Tina Hutcherson, a 63 year old school bus driver for Putnam City School District in Oklahoma, has been knitting and crocheting since she was about 12 years old, and when her daughter gifted her a new knitting machine for her birthday, she realized she could finally keep all 100 of her students warm this winter. With her new machine, it takes just 30 minutes to create a winter hat, making it possible for this mother of four to produce enough cozy accessories for every child who rides her bus, from elementary to high school age. Hutcherson told KOCO News 5 that when she got the machine, she immediately thought she would make every one of her babies on the bus a hat because she just doesn’t want anybody to be without, especially when they’re riding with her. So far she has knitted and distributed 25 reversible hats to elementary schoolers who returned with heartfelt handwritten thank you notes for their beloved bus driver, and she lets each student pick their own colors from her extensive yarn collection.
The generous driver has no intention of slowing down, explaining that she has enough yarn to make any hats she wants in any colors since she’s been stocking up supplies since age 12, and if these kids need a hat, coat, or poncho, they’re going to get it no matter what. According to Nonprofit Quarterly, an estimated two out of every five children in the United States are clothing insecure, meaning they don’t have access to adequate, appropriate, or affordable clothing, which for some means going without cold weather coats and accessories or wearing clothes that simply don’t fit. Hutcherson’s ultimate goal extends beyond just keeping her students physically warm in winter, as she hopes they take away that somebody loves them, especially if they don’t have any love at home, because when they get on her bus in the morning they always know they can talk to her about anything. The devoted bus driver posts her creations to Facebook and has been especially proud of this project for her bus babies, writing that she’s praying for all the families having hard times these days and reminding everyone that love is in the air.
