They’re volunteers, dedicated, generous and they love children. Michelle and Martine are the knitting grannies. Beautiful grandmothers who have given their time and love, first to their children, then to their grandchildren. Now retired, they’ve combining the useful with pleasure: they now knit for other children who are beginning their lives under the watchful eye of our knitting grannies.
With a touch of both magic and motherliness, they give a little of themselves as gifts: wonderful little toques for infants in the military community during “WELCOME BABY” visits. It’s during this visit that a bag is given to future parents. The bag contains baby products, little gifts and a toque made by our knitting grannies.
First, let’s talk about Michelle. A proud, upright woman who has raised her children with good values. From a rather strict mother, she has happily taken on the role of doting grandmother 😉 After all, it’s up to parents to educate children and grandparents to spoil them!
Since retiring, Michelle has remained as active as ever. When her military daughter went on her first mission, Michelle visited the MFRC to send her a package. It was then that she met the Centre’s team for the first time. This led her to want to know more about the military community and to rub shoulders with military families and loved ones. Michelle likes people’s company. She’s volunteered with the Red Cross, she likes to organize outings to social clubs, when things get moving, it’s because Michelle isn’t far away. 😊 When she has free time, Michelle works hard. From one stitch forwards to one stitch backwards, no fewer than 600 hats have been made since 2014. When she thinks of young parents just starting their family life, it warms her heart to think that even if she’s a stranger to them, she can still somehow share in their happiness.
For her part, our other knitting grandmother Martine has always loved knitting, a talent passed on to her by her mother. For her children and grandchildren, many beautiful blankets and slippers in a thousand colors were made. One day, Martine wanted to try her hand at making something different: why not soft little bonnets for the newborns of the military community? The association with the “WELCOME BABY” visits was a natural one.
Martine is a veteran’s spouse, her grandchildren are in elementary school, and spoiling little babies from the military community immediately seemed like a wonderful mission. Hundreds of toques later, Martine has made many happy ones, and she has no intention of stopping there. Involved as never before in various committees, she organizes events such as the “Easter egg hunt”, discos and many others. Martine is also involved with her loved ones, and it’s truly wonderful to see them accomplish so many projects together
Thanks to our knitting grannies, newborns in the military community are welcomed as only a grandmother can be ❤
For more information on our parent/child (or grandparent/child) groups visit our portal: https://crfmv.com/en/childhood/
Welcome Baby Visits: For expectant parents in the military community meetings at the MFRC or at home. Pre- and/or postnatal visits. 418 844-6060 or tanya.langlois@crfmv.com Free. Documents, samples
Would you like to volunteer? 418 844-6060 or info@crfmv.com