Knitting Love and Generosity
By Cheryl Lawless
“Think globally, act locally:” so what does that really mean? For each of us it is different, perhaps a donation, a charity walk, caring for a loved one, and so on, but for Annie Chittenden, it combined talent and passion with the birth of Kind Knits Artisans.
Annie’s meandering path through life gave her all the right skills. Beyond these experiences, Annie fought and won a life threatening battle against ovarian cancer. This trial gave her the added benefit of clarity….clarity about her purpose in life. Although she is the first to admit that she would not want to re-experience that struggle, she does say that it was a gift for which she will always be thankful.
For years Annie wove tapestries, with commissions taking long, long stretches of time to complete. She combined this activity with teaching at the Guildford Art Center, both fulfilling but very demanding. Burned out, she decided to act on some of her other interests, those which would bring her more immediate fulfillment, as well as provide her with the opportunity to explore other talents. Free lance writing, advocacy and administration for various organizations dealing with a range of issues from teen gambling and drug abuse to domestic violence.
All these experiences brought her to Our Companions’ doorstep. As a lifelong lover of animals, in particular dogs, she learned about Our Companions while having lunch with a friend. Working with Susan and Marie, she started the Safe Pet Program, which was established to accept pets from households which were in crisis. The concept was to return the pets to their owners after they were stable and ready for their return. “For owners involved in domestic violence, a pet is often their only trustworthy companion,” said Annie. The economy was against them, so the program had to be put on the back burner. Hopefully, some day it can be revived so that those in crisis have a place to turn with their pets.
Never to be foiled by adversity, Annie forged ahead and founded Kind Knits Artisans. Her success benefits Our Companions, as she donates her profits to support their mission. One only has to go to their website: www.kindknitsartisans.com to see her wonderful one-of-a-kind baby and toddler clothing.
Annie’s creative abilities and standard of quality shows through in these colorful, beautifully designed and executed sweaters, booties, and hats. One cannot help but smile when you look at them and, in a fleeting moment, only wish you had a baby to wrap one of these jewels around.
As Annie explained, “Our differences are what make us unique. What draws us together is our commitment to top notch craftsmanship and our belief that compassionate action can change the world”. So this is Annie’s “Think globally, act locally” contribution. For her, every bit helps, no matter how small it may seem.
As Annie believes, “Happiness is not given to you….it is how you choose to be”. Annie, good luck……..your heart and talents are in the right place!
Previous Volunteer Spotlight
September 2011 - Deb Couture
June 2011 - Kathi Peterson
May 2011 - The Natchaug River Young Marines
April 2011 - Caroline Gaetano
March 2011- Carol Noyes
January 2011- Cathy Ferreira
November 2010- Gina Hoag
October 2010 - Helene Kapelewski
August 2010 - Lisa Ireland
May 2010 - Regina Radzicki
April 2010 - Veteran Volunteers
February 2010- Mandy Wieting
December 2009 - Pat McGuiness
October 2009 - Risa Davidson
August 2009 - Deb Soricelli
June 2009 - Henry Petrofsky
March 2009 - Jacquie Roy
Dec 2008 - Gretchen Labau
Sept 2008 Todd Johnston
July 2008 Lyn Garson
May 2008 Daryl Carbone
March 2008 Sue King
Jan 2008 Jon Phillips
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