The Knit Wits, a knitting club at PGA Village, accept drive-through donations.

Better than Fast Food, this Drive-Through Delivers the Goods

February 23, 2022

St. Lucie West - A two-year pandemic can't stop the work of good people who want to make a difference in their community.

The PGA Village Knit-Wits, who have been collecting donations for abused and neglected children for nearly a decade, found a way to keep their annual community "baby shower" going, even while social distancing though COVID-19.

They now call it a baby sprinkle, and instead of inviting people inside for dinner and a presentation, they work a three-hour drive through of donations.

The result has been tremendous - a 12-foot U-Haul truck full of clothing, blankets, toys, diapers, and baby equipment was collected from a steady stream of cars pulling into the event from 2-5 p.m. Tuesday. More than $1,400 in cash and checks - plus a stack of gift cards to local restaurants - also were collected.

"These donations will keep our resource closet going for several months," said Christina Kaiser, community relations director for CCKids, the organization that oversees the child-welfare community of care in Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee and St. Lucie counties.

And many of these donations - like a gently used crib - can mean the difference between a child staying with a relative and going into foster care.

"Being in care means being held to a higher standard of expectations regarding space and furniture," Kaiser said. "It might be OK for a child to temporarily sleep on the floor when she's not in care, but you have to have a bed once you are - and that's sometimes a hardship for a relative who might be nurturing but not well off enough to buy new furniture."

Projects like this baby sprinkle help ensure that relatives and the children they love aren't penalized for not having the same resources someone with more money might have, she said.

About 40 drivers came through the Knit Wit's PGA Baby Sprinkle Tuesday, dropping off donations of clothing, diapers, cash and gift cards.