XENIA — The Mitten Tree needs mittens and gloves.
Now in its 32nd year, the Greene Community Health Foundation’s Mitten Tree was established in 1985 by community volunteer and Greene County Public Health Board Member Elaine Hughes, who at that time was a pediatric nurse practitioner with the health district’s Well Child Clinic.
The Mitten Tree project was developed to keep the littlest hands of the health district’s clients warm through the cold winter months and was based on donations from staff and the public. Through the years, the style of the tree itself has gone from a full size artificial one to a wooden cutout that hung on the wall. Now back to its roots, the tree has come full circle with the purchase of a new artificial tree stocked full of warm winter gear.
Over the years, thousands of pairs of mittens and gloves, along with hats and scarves have been donated by churches, schools, individuals, businesses, knitting guilds, and other service organizations. However, the demand for hats, gloves, mittens, and scarves has been high the last two years, and the supply of mittens and gloves has dwindled to an extremely low level.
The community is invited to support this project with monetary donations or pairs of mittens or gloves to decorate the tree that sits just inside the main doors to the health district. The Greene Community Health Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the health district, manages all donations for this project and all donations are recognized with a letter and a donation form for tax purposes. The Mitten Tree will be available until the weather begins to warm up in the spring.
For those interested in supporting this project either monetarily or with a donation of mittens and/or gloves, or for more information on the Greene Community Health Foundation and its projects, contact Laurie Fox at 937-374-5600 or [email protected]. Visit the health district’s website at www.gcph.info, or on Facebook and Twitter.
