Volunteer knits 6,000 hats for newborn babies over past 28 years

Credit: Atrium Medical Center

Credit: Atrium Medical Center

For Betty Banks, crocheting has been a lifetime pleasure. So when a persistent friend continued to ask her to crochet for newborn babies at Atrium Medical Center in Middletown, Ohio, Banks decided to give it a try.

>> Read more trending news

Twenty-eight years later, Banks has reached a personal goal of creating 6,000 baby hats and 50 afghans for local newborns.

Banks takes her volunteer work seriously, knowing the families enjoy receiving homemade gifts for their infants.

Once a month, she comes to the volunteer office at the hospital to turn in her baby hats as well as pick up a few skeins of yarn for the next batch. Banks has been crocheting for 72 years — since the age of 16 — and said she loves every minute of it.

Credit: Atrium Medical Center

Credit: Atrium Medical Center

“I love giving a baby its first bath and hand picking just the right hat,” said Amy Rader, a registered nurse at Atrium Medical Center. “The families love receiving a hat that was made with care by one of our beloved volunteers.”

>> Related: Atrium adds home birth experience in hospital setting

Banks has volunteered at the hospital for almost 30 years and is one of more than 200 volunteers who work with the hospital.

About the Author