The community-wide scarf giveaways that take place each fall will continue after next year.
Scarf Project volunteers have picked the duo of Aimee Rufener and Jeremy Sell to oversee future installments of the initiative. They’ll take over for project founder and coordinator Toni Kaltenbaugh, who plans to retire after next year’s distribution.
“From what they have told me, I feel that it’s gonna be just a perfect match. They are going to have more than one drop-off location, which has been a problem in the past because the only place where people could drop things off was at my house. So by them having more than one location, I’m sure that will benefit the project a lot.”
Kaltenbaugh previously announced that the project would end after the 2025 distribution unless someone else stepped up to lead it.
“Well, I saw Toni’s post stating that she was retiring, and I had talked to her several times,” Rufener said. “She pulled at my heartstrings a little bit, and I was like, ‘We gotta see if we can do something to help her.'”
Rufener and Sells work together at Cooper-Standard. They’re doing this with the company’s blessing and support from The Hill Hope Center in Uhrichsville.
“It will definitely be a similar format. We hope to expand and expand into other areas, maybe not just the scarf day but other things. That’s definitely in the works, but we do want to expand quite a bit.”
Kaltenbaugh will remain on board through the 2025 scarf season to assist with the transition. She will continue to accept yarn and scarves at her home on Tuscarawas Avenue until new drop-off locations are finalized.
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