April's gorgeous weather meant we returned to the Silverwood patio. Ah, it was lovely. You wonderful people donated 59 items, bringing our overall total to 2,500. AMAZING!

We were pleased to welcome Marilyn to our group in April; she read about us in the Amery, Wis. newspaper. We hope to see her again soon! As always, spread the word about Team Yarn. We're also looking for new members!

As a proud mama, I just have to brag on my little girl. She made her first hat for Team Yarn this month, and she's so delighted to be a contributing member! I wondered if maybe she wanted to keep this first regular-size loom hat for herself. But no, she insisted on donating it!

(Sorry the photos aren't as great this month. I forgot my good camera!)

From Samuel on April 20, 2016:
Thank you for the hat my wife picked up at MN Oncology during chemo...it brightened her day!

Read more about our donation to MN Oncology here.

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.

Many of the pregnant women being treated at Whittier Clinic along Nicollet Ave. in Minneapolis don’t have much, and they really appreciate a hat for their baby.

On Monday, March 28, 2016 we dropped off 53 baby hats and a box full of children’s mittens to be distributed through the prenatal care program at Whittier. The program treats a high number of immigrants and refugees.

“People love hats,” Kristen Brown told us as she looked through the box of baby hats we brought. “These are beautiful.”

“They’re so pretty,” agreed Anne Denucci-Lushine.

The duo brought us back to the room where prenatal groups are held. Through the CenteringPregnancy Program, a group of 8-12 expectant mothers meet together once a month for 10 two-hour-long sessions. Groups are offered in English and Spanish. “After the first couple sessions, they’re exchanging phone numbers and information,” remarked Anne.

The group provides an avenue for these women to find a community in a city where it can be hard to make connections.

Members of each group span a big age range, but they all come together through their shared experience of being due at the same time.

Anne noted that as providers, they don’t need to do much except facilitate the conversation during monthly get-togethers. “We help guide them,” she remarked. But all they need to do is ask a question, and the women themselves find the answer together. The conversation with other moms “is really empowering,” said Kristen. “It’s validating.” She added, “It’s very humbling for us.”

Amy pointed out that we occasionally have baby hats that don’t fit in with the donations we make to cancer treatment centers as few babies have cancer and the Allina Children’s Hospital has told us they’re more in need of hats for teenagers. In the past, we’ve dropped the baby hats off at the Fairview U of M Masonic Children’s Hospital NICU. “I was very happy when I called here and found you could use them,” Amy stated.

The group has 20-30 participants each month. Anne and Kirsten weren’t sure yet whether they’d give away the hats during the prenatal group meetings or at the reunion held with each group 2 months after birth.

For more information, call 612-873-2229 or 612-873-BABY.