plans to donate to Together We Cope, a Tinley Park-based charity that supplies food, shelter and clothing for south suburban residents in need.
Kleffman was determined, not wanting the pandemic to stopher this winter from helping out.
“Some places aren't taking donations, so itwould have been easy to say that because of COVID that I wouldn't do it this year,” she said. “I know, though, that even though COVID is happening, there are still people in need in other ways and I still wanted to be able to provide some help.”
Kleffman said she has cro--