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Date: 2/9/2021
GRANBY – A local resident is honoring her grandmother’s memory with a project to help keep people warm and give back to the community at the same time.
Victoria Azevedo said the project, Scarves by Mary, was inspired by her grandmother Mary. “She would always knit these scarves with verses. I was always super embarrassed by it growing up, she was always handing out these crosses,” Azevedo explained.
However, she said years later she realized the impact they’d had on the people that had been on the receiving end of them. “I now realize it impacted so many people. People said she gave it to me years ago, and I still have it,” Azevedo said.
She said over the years she accumulated many scarves her grandmother had made for her and found herself wondering what to do with them. “I had a bag of scarves that she knitted for me over the years. I couldn’t possibly wear them all, but didn’t want to throw them out,” she said.
As someone who works as a pediatric nurse, she said she became aware of many low income families in the community “that could use help.” This, she said, was how she came up with the idea for Scarves by Mary. “That could help people in the community and people in need. It’s something that’s nice and will keep them warm,” she said. She added that she would be “doing a little Bible verse with it for inspiration,” and to continue on with her grandmother’s tradition.
She said while she’s just getting started with her project, her vision “is helping out local community organizations, whether I’m making homeless bags and including a scarf, bottle of water, or giving it to a women’s shelter.” However, she said she was hoping to work with a variety of different organizations and even community members who may be in need such as a family who recently lost a significant portion of their possessions to a house fire.
She said ways in which people can help include donating pre-made scarves, hats, mittens and gloves for individuals of all ages from infants to adults. Additionally, she said donations of yarn would also be helpful. In the meantime, she said she was “trying to get a small group of volunteers together,” to begin knitting for the project as well.
Those interested in donating or helping with the project can do so by emailing scarvesbymary2021@gmail.com or by visiting Acevedo’s Facebook page, Scarves By Mary for more information.