The Global Knitting Coalition will begin as a group of knitters in Lexington, KY, who want to use their skills to help those in need. Among the primary products will be stuffed animals to be sent to hospitals in teh Near East, where young patients are given an animal during their stay but are not allowed to take it home because of an inadequate supply. Also created will be scarves and hats for donation to both local and international centers for relief, such as battered women's shelters and orphanages. The Coalition's mission, besides sending these handcrafted goods to those who need them, will also be to teach new people the valauble skill of knitting. So, the Coalition will send members to middle and high schools to teach people the two-fold benefit of learning to knit and lending their skills to their community and world. As a part of this organization, regular "Knit-A-Thons" will be held as a way to gain a stronger sense of community, teach members new and more advanced knitting techniques, and produce large quantities of knitted products.