Donations Needed for September Stand Down!

Published: August 14, 2023  ~   0

Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! This month’s Stand Down package to Alaska has left us needing your help! We’re going to need more hats, scarves, and gaiters to meet the demand for the next Stand Down in September. With just one month until then, time is of the essence and our underprivileged veterans and their dependents really need your support! If you need some inspiration on what pattern to use to craft your donation, here are some suggestions to get you knitting:

For a solid, veteran-approved hat, the Red Heart Ribbed Knit Beanie is a popular pattern:

Red Heart Ribbed Knit Beanie

If you’re interested in knitting a scarf, a Garter stitch scarf is a no-nonsense, dependable garment that is sure to be a hit. Many knitters tend to overlook the Garter stitch scarf as a pattern, most likely because it is every knitter’s very first project. But don’t discount just how quick, simple, and effective straight knitting can be! Just make sure to cast on as many stitches as it takes for your scarf to be at least 6 inches wide and ensure that your scarf ends up measuring at least 60 inches in length.

If you’d like to knit a gaiter, the Essential 1 x 1 Gaiter is a go-to pattern that is both functional and fashionable for our veterans and/or their dependents:

The Essential 1 x 1 Gaiter (Knit)

Last Call!

Published: August 7, 2023  ~   0

Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! This is a last call for donations for the Alaska Stand Downs. If you would like to contribute, please make sure to arrange for a pick up within the next day or two, as T.H.R.I.V.E. is shipping out our lovingly hand crafted gifts to Alaska this week! It takes a lot of hard work to prepare these gifts for the veterans and their dependents, so time is of the essence!

If you live in the DFW area, please contact our office to make arrangements for donation pickup or drop off. If your donation can’t make it in time for the Alaska Stand Downs, don’t worry; we’ve got plenty of other Stand Downs coming up and your lovingly handcrafted donations will go to those!

Donations Needed for Upcoming August Stand Down

Published: July 31, 2023  ~   0

Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! August is right around the corner and the next Stand Down that we’re serving is merely weeks away! If you’d like to make donations for this and future Stand Down events that benefit our underprivileged military veterans, please send in your donations as soon as possible (or make arrangements to schedule a pickup if you are in the DFW area). The sooner we receive your donated garments, the sooner we can thoroughly process them for the upcoming shipments to these Stand Downs. We still need hats, scarves, mittens, and gaiters for these Stand Downs as they are in colder regions of the United States.

If you would like to donate a hat, scarf, gaiter 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).

The Veterans Need You!

Published: July 24, 2023  ~   0

Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! We have multiple Stand Downs coming up in the next two months. If you’d like to make donations for these events, please send in your donations as soon as possible (or make arrangements to schedule a pickup if you are in the DFW area). The sooner we receive your donated garments, the sooner we can thoroughly process them for the upcoming shipments to these Stand Downs. We still need hats, scarves, mittens, and gaiters for these Stand Downs as they are in colder regions of the United States.

If you would like to donate a hat, scarf, gaiter 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).

Stand Down Season is Approaching!

Published: July 10, 2023  ~   0

Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! Stand Down season is quickly approaching, so please start sending in your crafted garments. We need time to inspect, catalogue, make corrections, weave in ends, label, and wet block each and every donation that we receive. Those garments will then be sent out to our Veteran Affairs partners for dissemination at Stand Downs nationwide.

If you would like to donate a hat, scarf, face mask 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).

We Are Moving Our Offices

Published: June 5, 2023  ~   0

Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! We’re currently moving our offices. In the interim, if you live outside of the DFW area and would like to make an in-kind donation to our cause, please send your donations to:

T.H.R.I.V.E. Association

Attention: Torrey Mirow

10019 Woodlake Dr.

Dallas, TX 75243-5027

If you would like to donate a hat, scarf, face mask 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 crafting 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).

Here’s to All of Our Awesome Mothers!

Published: May 15, 2023  ~   0

Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! We hope that you all had a very pleasant Mother’s Day and were able to spend some quality time with the mothers and/or mother figures in your life! 

T.H.R.I.V.E. Association supports all mothers, fathers, and children in the entire veteran family. Many of the female veterans that we serve have children in their care and we aim to ensure that not only do the veterans receive our gifts, their dependents do as well! With this being said, we are out of children’s (toddler to school age) sized garments. Many of the Stand Downs that we serve inform us ahead of time how many children that are under their care and we must ensure that we have enough stock of these age-appropriate garments on hand to meet the need. We thank all of our staff, donors, volunteers, and supporters for all of their hard work and continued enthusiastic dedication to the cause!

Scarf Measurements

Published: May 8, 2023  ~   0

Happy Monday dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! We hope that you all enjoyed the beautiful Flower Moon last Friday. Our staff certainly enjoyed crafting under the stars and marveling at this wonderful lunar event.

We have gotten a few questions recently regarding scarf width and length requirements, which we’d like to address here. It is imperative that all donated scarves are 60 inches (152cm) in length and at minimum 6 inches (15cm) in width. Ideally, the width of scarves bound for Stand Downs in colder climates should be 8 inches (20cm) wide. This additional width allows for the veteran or their dependent to cover from the base of their neck up to the bridge of their nose. Anyone who has lived in a colder climate, as some of our staff have, can attest to the importance of having your neck, mouth, and nose covered during those extra cold months. Through the years, we have received lots of helpful feedback from the veterans and their dependents about what they prefer and what they need. The longer scarves allow for the wearer to wrap the garment multiple times, ensuring that they stay warm. A wider scarf allows for more overall coverage, which also ensures additional warmth. We are all here to serve those who so selflessly served our nation and we aim to please!

Rest In Peace

Published: April 24, 2023  ~   0

Dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family, it is with heavy hearts that we share with you this somber news. We are sad to report the passing of David Gillespie, a founding member and colleague of T.H.R.I.V.E. Association.

Rest in Peace

Thomas David Gillespie, Jr.

1969-2023

Have Crafting, Will Travel

Published: March 27, 2023  ~   0

Happy Monday, dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! It’s time to restock! After serving the veterans and their dependents at the Alachua county Stand Down in Gainesville, FL, we’re fresh out of hats, scarves, etc.! While we are thrilled by this (as it means that we met our goal), we now need to start building up our inventory of lovingly hand-crafted goods for the next Stand Downs.

If you’d like to donate a hat, scarf, face mask, 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 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).