Hamshaw Lumber donates “Mitten Tree” clothing to youth in need

By SARAH ROBERTSON

Staff Writer

ORANGE — As part of the second annual “Mitten Tree” benefit drive, employees at Hamshaw Lumber collected hats, gloves, mittens and scarves to donate to local charities and elementary school students. 

This year the business collected 179 pieces of winter clothing from customers at their store on New Athol Road. Employees delivered the winter wares to the Athol Community Elementary School on Friday, and also plan to donate clothing to the Salvation Army and the nonprofit child abuse prevention organization Valuing Our Children.

“It’s just knowing who needs them, and who doesn’t, and just deciding who should get them,” said Blayne Calcari, the front end store manager for Hamshaw Lumber.

Last year they donated the hats, gloves, mittens and scarves to local schools, but this year they thought more carefully about for whom and where the need is greatest. Valuing Our Children, headquartered at 217 Walnut Street in Athol, was founded by the North Quabbin Community Coalition to provide resources, education and transportation to youth and families in the North Quabbin area. 

Customers donated many handmade scarves, and one vendor at Hamshaw Lumber even donated gloves from their inventory, Calcari said. This year’s donations did not match the over 200 donated last year, which Calcari thinks partially has to do with other businesses and organizations holding similar clothing drives nearby. 

Hamshaw Lumber plans to hold another Mitten Tree clothing drive next year, too. To advertise the clothing drive, Hamshaw Lumber printed flyers, purchased an ad in the paper and shared the endeavor on social media.