For many years the Santa Clara Chapter has had a crafting committee dubbed Pins and Needles.  The members of the committee meet monthly to knit, crochet and sew items to comfort and cheer people who are in need of extra caring.

One project they look forward to every year since 2005 is the sewing and filling of Christmas stockings. Throughout the year, chapter members are asked to collect travel-size personal toiletry items like toothpaste and shampoo to fill the stockings along with other items like sugarless candies and playing cards.

This year, they were able to fill 125 stockings, which was more than enough for the needs of the Palo Alto VA Hospital, so the surplus stockings went to lighten the holidays for residents of a women’s shelter!

Photo L to R: Jane Vivian, Phyllis Barker, Lynn Robinson, Ginny Schlomann and Linda Taylor fill Christmas stockings for patients and residents at the Palo Alto VA Hospital