Made with love: From the Heart reaches milestone 600,000 cozy item donations to vulnerable populations

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- The local organization, From the Heart, recently achieved a major milestone. Volunteers have officially donated 600,000 handmade items to Central Virginians in need.

8News visited the workshop to see the magic up close.

"From the Heart" is more than a name, it's this Henrico organization's secret to warming up winters and brightening lives year-round.

8News spoke with Colin King and Dziko Singleton from the Health Brigade's Harm Reduction Program. They've partnered with From the Heart for years and said they have seen firsthand how powerful their work is to local, vulnerable populations.

"These are people that are, from day to day, ignored," King explained. "So receiving an item that is homemade could be a really big bright spot [for] somebody."

While King and Singleton work to pass along items to unhoused populations, From the Heart's creations are distributed to many different people all going through different life experiences.

Since From the Heart was founded in 2001, more than 1,800 volunteers have crocheted, sewn and knit handmade items to be sent to hospitals, homeless shelters, veterans clinics, animal shelters and more.

From the Heart stitchers create head coverings for cancer patients who have lost their hair, blankets for premature babies in neonatal and intensive care units, handmade hedgehog stress-relief aids, burial outfits for families who experienced miscarriages, warm winter accessories and soap holders for the unhoused and that's all just the beginning. Regardless of who is receiving an item, staffers say they all include one special element... heart.

"They know from the tag on the items, it's absolutely from the heart," Singleton smiled. "Something was made with love for them. It's not a hand-me-down."

Singleton added that part of what makes these creations so special is that they're "fashionable and functional." People are able to welcome unique, beautiful items that they can actually use in their day-to-day lives.

At the workshop, Singleton says love, respect and passion are woven into hats, mittens and blankets. This work is done entirely by strangers, for strangers.

Julie Bilodeau is the CEO of Crossover Healthcare Ministry. She picked up a bag on Thursday and shared how there's nothing sweeter than helping groups of kids pick out their first personal item.

"A lot of the children we work with are refugee children," Bilodeau said. "The fact that they have their own hat or their own scarf, it's really important to them."

It all started as a small gathering at a coffee shop. Now, current president, Dorothy Bernstein, works around the clock to help continue to grow the organization and reach new goals. She called the work endless. However, that does not mean it's too much to handle -- rather, the leader said it's continued motivation to keep up the good work. She said she's inspired each day to find ways to promote the art of her knitting, sewing and crocheting while spreading love, joy and help to anyone in need.

"What you make is going to end up going to someone who needs it," Bernstein reflected. "Listening to the stories our recipients tell us about it just warms your heart to know that you've touched somebody."

From the Heart accepts donations both in the form of yarn and money. If you knit or sew and are interested in joining their team visit the website.