Through a partnership with the Helping Hands Foundation, The LaStraw, Inc. through the Gifted Giving Hands Program is hosting the 2010 Needle Arts Mentoring Project to promote and encourage relationships between adults and youth, fostering curiosity, creativity and a feeling of achievement through the teaching of needlearts.

We are looking for people who are interested in needle arts (crocheting and knitting), active/inactive (crochetters and knitters), who are willing to work in groups to complete a community service project to serve as mentors to youth wanting to learn how to crochet.

• Listening: "Active" listeners: During the class mentors need to be able to give their complete attention to their mentee giving them time to talk and waiting patiently for them to finish, while being open, receptive and non-judgemental about what they may hear
• Effective Communicator: Both verbally and non-verbally through body language and eye contact. Words and actions should be used to convey encouragement