BATH

Bundle Up Brunswick, a group of volunteers who knit winter clothes for those in need in Brunswick, is now offering their services to the people of Bath.

“There’s a big need for it in Bath,” said Christine Roy, one of the group’s members.

The group began their work at the beginning of winter with a few volunteers, but the operation has grown since then. Each member works to knit winter clothing items, and then they gather together to distribute them.

As a group, they go out to areas where they believe the need is greatest and distribute the clothing, tying up strings and then hanging the clothing with clothespins. Each piece of clothing bears a tag that reads, “I am not lost, please take me if you need to bundle up in Brunswick.”

“Every time, all the items have been taken,” said Roy. “So we know there’s a need for it.”

To begin with, the group organized their work around the local soup kitchen in Brunswick. Knowing which days they were opened, the group coordinated to distribute the clothing around those times when foot traffic would be busiest from the people that could benefit most from their generosity. Overall, Roy estimates that Bundle Up Brunswick has donated more than 200 pieces of clothing.

“One day, we were hanging up hats, and a gentleman came up to us and asked if we had any mittens, because he said that he had nothing to keep his hands warm,” said Roy. “And it just was so gratifying to reach into our baskets and pull out a pair of handmade mittens for him. He was just so thankful, he said, ‘I haven’t had anything on my hands all winter long.’”

Bundle Up Brunswick also works to provide clothing to homeless veterans, periodically dropping off clothing at the Brunswick Police Department where there is a box to receive donations.

Over the winter, Bundle Up Brunswick has saturated the Brunswick area, said Roy, so the group decided to expand their operations to nearby Bath. They checked in with the Bath Police Department and the town clerk, neither of which had a problem with the idea and suggested which areas would be best to hang the knitted clothing.

Last week, Bundle Up Brunswick delivered its first batch of clothing to the City of Ships. Roy said that she hopes volunteers will step up in Bath to take over the work Bundle Up Brunswick is doing, allowing the group to spread into even more communities.

Roy said that soon there will be a box for donations of handmade clothing at the Brunswick Recreation Center at Brunswick Landing. For those who don’t have the time to knit, the group will also be accepting donations of yarn, especially wool, that volunteers can use to make clothing. More information can be found on the group’s Facebook page.

And just because spring is approaching, that doesn’t mean that Bundle Up Brunswick will be any less busy.

“Eventually winter will come to an end, but we will continue to do our knitting all summer long and be sure to get an early start again for next winter,” Roy said.