Organizations: Knitting items for those in need

Jewel City Knitters Guild of Glendale was founded on Valentine's Day 2003 as a chapter of the Knitting Guild Assn. The local organization's mission is education, philanthropy and creativity. It has more than 25 active members who knit and crochet items for more than 20 local, national and international charities.

This summer, the local group embarked on a Charity Challenge Project to knit and crochet items for the charities listed below. They made baby items for premature and ailing newborn babies at LAC+USC Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Olive View UCLA Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Huntington Memorial Hospital. They make baby items for unwed mothers in the local area through the Christ Child Society and chemotherapy caps for men and women nationwide for Knots of Love.

The group also made wool blankets, socks and sweaters for children in Afghanistan through the Afghans for Afghans organization. And for Operation Gratitude they made hats and scarves for service men and women in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Members of the group are Carol Parker, Joan Godell, Cathy Wacker, Michelle Tang, Becky Goodman, Betty Molinaro, Mary Kaye Busalacchi, Liliana Horjea, Lee McIntyre, Marsha Stoddard, Diane Larsen, Judy Gregory, Evelyn Van Orden (who is president and founder), Jerri Thomson, Susan Dietel, Heather Martin and Carol Siu.

The group meets from 7 to 9 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month at the Crescenta Valley United Methodist Church in Montrose. Membership is free and open to knitters and crocheters of any age and any skill level. Yarn is often available free for the charity projects through donations from individuals, yarn shops and yarn companies.

For more information, visit http://www.jewelcityknitters.com (specifically the meetings page) or e-mail Evelyn Van Orden at evelyn@evelynarts.com.

Local children sing with chorus

The Los Angeles Children's Chorus goes global at its annual Winter Concert with a program spotlighting the choral music of 20 composers from 10 nations spanning five centuries at 7 p.m. Dec. 5, and Dec. 12 at Pasadena Presbyterian Church, 585 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena.