Calling All Crafters!

Published: July 27, 2026  ~   0

Happy Monday dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! There are multiple Stand Downs each month that we partner with across the U.S.; and although it’s pretty warm outside right now for most of us here in the lower 48, our warm handcrafted gifts are always in high demand.

If you would like to craft a gift for our cause but need inspiration, please peruse our blog at https://thrivevets.org/index.php/blog/ where you can find free patterns as well as awesome tips and tricks. 

If you’d like to donate a hat, scarf, mittens, 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 potential 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 have donations within Baltimore or the DMV area, please contact us to schedule a pickup. If you reside outside of the Baltimore, MD or the DMV area and would like to make an in-kind donation, you can send your donations to us at:

Care of: Victoria Walker at T.H.R.I.V.E. Association
900 E Fayette St #1583
Baltimore, MD 21233

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us. Remember, even one lovingly handcrafted hat or scarf can make a huge difference in the life of an underprivileged veteran or their dependent(s).

Stand Downs are Right Around the Corner!

Published: July 20, 2026  ~   0

Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! Many of our long-time partner Veteran Administrations around the country are asking for our handcrafted gifts for their upcoming Stand Downs. As usual, we’ve set a goal for ourselves to create the most impact with the help of our very talented crafters. Currently, we need 500 hats, scarves, mittens, etc to meet the needs of our homeless veteran community that will be attending these Stand Downs. If you like crafting for kids, we have requests from multiple VAs for school-aged children sized hats and scarves, and baby buntings with hats for those veterans who either have infants or are expecting. Of course, we would like to exceed these numbers. Many of the VAs ask us for a few extra hats to hand out as the need arises. 

If you’d like to donate a hat, scarf, mittens, 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 potential 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 have donations within Baltimore or the DMV area, please contact us to schedule a pickup. If you reside outside of the Baltimore, MD or the DMV area and would like to make an in-kind donation, you can send your donations to us at:

Care of: Victoria Walker at T.H.R.I.V.E. Association
900 E Fayette St #1583
Baltimore, MD 21233

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us. Remember, even one lovingly handcrafted hat or scarf can make a huge difference in the life of an underprivileged veteran or their dependent(s).

Portable Projects

Published: July 13, 2026  ~   0

Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family. Remember that keeping a simple project with you that is easy to pick up and put down is a great way to make use of those little moments of free time, such as when you’re out handling errands, enjoying the outdoors, or even waiting in line. This way, you can benefit from the therapeutic qualities of crafting while also working towards finishing projects that ultimately can go towards helping the underprivileged veteran community that T.H.R.I.V.E. Association serves. Happy crafting and thank you for continuing to send in your wonderfully handmade garments to us in support of our mission!

Crafting for Anchorage at the birthplace of “The Star-Spangled Banner”

Published: July 6, 2026  ~   0

Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! We hope that you all had a very happy and safe 4th of July weekend. Thank you to all of our amazing staff and volunteers who have been helping us to reach our goal of 150 hats and scarves and 20 blankets for our partner V.A. in Anchorage, Alaska. We are so grateful for your ongoing support and tireless efforts to further our mission to help end homelessness among our nation’s veterans and their dependents.

Although most of us in the “lower 48” are experiencing sweltering temperatures, it is important to note that Anchorage, Alaska does get quite cold at night; even during the Summer months. So, please keep sending in your lovingly handcrafted gifts. They are always needed, and we send them to our partner Stand Downs all year round.

If you’d like to donate a hat, scarf, mittens, 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 potential 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 have donations within Baltimore or the DMV area, please contact us to schedule a pickup. If you reside outside of the Baltimore, MD or the DMV area and would like to make an in-kind donation, you can send your donations to us at:

Care of: Victoria Walker at T.H.R.I.V.E. Association
900 E Fayette St #1583
Baltimore, MD 21233

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us. Remember, even one lovingly handcrafted hat or scarf can make a huge difference in the life of an underprivileged veteran or their dependent(s).

Note: The photo above was taken at Fort McHenry- the birthplace of “The Star-Spangled Banner”! Happy 250th America!