Mission Statement: Project Knitwell helps people facing challenges by providing knitting instruction and shared community opportunities that promote wellness and resilience.
Vision Statement: Project Knitwell will develop and deliver programs, resources, and research that demonstrate the benefits of knitting as a tool for achieving wellness, comfort, and community.
Values:
- Knitting is a purposeful research-supported intervention that promotes wellness and resilience for individuals undergoing stressful situations.
- Knitting is embraced as an effective service for individuals of all ages who are experiencing serious illness, injury, abuse, homelessness, re-entry from incarceration, burnout, compassion fatigue, isolation, or other challenges.
- PK engages with arts, health, and human services organizations to demonstrate the power of knitting to promote wellness and resilience.
- PK engages with all participants and partners in ways that promote openness, inclusion, compassion, and equitable practices.
Programmatic highlights:
Project Knitwell is an organization that uses the simple act of knitting to improve wellbeing and create connections for people facing challenging circumstances. Knitting is a proven wellness tool that reduces stress, builds community and fosters resilience.
Participants in our programs range from hospital patients and caregivers to people experiencing homelessness and refugees. All of them find solace and support in the rhythmic repetition of knitting and the camaraderie of shared learning. People like Kesha, a first-time mom who had a son in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for five months. Kesha said that learning to knit helped her relax while she was unable to take her son home and that her experience learning to knit with PK was a lifeline during that difficult time.
We are currently working at 15 sites, including several DMV area hospitals, N Street Village, Title I Schools in Fairfax County Public Schools, Children’s National Medical Center (CNMC), John L. Gildner Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents (JLG-RICA), Hopelink, USO Warrior and Family Center at Ft. Belvoir, among others. Each year we are giving out close to 800 starter kits and working with thousands of people.
Our programs make a big impact on participants, a volunteer who worked with a mom at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital who said: “Knitting was not just a way to pass the time—it was something that soothed my anxiety, gave me something to do with my nervous energy, and gave me a productive feeling I had missed during this long-term hospitalization.”
Executive Director: Lexi Keogh is Project Knitwell’s Executive Director. Lexi started at Project Knitwell in October 2023. Lexi is a nonprofit professional with over 20 years of experience in communications, fundraising, membership, and special events. She most recently served as the Executive Director of UpCycle Creative Reuse Center in Alexandria, VA, and also served as Development Director at Alice Ferguson Foundation. Prior to that, she spent 15 years in a variety of roles at the Alaska Wilderness League in Washington, DC. She has extensive nonprofit experience with an eye towards implementing sustainability in all aspects of a nonprofit -- from fundraising to organizational development and programs.
What we’re looking for:
Project Knitwell is a small organization but a mighty one! We have been able to accomplish much on a shoestring. Our paid staff are all part-time and they include an Executive Director, Admin Assistant and Volunteer Coordinator. Our programs are delivered by our 40 volunteers.
Our challenges are like most nonprofits – sustainability and continued growth. We are looking for board members who can help with that. We look for people who are passionate about what we do (provide knitting as a wellness tool) and with a variety of skills. We would like to find people who have experience with nonprofits and who can be a connector to funders/donors or contribute in other valuable ways.
Expectations of Board Members:
- Attend and participate in meetings and communications between meetings.
- Participate on a standing committee and serve on ad-hoc committees as necessary.
- Become familiar with Project Knitwell’s finances, budget, and financial/resource needs.
- Understand the bylaws, policies and procedures.
- Make a personally meaningful financial contribution.
- Be an advocate for Project Knitwell in the community.
Length of Term: Initial term of two years, which may be renewed for successive terms of one year, with approval of the Board at the annual meeting.
Committee Opportunities: Fundraising and Governance.
Selection Process: Complete form at https://forms.gle/UzbJ7B82jtWznExu9 and return with your resume to info@knitwell.org.
