Cabutti Mitten Tree
The legendary Cabutti Mitten Tree, a community service project cornerstone in Champaign County for nearly 30 years, is now under Family Service’s roof as a joint effort between OSF Heart of Mary and Family Service.
HOW IT WORKS & WHO BENEFITS
Needlework / fiber arts enthusiasts in our area gather twice a week at the Helen Stevick Senior Center at Family Service with their knitting needs and crochet hooks to hand-craft a variety of items:
Hats, scarves, gloves
Blankets
Baby caps & children’s sweaters
Those who are homebound or otherwise prefer to work at home are welcome to make items for the Cabutti Mitten Tree, as well.
Supporters offer a small donation in exchange for a paper mitten on which they could write a note. The paper mittens were hung on a tree at the hospital, each representing a gift of a handmade item created by volunteers and given to a neighbor in need.
In 2025, Family Service volunteers and crafters provided 3,938 hours of time creating these items for distribution. Those hours produced many dozens of items that helped those in need in our community stay warm during the winter months.
HOW IT STARTED: The Legacy of Joanne cabutti
The Cabutti Mitten Tree has been around since 1996, which it was started by its namesake, JoAnne Cabutti, a powerhouse of a human in her own right. She served as a nurse at Mercy Hospital (now OSF Heart of Mary) in Urbana from 1957–1992. Mrs. Cabutti was an avid knitter, and she launched the Mitten Tree at the hospital in 1996 as a fundraiser. Mrs. Cabutti volunteered over 23,000 hours after her retirement from Mercy Hospital. Although Mrs. Cabutti passed away in 2022, we are committed to keeping her legacy alive.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Want to learn how to knit or crochet? Call us to get the Cabutti Mitten Tree meeting schedule. We have training videos on a big screen to help those who are just beginning.
Are you a knitting or crocheting pro? Stop in during meetings or any time you wish to work on a piece for the Mitten Tree.
Not a knitter, and you’re never going to be? For those who are interested in helping without doing the actual crafting, we are always looking for donations of yarn or the funds to provide it to our crafters.
Call the Helen Stevick Senior Center at Family Service to hear more about this fun, year-round service project: 217-359-6500
Our fun-loving needlework volunteers having fun and creating beautiful handmade pieces for our community
“Our knitting and crochet groups at Family Service in Champaign County (and next year in Douglas County) are a great way for these talented seniors to enjoy some social time, get out of the house, and help us help hundreds of our neighbors stay warm. ”