Our Mission and How You Can Help

Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! As January comes to a close, T.H.R.I.V.E.’s mission to provide lovingly handmade garments to our nation’s underprivileged Veterans and their dependents continues!

If you would like to donate a hat, scarf, lap blanket or other handcrafted garment to our cause, please remember that the dear veterans and their dependents prefer dark colors, e.g. blue, black, green, grey, and all-time favorite, camouflage. If you would like to knit, crochet, or sew a garment in a brighter color, red or deep purple are always popular bright colors. We cannot emphasize this important point enough: please do not use sparkly or overly decorative yarns and fabrics. While they have their place, they are simply inappropriate for the veterans and their dependents (including children because of choking hazards).

If you are not a crafter, but would like to help, there are still many ways to support our cause! Please consider donating materials and/or making a monetary donation to help us cover the costs of materials, shipping, and overhead.

If you need yarn, or other supplies, please contact us through email at thriveassociation@thrivevets.org or by phone at (469) 427-9654. Please be aware that any communications are recorded. If you have donations and cannot make it to one of our in-person knitting groups, we are still continuing our policy of curbside pickup. Please contact us to schedule a pickup if you are in the DFW area. If you reside outside the DFW area and would like to make an in-kind donation, please contact us to make arrangements. Remember, even one lovingly handcrafted hat or scarf can make a huge difference in the life of an underprivileged veteran or their dependent(s)!


A Pro Tip for the First Stand Downs of 2024

Happy Monday dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! We’ve got the first Stand Downs of 2024 right around the corner! We are hard at work collecting donations for these Stand Downs and also have our heads down crafting goods of our own at our HQ! If you are interested in crafting gifts for T.H.R.I.V.E. Association, please take the following to heart:

When you donate your handcrafted gifts to T.H.R.I.V.E. Association for us to disseminate at VA Stand Downs, the veterans and their dependents are ultimately the ones who chose what they will accept from our booth. Please understand that we are not trying to be persnickety or impose arbitrary rules. Over the years, we have witnessed numerous instances at Stand Downs where veterans would rather leave empty handed (in freezing temperatures no less) than accept garments that they deemed were undignified. This is always so heartbreaking! Therefore, it is essential to always keep the recipient of every handcrafted gift in mind.

As crafters, it is sometimes tempting to use flashy colored yarns/textiles, color work, and fancy stitches in our crafted goods. However, these qualities are by and large not desired by the community that we serve. These proud individuals tend to prefer darker colors and straight-to-the-point garments. We want to provide them with what they need. If you have your heart set on practicing your color work, then sports team colors are always a fan favorite. However, the vast majority want either straight camouflage or solid blacks, blues, greens, grays, dark reds, and royal purples. Happy crafting!


MLK Day 2024

Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family. We’d like to pay homage to the great Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. As we all reflect on his great wisdom and humanity, we hope that you are all staying warm and safe amidst the cold front sweeping across the nation.


Plough Monday 2024

Happy Plough Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! We hope that you all had a very joyous and restful holiday season! It’s a new year and we’re hitting the ground running. We’ve got lots of events and Stand Downs coming up, so please keep the donations coming. We’ll need hats, scarves, and lap blankets to meet the needs of the veterans and their dependents at these upcoming Stand Downs.

If you would like to donate a hat, scarf, lap blanket or other handcrafted garment to our cause, please remember that the dear veterans and their dependents prefer dark colors, e.g. blue, black, green, grey, and all-time favorite, camouflage. If you would like to knit, crochet, or sew a garment in a brighter color, red or deep purple are always popular bright colors. We cannot emphasize this important point enough: please do not use sparkly or overly decorative yarns and fabrics. While they have their place, they are simply inappropriate for the veterans and their dependents (including children because of choking hazards).

If you are not a crafter, but would like to help, there are still many ways to support our cause! Please consider donating materials and/or making a monetary donation to help us cover the costs of materials, shipping, and overhead.

If you need yarn, or other supplies, please contact us through email at thriveassociation@thrivevets.org or by phone at (469) 427-9654. Please be aware that any communications are recorded. If you have donations and cannot make it to one of our in-person knitting groups, we are still continuing our policy of curbside pickup. Please contact us to schedule a pickup if you are in the DFW area. If you reside outside the DFW area and would like to make an in-kind donation, please contact us to make arrangements. Remember, even one lovingly handcrafted hat or scarf can make a huge difference in the life of an underprivileged veteran or their dependent(s)!


Happy 2024!

Happy New Year, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family. Wishing you all the best for 2024!