A heart-warming organization going strong for 25 years.
When the temperatures drop, most Regina citizens are used to having a sturdy set of walls and roof to take shelter in. For those who may not have that same fortune, protection sometimes comes in the form of well-crafted mitts, handmade with care and compassion by Angels 4 Warmth (A4W).
“There’s lots of different charities out there, but I just feel that there are needs right here in the city,” says Kerry Macdonald. “I wanted to knit for somebody, so this was the perfect outlet.”
Macdonald has been with the charity for nearly 17 years, and has seen thousands of mitts, socks, and scarves pass through their doors. The non-profit has been operating for 25 years in Regina, consistently donating hand-crafted articles to give comfort to those in need within the city.
“Things have changed a lot in the city,” says Macdonald. “I used to think there weren’t any homeless people in the city, but I see them walking past my backyard.”
As Macdonald recalls it, the organization was born from a rather simple exchange one evening between friends. “They started in North Central, where the old Scott Collegiate used to be,” she says. “It was just ladies who met once a week to knit and crochet. One of them looked outside and said ‘That kid needs mitts.’ And the next thing you know, someone was making mitts.”
That compassionate impulse quickly gained steam as time went on. From their initial size of just ten members, approximately 250 needleworkers now show up once a month to drop off their finished projects, and pick up freshly-donated materials. From there, the articles are dispersed throughout Regina to partner groups.
The Rainbow Youth Centre is one such partner. Located in downtown Regina, the centre has been receiving donations for many years now, to the delight of the children who go there. “I think it has been a good decade since they started,” says Sandra Pfeifer, Youth Care Program Supervisor. “We would have (the donations) available for any clientele in need, and also placed them outside on cold days for anyone walking by.”
Over time, Pfeifer says that the program started to shift into something a bit more special.
“Every Christmas, we’d make a Christmas stocking . . . containing mitts, toques, and now afghans or quilted blankets,” she says. “We usually do between 190 to 250 stocking bags, and they’d go out to clients anywhere between infancy and age 25. The kids absolutely love getting their own blankets and mitts.”
At Albert Community School, Administrative Assistant Heather Powell has seen firsthand how important the donations are for kids during the coldest parts of the year. “This year they’ve been great,” she says. You have kids who have come in crying with red hands and we’re trying to warm them up, so the more toques and scarves and mittens we have, the better.”
In 2022, the Heritage Community Association received eight bags of warm clothes, which were then distributed across the neighbourhood. Such donations were likely welcomed in a city district where nearly 45% of households were living on less than $30,000 per year in 2020.
Through the distribution network they have set up, A4W are giving the less-fortunate access to climate security through a grassroots charity, and the community seems to be greatly affected by this gesture. So much so, that the family of Hailey Richards Livesey directly cooperated with A4W to commemorate her memory after she passed away.
Livesey’s mother, Tasha, wrote the following: “We’re also incredibly grateful for Angels 4 Warmth, whose hands and hearts are always at work—knitting and crocheting hats, mitts, scarves, and other warm items for those who need them most. These pieces aren’t just handmade… they’re hope, care, and dignity stitched into every loop.”
At the time of writing, direct recipients of the articles were not available to interview.
Featured image used with permission of Kerry Macdonald.
