Members of the Knitting and Sewing Club are applying for an Action Fund grant to finance a “warm accessories drive.” The grant money would go toward the cost of the production of at least 15 scarf and hat sets for donation to homeless shelters and other community organizations. Also budgeted into the proposal is money to cover potential costs for transportation of goods and the cost of one visit to the recipients of the knitted sets.

The drive is a component of Hunger and Homelessness Awareness (HHA) Week, which runs from Nov. 17 through Nov. 22.

Knitting Club member Hannah Popish ’06 and Community Service Office student employee Michael Barnes ’06 are writing the grant proposal, which is for $300–400.

The club is also planning a warm accessory fashion show in which the volunteer knitters will be able to model their garments before donating them.

Popish said that if the Knitting and Sewing Club gets the grant, it would hold beginner knitting sessions to involve the larger Macalester community in the drive.

The Action Fund is an endowment created in 1998 by Macalester alumni to help fund student-initiated service projects. Money became available to students in 2001 when alumni donated enough for the fund to begin earning sufficient interest to act as a small endowment.

Director of Community Service Karin Trail-Johnson said that demand for Action Fund money is growing as students become more aware of the availability of Action Fund grants.

A committee of faculty, staff, students and alumni reviews Action Fund proposals. Trail-Johnson encouraged students to discuss ideas and ask questions before the submission deadline. She reminded students that this is a first-time grant writing experience for most and that constructive feedback is part of the process.

The committee will review grant proposals twice this year after the submission deadlines of Oct. 17, 2003 and Feb. 27, 2004. Two thousand dollars are available each semester, and are generally allotted in $100–500 portions.

“The selection criteria are stated broadly with the intention of encouraging students’ creativity,” Trail-Johnson said. However, the selection committee does have some criteria. For instance, the proposed project must include direct service and be student-initiated. The committee also looks for projects that involve both service and education.

Macalester’s Knitting and Sewing Club was revived last spring when Anda Saylor ’06 and Rachel Tenney ’06 acquired signing power of the organization, allowing them to take charge of the then dormant “Knittin’ Bitches.”

The re-christened club’s initial project involved knitting a 50-foot contribution towards a giant pink scarf that was wrapped around the White House on International Women’s Day as a symbol of opposition to war on Iraq.

The club’s members encourage persons interested in knitting and sewing to attend club meetings on Tuesday evenings at 7:15 p.m. in the Wallace Formal Lounge. Student can also contact Anda Saylor at asaylor@macalester.edu. Popish encourages all students to get involved in the project. “It’s really easy to knit a scarf,” Popish said.