On “Mitten Tree Day” kids gathered at Las Cruces Museums to hear a story about giving back and start decorating a tree for the city. Stephanie Abdon with the Las Cruces Museum of Art says the story has a good message for kids.
“The mitten tree is a book that talks about a little boy that didn’t have mittens,” Abdon said. “So a women knitted mittens for him and hung them on a tree, and it became a thing where she did it for every child in the city so everybody would be warm and could play in the snow at Christmastime. So, this is a way for kids to participate, also to teach them that not everybody has warm clothing and it’s a way to give to other people.”
Abdon says this is a fun way to teach kids the importance of giving back.
“They can have fun doing it,” Abdon said. “And then maybe every year they’ll realize there’s a need for it and will contribute.”
Kids got to decorate their own mitten ornaments for the tree that will collect hats, gloves, scarves, and cold weather gear.
“This was an opportunity for kids to come here the story,” Abdon said. “And do some crafts, and be able to take some home, and then maybe they can remember it if people ask them where the craft project came from they can tell them about the mitten tree.”
Donations will be collected at Las Cruces Museums and Branigan Library until December 20th for local organizations including the Community of Hope, La Casa, Gospel Rescue Mission, and the Casa de Peregrinos food pantry. Nicole Martinez, Executive Director of Community of Hope says needs change, as the weather gets colder.
“Now that it’s getting colder we have a lot more needs for warm blankets,” Martinez said. “Jackets, sleeping bags, hats, gloves, scarves, sometimes people help with toe warmers things that people can put inside their socks and inside their shoes, hand warmers, items like that.”
Martinez says while giving is important during the holidays, there are needs year-round.
