Supporting Our Community

Like all small businesses, Yarn Seasons must decide between all the many worthy local organizations in order to support their community. We wish we could support more than the ones we do, but we do the best we can!  We hope that by shining a light on these organizations we can encourage our customers to support local organizations as well.

American Association of University Women

Since its founding in 1881, AAUW has advanced gender equality for women and girls through research, education, and advocacy.

As a group, AAUW is tenacious and trailblazing in its pursuit of gender equality and economic security for women and girls.  Their strong support of educating women is something we think is really important.  As Michelle Obama said, “No country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contributions of half its citizens.

AAUW members continuously examine and advocate for solutions to fundamental problems of our day. The local Smith Mountain Lake AAUW group focuses on the education of women and girls. Since 2007 this group has awarded more than$70,000 in scholarships to women continuing their post-secondary education. They have also sponsored elementary-ages girls attendance at summer science camps, and provide scholarships to high school senior girls to offset the costs of college applications.

Since women still get just 83 cents for every dollar paid to a man, and men continue to dominate the top roles and highest-paying professions we feel that supporting education for women and support of closing the gender gap is something we should definitely support.

Smith Mountain Lake Women’s Club

SML Women’s Club is a volunteer and charitable organization started in 1978.  The objectives of the group are to promote and encourage members’ interests in the arts, conservation, education, home life, women’s health, public and international affairs, and to give members the opportunity to perform community service. 

This group supports a number of worthy projects, Adele’s Legacy  and the “Holy” Yarn Rollers in particular!  They also provide gowns for Operation Smile, collect aluminum tabs for Ronald McDonald house, sponsor numerous Red Cross Blood Drives, and award scholarships to female high school graduates of Franklin County and Staunton River High Schools.

The GameFest has been their major fundraising event of the year for 23 years, and Yarn Seasons has been thrilled to support this event since we opened.  Every year Yarn Seasons sponsors a table at Gamefest for handworking (rather than playing games) and we have enjoyed the fun, prizes, and food every year – as well as supporting a good cause.

Adele’s Legacy

We often refer to this group as an “octopus” since it has arms all over the place!  An informal group of women from all over Franklin and Bedford County (with assists from all over the country!) they create by hand knitted or crocheted garments for elementary school aged children.  Every year an elementary school in Franklin or Bedford County is chosen, with assistance from the Superintendent’s office, and Giveaway Day is planned for one day late November or early December.  On this day every student in the school – from preschool through fifth grade – is given the opportunity to choose their very own sweater, hat, and scarf to take home and keep for their very own. 

You can imagine how dear this is to our hearts!  Seeing these children choose for their very own clothing that for some of them is the first time they have ever had new clothing! To say nothing of the fact that it is hand made, and they are allowed to chose it all on their own.  Yarn Seasons strongly supports the goal of Adele’s Legacy – Keeping Kids Cozy.  To this end Yarn Seasons is a drop off point for collection of the garments, as well as a pick up/drop off point for the cuff kits and raglan completion kits. 

Cuff kits are a great mindless pleasure for advanced knitters, and a perfect practice piece for beginner knitters.  The “Sheila’s Sheep” group supports beginner knitters with their first hats, sweaters or scarves for donation to the children.