Red hat program keeps December babies warm

Babies born at Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System during December will be both warm and stylish with hand-knitted red hats.

Hospital volunteers knit the hats which are given as holiday gifts to newborns and their families. Last year, 145 babies born in December at SVMHS received a red hat.

“I’m very grateful to the person who knitted this hat and will save it as a keepsake,” said mom Elyssa Gonzales. “One day I’ll be able to show her that this hat was made for her.”

The hospital says the hats are so popular that volunteers now provide them year-round. So far in 2016, volunteers have knitted and crocheted more than 1,000 caps in various colors and patterns.

For more information about the project, call SVMHS Volunteer Services at (831) 755-0772.