The Mitten Tree

Covers Newtown

To the Editor:

Recently, the Newtown Police Department concluded its tenth annual “Mitten Tree” collection. The purpose of the tree is to collect hats, mittens, and scarves for those in our area that are in need.

This year it seemed there was more of a need than in years past. So that combined with the fact that the weather was soooo bitter cold....we tried something different.

We encouraged all who were in need to simply stop by the tree and take whatever they needed and then weekly we would harvest several bushels of hats, mittens, and scarves from our tree and bring the fruits of all the generous donations to the Social Service Department in town!

We found that everyday when anyone would pick from the tree, the next day new hats, mittens, and scarves would miraculously appear again on the tree! We received donations as far away as Florida! We received donations in bushel baskets neatly packaged and wrapped by beautiful ribbons! Many donations were handmade with love, while others still had tags on from the recent purchase from the store!

So at the conclusion of our collection, the tree branches weren’t bending to the point of nearly breaking as they have been in past years. And I can’t tell anyone how many hundreds of hats, mittens, and scarves that were collected; or even how many families benefited by all your generosity.

 I can only tell you what I saw... that our giving tree gave on a daily basis and there always seemed to be on the tree what was needed at that time!

And isn’t that the whole point?

And none of this could have happened without so many unnamed generous people! Thank you so much!

Sincerely,

Officer Maryhelen McCarthy

Newtown Police Department

3 Main Street, Newtown                                              January 4, 2011