Ellen Rhude has transformed her crafting into a cause. Rhude, a parishioner of St. Mary of the Mills Parish in Laurel, Maryland, played a key part in ensuring that around 70 residents of the Jeanne Jugan Residence operated by the Little Sisters of the Poor in Washington, D.C., wake up to homemade and handcrafted gifts on Christmas morning.
Rhude explained how she began to crochet during a difficult time.
“I love to crochet. I love to make things for people. I’ve been doing scarves for a number of years now. My husband spent seven months in the hospital before he passed away, and I sat there crocheting scarves, keeping company, but keeping my hands busy,” Rhude said.
She said it takes her about a week to crochet a lap blanket, and as little as two days to crochet a scarf. Rhude has since given out scarves to those in need through soup kitchens and other organizations for years.
This year, Rhude reached out to the Little Sisters of the Poor about giving Christmas presents to the elderly poor at the Jeanne Jugan Residence in Washington.
“I've been interested in the Little Sisters of the Poor and their mission and their house that they run down in D.C., and have been supporting them financially for a while. I got it into my head that I could provide gifts for the residents down there – scarves or blankets or whatever,” Rhude said.
Scarves and blankets will be given to those who are active, while patients who have compromised mobility will be receiving goodie bags filled with toiletries and snacks.
“I set about saying I can do this and got myself going with it back in September. I think I ended up making five crocheted lap blankets and 20 fleece blankets,” Rhude said. In addition, she crocheted 12 scarves and purchased corresponding gloves to accompany each scarf.
While she crafted and coordinated this effort, Rhude did enlist some help, including a friend who assisted with tying knots on the border of the fleece blankets. She also involved troop members from the American Heritage Girls, a religious character and leadership development program catering to girls from ages 5 to 18.
“They made the ornaments for me. The friend who helped tie all the blankets makes handmade Christmas cards every year, and she offered to make cards for me. Each of the residents on Christmas Day will get a gift bag with a blanket or a scarf, and an ornament and a card, and a couple of little candies,” Rhude said. She added she had some neighbors help with stuffing the bags.
Rhude will continue crocheting this winter into the summer. As for next year’s project, she is still considering how many ways she can help those in need.
“Giving has become a large part of my life, and I’m particularly interested in food and keeping people fed. I donate a lot to the food pantry that we have at church, and various organizations [such as the] Southern Maryland Food Bank and Feeding America and things like that,” Rhude said. “I also like doing the hand-crafted things, the scarves and blankets sort of thing. I have the wherewithal. I have the time. It’s incumbent on me to give back to the community.”
