DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Earlier this month, WPTV's Christy Waite featured a special knitting group called Loving Hands in Delray Beach. What happened next shows the incredible power of community kindness.
Two women started Loving Hands 25 years ago with a simple but meaningful mission: to knit hats for premature babies and warm items for soldiers. Today, they make blankets for children on dialysis, veterans, and NICU patients.
But rising costs had made their work harder to sustain — until viewers stepped up to help.
Just days after WPTV's story aired, group member Sherri Schnider emailed with amazing news: they'd already received enough donations to last a full year. But the calls and emails kept coming.
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One particularly touching message came from Barbara Didjurgis. Her best friend, Marge Davis, had recently passed away, leaving behind dozens of boxes filled with yarn, knitting needles, and patterns. Marge's family wasn't sure what to do with it all.
"I heard your story and thought, what a perfect place for it all," Didjurgis said. "It gives me chills. She would be so excited that all this material could go somewhere to do so much good. It's like karma."
Christy met with Didjurgis to collect the supplies and surprise Loving Hands with the donation. When they arrived with a car packed full of knitting materials, the group was moved to tears.
During a FaceTime call with Didjurgis, group member Annette Jackson expressed her gratitude: "There are so many places we donate to, so a piece of Marge is going to go wherever they go."
The full scope of the community response was staggering. Viewers from across South Florida and beyond sent pounds of donations — one person alone gave eight pounds of yarn.
"It's overwhelming, the kindness we received from your viewers," Jackson said. "It's just outstanding — it's unbelievable."
Thanks to WPTV viewers, Loving Hands now has enough supplies for two years. They're no longer accepting donations but are actively looking for new knitters and crocheters to join their mission of spreading warmth throughout the community.
"None of this would have happened without you," Jackson told Christy. "Thank you."
If you would like to join the group you can contact them at: benefithelp@aol.com
