HUGS Family

It truly does take a village.
Explore our growing HUGS family and how we work together to realize our mission.

Our Knitters

While most of the generous donations we receive are store-bought, we have a dedicated, talented group of knitters who create handmade scarves, hats, and mittens for HUGS distribution. The love, time, and care shows in each of these beautifully made winter pieces.

Patty Burgess & Siemens Caring Hands (Latham, NY), Eric Peterson (NY, NY), Barbara Stack Spiak & her daughter Nicole Twinan (Latham, NY), Betty Habedank (NJ), and Lyn Karig Hohmann (Albany, NY).

Individuals

Hundreds of individuals across the country collect winter items and send them to HUGS. We are touched daily by the work of people who seek to make a difference. And there are a few who have become a big part of our work through their ongoing efforts.

Grant & Olivia | the young brother and sister team who have collected 5,000 pairs of socks and rallied 2 local school districts
Sandra Hirsch | endlessly collecting (and buying) new and used clothing, and donating in memory of her son
Katy & Doc Noakes | organizing no-sew blanket making events and bringing the innovative Up-Stitch on board to donate materials
Diane & Jim Condellece | generously donating to HUGS to support our mission

Team

Learn more about our founder, advisory board, and team members here.

Small Business Circle of Support

We host fundraisers in cities and towns along the East Coast, building awareness and raising funds for our work. We rely on the generosity of local and small business owners to support these gatherings, both by hosting us in their spaces and providing in-kind support of food, beverages, raffle prizes, and/or pro-bono professional services.

Belanopoly Bakery
Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza | donating sales of Life Messages Book of Enterprising Hearts featuring HUGS
Franklin Terrace
Generations Planning Group | D.J. & Renee Panetta | Susan Schell
Glennpeter Jewelers
Guilderland Public Library | with Tim Wiles coordinating
Integrated Staffing | with Dhianna Yezzi coordinating
Mancoll Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery
Patrick Renzi Photography
Skeeter Creek | Award-winning Bluegrass Band
Swifty's
Up-Stitch | nonprofit creative reuse organization

HUGS Ambassadors

These organizations have been inspired by our mission, and have organized HUGS collections themselves. Their belief in our work and their volunteer efforts have allowed us to serve more people.

PS 95 | Student-run awareness & collection campaign for HUGS in collaboration with the National Honors Society
Brooklyn College
Albany Medical Center
Monte Cristi church