Eleanor George made 175 scarves for this year's charity drive. (Jeff D'Andrea/paNOW Staff)

By Jeff D'Andrea

Prince Albert woman knitted 175 scarves to give to charity

Dec 12, 2020 | 5:13 PM

Since last Christmas, Eleanor George spent close to 900 hours knitting and crocheting scarves for the homeless and less fortunate across Prince Albert.

George made, washed, dried, conditioned, and bagged 175 scarves for the ‘Stuffing Purses and Bags for the Homeless’ charity drive, spearheaded each year by City of Prince Albert councillor Charlene Miller.

This year ‘Stuffing Purses and Bags for the Homeless’ will have all city councillors collecting warm winter clothing items like toques, gloves, socks and scarves and divide them into bags and purses. These will be donated to the detox centres and homeless shelters throughout the city.

“I always feel there is a need in the city for something,” George said, on why she makes the scarves.

George said she spent seven-and-a-half hours each day making scarves—only taking the summer off from her scarf-making duties to tend to her garden. All the knitting and crocheting helped keep George occupied, especially after all her usual activities and engagements have largely been shut down for safety reasons.

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“I don’t drive anymore, so I can’t go out. This just kept me sane,” George said. “I belong to Mont St. Joe’s home and I work in the canteen there and I teach an art class there. I can’t go there anymore. I belong to the senior advocacy, I can’t go there anymore. I can’t go to exercise class. I have to do something.”

City councilor Charlene Miller, Eleanor George, and Mayor Greg Dionne pose in front of George’s home with boxes of scarves she made. (Jeff D’Andrea/paNOW Staff)

Last year, George gave a monetary donation to Miller in order to have scarves purchased for the drive. George thought that was “lazy” of herself, and decided to knit the 175 scarves.

“Eleanor got ahold of me last year at Christmas time, saying she was going to do 175 scarves for me. I was overwhelmed. I didn’t know if somebody could do 175 scarves in a year, but she did it and it was a wonderful job,” Miller said.

George said she loved making the scarves and hopes everybody that needs one gets one.

“I hope they’d be happy with them. It’s something homemade, not everybody gets something homemade and I think they will be appreciated,” George said.

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jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW