Meet Kristin Lawson, who donated a box of beautiful yarn to Team Yarn recently.

She heard about us by googling "Yarn donation," and came across the Lion brand list. "Your group seemed like the best fit for me," explained Lawson. "I was looking for a younger group that was local to the cities."

Team Yarn mostly serves the Twin Cities area, primarily donating to hospitals and cancer resource centers within the 7-county metro area. That way, we avoid spending cash donations on shipping costs and keep the hats, lapghans and shawls close to the folks who fashioned them.

Lawson said, "I have been lucky enough to not really have been touched by cancer, but I appreciate what you're doing for those who have. Half of the yarn was for an afghan I was going to make for my daughter, but because we have dogs I was afraid it would be ruined quickly so I never got very far.

"The other yarn I inherited from my grandma who was an avid knitter. I think she would be much happier with the yarn being used for a good cause instead of sitting in my house until my kids are older and I have time to use it.

"I'm very glad that you will find this yarn useful and I hope that it gives other people some comfort."

Kristin, we are so happy to have it. Thank you!

"It's a great treat," said Jill, the woman at the front counter at the Humphrey Cancer Center - Maple Grove location, as we dropped off our donation box. "Thank you for doing this. I've been through it."

As we walked away, I overheard a patient at the desk tell the receptionist: "They don't realize how meaningful it is. To go in and get something. You don't expect a gift."

The thing is, we do know, and that's why we do what we do. Because of Cheryl Slater's experience four years ago, we recognize how a small thing like a hat can ease a cancer journey and brighten someone's day. 

In all, we dropped off 63 hats, 2 blankets and 5 shawls at North Memorial Health Care's Humphrey Cancer Center on Monday, March 28, 2016. 

While the Humphrey Cancer Center has been located in Robbinsdale for some time, the Maple Grove location is brand new, like the hospital it is situated within, and is only open on Monday mornings. 

Our donations were actually brought to the Robbinsdale location where they have more space and patients. After Jill delivered the box later on Monday, her co-worker, Shelly Rollie, sent us this note:

"Our staff is back there ooing and awwwing everything right now.  We have gotten hats from another knitting group in the past, but a lot of times they are too small.  These ones are just perfect!!  We would like to send a thank you to all the knitters." 

 
MORE ABOUT HUMPHREY CANCER CENTER
North Memorial cancer care programs are among the best with for over 40 years of providing compassionate, top-quality, individualized treatment.

The Humphrey Cancer Center, part of North Memorial Hospital, is currently treating or following more than 20,000 people diagnosed with cancer. Hope Chest Breast Center continuously receives a 100% from patient surveyed on their willingness to recommend the care program and site facilities. 

LUNG CANCER PROGRAM
As one of the only specialized programs in the metro area, the North Memorial Cancer Center's Lung Cancer Program offers patients with lung cancer and their families a comprehensive, coordinated approach to care.

The Lung Cancer Program's Lung Cancer Support Group meets monthly, offering a caring, safe environment for participants to receive ongoing support and information about the process of living with lung cancer. As one of the only specialized programs for patients with lung cancer in the metro area, the goal of the Lung Cancer Program is to maximize the quality and quantity of life for patients living with lung cancer.

For more information about the Lung Cancer Program, please call Clinical Nurse Specialist, Shirley Kern, at 763-581-8446.

EDUCATION AND SUPPORT PROGRAMS
Among the many education and support programs available through the Humphrey Cancer Center are:

• Patient-family support groups, including: Cancer Caregiver's Group

• Diagnosis specific groups that meet regularly, including:

• Breast cancer

• Lung cancer

• Prostate cancer

• Leukemia/lymphoma/myeloma

• Cancer pain management

• Trained volunteers for assistance and support

• American Cancer Society representatives and programs

For more information about cancer education and support programs at North Memorial, call 763-520-5285.

OTHER PROGRAMS
An acupuncturist is available to provide treatment at any point during treatments. Acupuncture may help to relieve side effects, such as nausea, pain, hot flashes or anxiety, that’s caused by diagnosis and treatment.

The Humphrey Center offers free financial counseling services to each patient and family. This includes a complete financial review and detailing of all out-of-pocket obligations. The financial counselor is experienced in finding appropriate resources that can assist qualifying patients with co-pay obligations, prescription/treatment coverage and household expenses.

The genetics program was created in 1998 to provide risk assessment, genetic counseling and genetic testing services for families seeking information about their cancer risk. Some families have a high cancer risk due to inherited genetic factors. Genetic testing can help these families better understand their risk for cancer and determine the screening and prevention efforts that will be most effective.