Christine Shively – Knots of Love
Tom Ruwitch / Sunday, January 17th, 2010 / No Comments »
It started with a hand-knit cap that Christine Shively made for her son. One of Shively’s friends, a cancer survivor, said she wished she had a cap like that to cover her bald held when going through chemotherapy. Shively decided to donate that one cap to a charity that distributes caps to people who need them, but she could find no such charity.
“So…I thought, ‘I’ll start my own charity,’” said Shively, of Newport Beach, Ca. The charity Knots of Love was born in 2007. Within weeks of sharing her idea with friends and family, Shively had formed a bold vision.
“When I did my first newspaper interview, I said we would distribute 10,000 caps in our first year,” she said.
Mission accomplished and then some. Knots of Love distributed 12,000 in its first year, and has distributed more than 37,000 caps to date. Knots of Love has partnered with cancer centers in all 50 states and Canada and Mexico, and has established drop-off centers in dozens of locations so volunteers can deliver their creations with ease.
The caps give comfort and joy to people suffering from cancer and other life-threatening diseases, and they instill hope by reminding patients that people care about them.
“Patients never really realize how traumatic it is to lose their hair until it really starts coming out in clumps and they have to go and get their head shaved. They go into their doctor’s office and see a basket full of colorful caps made with wonderful, soft yarn. And they say, this is a wonderful alternative and they immediately feel elated. They know that someone is out there making a cap for them. It’s a great gift,” Shively said.
Shively relies on an army of volunteers who knit or crochet the caps. She has discovered that Knots of Love works because it engages and serves these passionate volunteers.
“It helps the people who are making the caps so much. Many of our volunteers know someone with cancer or have been patients themselves. One of our members was in tears the other day because she recently lost her boyfriend to cancer. And now she feels she can give back,” Shively said.
Shively understands that to be a BIG charity, she must engage and nurture these passionate supporters.
“One of the successes of Knots of Love is that I take the time to meet the members, and talk to the members. I personally call every one who donates the caps, and I tell them where their caps are donated. That brings it to a very personal level. And they’re thrilled to know. They really love that. The people that are in the charity need to feel a part of it. They need to feel like it’s their own,” she said. “I send a hand-written thank you note to everyone who donates $20 or more. And I don’t ever want to stop taking the time to personally call the people who make the caps.”
BIG Inspiration from Knots of Love:
Bold: Chistine Shively declared she would distribute 10,000 caps before she had any idea how she would do it. ”After I donated the first cap, and I saw how big the need was, I knew it was going to be big. You could just feel it,” she said.
Innovative: While other charities chase transactions and send impersonal thank you form letters, Shively knows it takes a personal touch to engage passionate volunteers and donors. She personally calls all of her volunteers to thank them, and she writes personal, hand-written notes to donors.
Generous: Knots of Love has donated more than 37,000 caps since is founding in June 2007, and it’s just getting started. “The sky is the limit!” Shively said.
Web site: http://www.knots-of-love.org/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Knots-of-Love/216026630143?ref=ts
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Knots_of_love
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Bold, innovative and generous people like Christine Shively are in every corner of America. We want to find them, celebrate them, and connect them with you. We plan to connect with and honor BIG people in every corner of America.
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