Spotlight: Hearts Knit Together
by KATIE BROOKS
The nonprofit was originally begun by a church congregation and put into the hands of Linda Simmons in 2007. By the time it became a 501c 3 nonprofit in 2014, Hearts Knit Together had already blessed the lives of thousands.
Hearts Knit Together volunteers assemble large kits, which include gifts such as hygiene items, toys, games, puzzles, clothing, handmade blankets, and stuffed animals. Each kit is lovingly created by hand and with a color or character theme. The kits are then distributed to children and adults across Utah. Some kits travel even farther; in 2017, Hearts Knit together sent 400 hygiene kits to victims of the hurricanes in Florida and Texas.
The nonprofit’s contribution to Utah communities is stunning. Every person who enters any of Utah’s domestic violence shelters receives a kit from Hearts Knit Together. Some of these people include refugees from around the world, and others find the kits through one of about 36 other Utah charities.
Volunteers make up the lifeblood of Hearts Knit Together. The nonprofit has built up a network of individuals, families, church congregations, and community groups that want to offer help and comfort to those who need it most. Due to generous material donations, Hearts Knit Together rarely needs to purchase items for their kits. Benefactors even donated space to the organization for 11 years.
However, the success and growth of Hearts Knit Together has necessitated a move. In 2017 alone, the group donated 5,700 kits and almost $90,000 in inventory. A stash that size takes up a lot of room. Luckily, a newfound space should meet the nonprofit’s needs and enable the group to serve 30% more individuals. The space can be rented for less than $4,000 per month. Hearts Knit Together hopes that businesses and other donors will join the cause by helping to pay the rent for the sorely needed 8,000 square feet.
Those who work with Hearts Knit Together come from all walks of life but have at least one thing in common: the belief that individuals in crisis deserve love, joy, and respect. To Hearts Knit Together and its volunteers, Faith says, “Thank you so much for your service. I am a victim of domestic violence, but I will be a conqueror of it.”
We encourage anyone who would like to donate to or learn more about Hearts Knit Together to visit the organization’s website. Interested parties are also invited to visit the organization’s new project room at 3959 West 1820 South in Salt Lake City.