Holiday Gifts for Residents: Custom Baseball Caps

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CRi, Choice. Respect. independence. (formerly known as Community Residences, Inc.), is a community-based organization with a focused effort on providing people with developmental disabilities and/or mental health needs the resources, supports and services they need to live their lives with purpose, actively engaged in communities of their choosing. CRi’s mission fully supports a person’s ability to exercise control of their life’s choices, and to live in and contribute to communities of their choosing, as young adults through aging in place. We believe in serving individuals within the communities in which they live & supporting the individual’s choices and independence.

With COVID changing the way we all interact with the world, we’ve had to adjust our routines, implement coping mechanisms, and find new strategies to connect with our loved ones and our community. CRi individuals have had to do the same, but many don’t understand why. A year and a half into the pandemic, it’s still difficult to venture into the community for a fun outing and therefore have limited abilities/opportunities to socially engage.

However, you can help with assisting the individuals with engagement, learning about different communities and staying connected. Tell the CRi individuals about yourself by designing a personalized baseball cap. Your culture, your passions, your story - but on a baseball cap! A baseball cap is something that can be worn, collected, or hung like a piece of art and would make a beautiful holiday gift.

Custom Baseball Caps

Do you have baseball caps around your house? Help provide a customized gift for an individual this holiday season! CRi supports about 350 individuals in our residential and day programs.

Supplies - Pick and choose what works best for your artistic vision!

• Adjustable baseball cap - make sure it’s clean!
• Index card
• Safety pin, string or thread
• Puffy paint
• Sharpies
• Fabric markers/paint
• Felt
• Scissors
• Bedazzler?!
• Lapel pins
• Fabric patches
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks. Many hat DIYers use E6000 Craft
• Beads

Getting Started

• Make sure the baseball hat you choose to decorate is adjustable and clean. All the individuals supported by CRi are adults.
• Think about how you would like to design your hat and what you would like to add. Here are some things to think about:
• Where are you from? Does your home have a defining characteristic?
• What’s your favorite food?
• What sport do you like to play/watch?
• What’s your favorite hobby?
• What’s your favorite animal?
• What’s your favorite place in the world?

**Please avoid any religious or political messages to respect individual and diverse beliefs.**

• Gather your supplies! Some of the people we support are hard of seeing and experience the world through their sense of touch, so adding bright colors and a variety of textures to your hat will help them experience your design. Here are three great YouTube videos to provide decoration inspiration:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY_3-mCvZZ0
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG_p6QrPuxw
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjumeG-o5yc
• Make sure all the designs of your hat have dried (paint, glue, etc) and if you did add 3D pieces such as tulle, pompoms, beads, etc, please make sure they are securely adhered to the hat.
• On an index card, explain all the components of your hat so the design can be easily understood and why the designs included are important to you.
• Punch a hole in your index card and attach it to the adjustable portion of the hat using a safety pin, string or thread.

Baseball caps can be dropped off or mailed to the following addresses:

Chantilly HQ

14160 Newbrook Dr, Chantilly, VA 20151
Donation boxes are located in the lobby beyond the double glass doors
Accepting donations Monday - Friday from 8am to 5pm and Saturdays from 10am to 12pm

Arlington/Falls Church Maintenance Office

7297A Lee Hwy, Falls Church, VA 22042
Donation boxes are located in the lobby just inside the front door
Accepting donations Monday - Friday from 10am to 2pm

Richmond

808 Moorefield Park Dr., Ste. 120, Richmond, VA 23235
Accepting donations Monday - Friday from 10am to 1pm