In October, we donated 106 hats and 1 scarf to the Harbor Room in Cambridge.

This was our third donation to this valuable resource at the Cambridge Medical Center. It has a special place in our hearts because the Harbor Room helped Amy's mom. (Click here and here and here and here to read about our past visits.)

"Thank you, thank you, thank you guys," said Lori Dimitry of the Harbor Room.

We learned that next year, the Harbor Room will be located in a different place within Cambridge Medical Center. They're switching places with the gift shop. Although the new location won't have natural light from so many windows, it will be better, according to Lori. Not having windows open to the outside will increase the privacy of the support center, and the space will no longer feel like a fishbowl. "The coffee will be on. The fire place will be on," she stated. They don't currently have a fire place, so that will make the new room nice and cozy. "My vision is very soft and very warm." The switch will occur in either January or February 2016.

At the Harbor Room, they do whatever a patient needs, be it big or small. Earlier in the day, Lori and her nephew had brought two Diet Cokes to a patient who requested it. When someone has a hard time keeping food and drink down, they're definitely going to get what they ask for!

The Harbor Room hosts a regular support group that meets monthly. There's a different topic each month. The most recent one got attendees doing the salsa dance in their chairs! Lori pointed out that when people suffer from lymphedema, they need to exercise or it will get worse. But it can be tough to exercise. So they learned how to exercise in their chairs!

The Harbor Room sees a lot of people on limited incomes, and not all can afford their medications. By accessing the Hope Fund, people can get help paying for their gas or a new washer and dryer.

CMC's infusion wing is using a holistic approach, and includes essential oils such as ginger and bergamot to help with nausea, pain control and headaches. "We try to do what the patient needs," said Lori.

October happens to be Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the Harbor Room had just received a donation from the Cambridge Caribou Coffee. Caribous around the nation sell Amy's Blend in October to raise money in honor of a former employee who lost her life to breast cancer.

Learn more about the resources at the Harbor Room here.

In September, we crested over 2,000 total items fashioned by Team Yarn members! Wow! What an accomplishment -- and we're not even in our third year yet. You are all so wonderful!

Volunteers donated 69 items in all in September bringing our total to 2,063.

As we have previously, we incorporated purple into our hats and other items in memory of Cheryl Slater, and then donated these items to the Harbor Room in Cambridge in October. (That blog post is coming soon.)

 It was one of those days when it was hot in the sun... and cool in the shade!

Team Yarn was featured on the main homepage for all of Allina in December 2014. Neither Amy nor I work at Alina, but we have several friends who do, and they all let us know they saw our smiling faces when they opened up their computers at work. The photo featured our October donation to the Harbor Room.

Here's a screenshot one friend sent over:

We donated 69 hats, 2 shawls and 6 blankets to the Harbor Room at Cambridge Medical Center on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2014. It was our third donation to the cancer resource center that so helped Amy's mom, Cheryl Slater, as she battled cancer.

Read more about our past donations to the Harbor Room and their wonderful work here.

Not long ago, a woman walked into the Harbor Room and said, "We're going to a wedding and I don't know what to do." She didn't want to wear a scarf to a wedding. "We pulled out our hats. She knew she was wearing pink," recalled Lori Dimitry. They found the perfect hat for her and she was so excited. "It gave me goosebumps," said Dimitry.

Lori Dimitry is the new volunteer director at Cambridge Medical Center, and has been working in that position since February although she's been at CMC since 1979. In all, there are 136 people who volunteer at the Cambridge hospital and clinic. At the Harbor Room, they schedule people in four-hour shifts in the morning or afternoon. They're always looking for more volunteers.

She pointed out that this is a great time of year for us to donate two boxes of hats. As it gets colder, the Harbor Room gives away more. They don't limit the amount one person can take home, but instead give away as many as someone needs.

"You wouldn't believe how often people come in here and they are at their wit's end," Dimitry observed. They receive many requests for hats, scarves and wigs. "It's so much fun to give!"

The Harbor Room is currently revamping its support groups and adding in both an educational and fun component. Attendance was dwindling, so they decided to do something different, explained Dimitry. In October they invited a pharmacist to speak and then created healing bracelets. In November, a behavioral health specialist spoke about her own cancer journey and then participants made a photo cube box. In December, a representative from Sister Kenny will share exercises and everyone will leave with their own low-impact exercise band. "If they leave with something tangible, they are more likely to come," noted Dimitry. Plus, they want the group members to have fun. "No one thinks cancer is fun, but cancer can't be your whole life either," said Dimitry. "There's nothing fun about cancer, but you still need to live."

The Harbor Room also offers financial assistance for people. Recently, they helped pay for a garage door opener and a dryer for a woman battling cancer to make her life easier. Those who attend the monthly Beautiful You program leave with $80 worth in make-up.

Meet Harbor Room Volunteer Marge Johnson

Marge Johnson lost her sister two years ago. Her sister was just 50 years old. She had Stage 4 breast cancer. After a year to grieve, Johnson started volunteering at the Harbor Room. "I think its been real comforting both ways," she observed. Johnson is comforted while she helps others.

"So much talent and such loving hands passing these treasures to those that need," said Lori Dimitry.

Click here to view Facebook Post from CMC about Team Yarn. 

The Cambridge Medical Center is talking about us on their Facebook page:

Thanks Team Yarn for the generous donation of 69 hats, 2 shawls and 6 blankets for Cambridge Medical Center's Harbor Room Cancer Resource Center. Cancer patients will truly appreciate the warmth of these gifts. This thoughtful group donates their handmade pieces to the Harbor Room each fall, and supports many other local organizations.

There were 47 hats and 3 shawls brought to the October 2014 meeting. PLUS Linda made Amy a special scarf in purple. It's a great pattern that incorporates the Cancer Awareness Ribbon.

October has been our Purple Month for the past 2 years, as we remember Cheryl Slater and donate items to the Harbor Room in Cambridge, a cancer resource center Cheryl benefited from during her fight with Merkel Cell Carcinoma.

And (unplanned!) most of our group wore purple to the meet-up!

Plus there was a lot of red, white and blue at the meeting as we all worked on our large projects for the VA Hospital in November. Can't wait to see them all done!!