St. Andrew Methodist Church members marked the third year of the Scarves for Christmas effort by crocheting, knitting, and distributing more than 1,300 scarves to neighbors at The Storehouse Community Center
Handcrafted with compassion, more than 1,300 scarves were lovingly distributed to neighbors served by the food pantry of The Storehouse Community Center over the past few weeks, marking the third year of Scarves for Christmas. The effort, led by members of St. Andrew Methodist Church, involved more than 55 ladies who began making and collecting scarves in 2024 for distribution in 2025. Additionally, Warm Up America, a national organization based in Carrollton, contributed 565 scarves to the effort.
Adding to the festive spirit, the ladies welcomed Santa and his elves and provided coloring books and crayon packs for them to share with children, creating joyful moments and photo opportunities for families.
“When we first launched this effort in 2021, we distributed a total of 621 scarves,” said Elizabeth Thomas, co-founder of Scarves for Christmas. “With more neighbors coming to The Storehouse, we began preparing even more! We are also so grateful to the volunteers at Warm Up America for their support again this year. Creating a single scarf can take anywhere from 4 to 20 hours, depending on the complexity of its pattern. I speak for our entire group when I say that it was another joyful, heartwarming year!”
The group, originally formed in 2021, recruited women from all over DFW as well as some outside of Texas. Many participated in St. Andrew’s prayer shawl ministry, which provides warm shawls to those in the hospital.
St. Andrew member Elizabeth Thomas was inspired to create scarves for neighbors at The Storehouse following a deeply personal experience. Recently widowed and facing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Thomas was going through a difficult time. When her friend and Scarves for Christmas co-founder Patti Hoff brought her a prayer shawl, she felt a renewed sense of comfort and hope.
“I was overwhelmed with love and comfort from Patti’s beautiful homemade gift,” said Thomas. “After visiting with her, we both felt a subsequent calling to spread similar comfort, joy, and cheer to others. As we reached out to others to participate, we had an overwhelming response.”
Once completed, the scarves are sorted, individually wrapped, and tied with a bow. On November 18 the group gathered for a special blessing of the scarves.
“There are so many hours that go into this project, and it is such a joy to see the neighbors light up when a scarf is placed on their food cart,” added Patti Hoff. “I recently received a note from one of the volunteers who served as a runner, taking food carts to neighbors’ cars during the distribution. The volunteer shared that there were so many smiles—and even a few tears—because of our work, which means the world to us all. Through this effort, it is our hope that the scarves not only provide warmth but also lift hearts and bring hope—serving as a reminder that we are one community, and we care for one another.”
“We are deeply grateful to the ladies of Scarves for Christmas for the care poured into every scarf,” said Candace Winslow, CEO of The Storehouse Community Center. “Each scarf represents love in action. Through this beautiful act of service, they lived out their faith by bringing warmth, dignity, and hope, reminding our neighbors that they are seen, valued, and cared for throughout the season.”
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The Storehouse Community Center (formerly The Storehouse of Collin County) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the community through food, clothing, resources, education, and employment support. By creating strong partnerships and offering transformational programs, TSCC works to address the root causes of food insecurity and empower neighbors to achieve self-sufficiency. During its previous fiscal year, The Storehouse served 166,124 unduplicated neighbors with the support of more than 2,000 volunteers. Visit www.thestorehousecc.org. The Storehouse EIN: 27-1883333