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Category: Hooks & Needles

Nancy Domina Continues Making Scarves to Donate to the Salvation Army


Hooks & Needles Nancy Domina continued making scarves to donate to the Salvation Army this past summer and early fall. During the week of October 23, 2022 she delivered 78 scarves to the Salvation Army location in Omaha, NE. Nancy invested a total of 2,100 hours making the 78 scarves. Nancy and her daughter Laura together they loaded seven boxes of scarves in her SUV for delivey. Nancy thanked her daughter Laura – who has been her driver to pick up the yarn at Betty’s house – and also delivery of the scarves to the Salvation Army on 108th street just north of Dodge. Laura donated two blankets while we were there. Nancy turned her hours and number of scarves into Betty Golmanavich temporary leader of the hooks & and needles. Betty emailed Nancy back and thanked her for making the scarves and her work as a volunteer for the Group and the Heartland Pioneers formerly of the Omaha Works.

Submitted by Nancy Domina photos by Melvin Domina

Elaine Hobbs Retires As Chair Of Hooks & Needles After 30 Years

In 1984 a new activity group was formed at the Omaha Works and was named the Hooks and Needles. It has been estimated that in 1984 the H&N Group had around 200 members. In the early 90’s the H&N became a project of the AT&T Pioneers Cornhusker Chapter 92 with the Pioneers funding the H&N. It was at this time Elaine Hobbs was voted in as President and Chair of the group. There were still over 150 members in the group in 2000 when Avaya no longer supported the Pioneers. The group didn’t end at that point and found a meeting place outside of the plant and Pioneers continued their support.

Under Elaine’s leadership the group was honored by the Pioneer’s Region for their volunteer efforts making and donating lap robes, hats, mittens and scarves, quilts and baby blankets. It was noted that the group registered between 65,000 and 75,000 volunteer hours each year. The H&N received the Pioneer Region “Group Award for Project Excellence” and it was presented to Elaine Hobbs for the Hooks and Needles Project.

That brings us to today October 2022 some 30 plus years since Elaine took over the Hooks and Needles Project. Elaine has decided that it is time for her to retire. There is still a small group that wants to continue knitting and Elaine knows the someone will step forward to lead the group. On October 5, 2022 the group held a retirement supper for Elaine at the Village Inn in Council Bluffs, IA and expressed their thanks for her being the leader of the Hooks and Needles Group for over 30 years. Jerry Golmanavich past president of the Pioneers was MC of the event.

All of the past officers and the current officers of the Heartland Pioneers wish to thank Elaine for her dedication and volunteerism in the metro community.

Submitted by Jerry and Betty Golmanavich

Hooks & Needles and Covid-19 in 2020 – Update 2022


Nancy Domina continued in 2021 making scarves to donate to the Salvation Army over a period of several months. In October 2021 she delivered 174 scarves, on January 2022 she delivered 84 scarves and on March 2022 she made and delivered 96 scarves to the Salvation Army. Nancy is a member of Heartland Pioneers Hooks & Needles and the volunteer knitting group supplies the members with the yarn to make items to be donated to charities in the Metro Omaha area.

This year has been very difficult for the Hooks and Needles group coping with the covid-19 virus and not being able to meet once a month. The ladies in the group continue to make many different items to be donated to different organizations in the metro to help the needy. The chair of the group stated they still has over 20 members in the knitting group and plan to continue on making items for those in need.

The leader of the group said that being able to not hold their monthly meetings and turn in their items they have been working on for delivery. They held a vote and decided each of the ladies would delivering their completed items to the charties when they have a number of items ready to deliver. Nancy Domina’s husband took a picture of her when she delivered 126 scarves to the Salvation Army on December 8th. After the deliver she stopped by Betty Golmanavich’s and picked up a new supply of yarn to continue making more items.

Submitted by Nancy Domina

Hooks & Needles Pioneers Delivery – Update


Since Betty last reported on her knitting of kitty mats she has knitted 27 kitty mats and delivered them to the Nebraska Human Society. Betty invested 270 volunteer hours through the Heartland Pioneers Hook & Needles group to make the kitty mats.

Betty Golmanavich has been a member of the Hooks & Needles group since her and Jerry transferred to the Omaha Works with the closing of the Baltimore Works in the mid eighties. Betty and a group of about 20 ladies are still making items for charities in the metro area. Last week Betty gathered up the 70 kitty blankets she had made to deliver to the Nebraska Human Society. Her husband Jerry took her there after dinner where they met Pam Wiese that accepted the kitty blankets and thanked her for the donation. Jerry was the photographer.


Submitted by Jerry and Betty Golmanavich

Hooks and Needles Keep on Ticking Each Year

“….Keeps on Ticking”

Just like a Timex Watch that….Keeps on Ticking “the same can be said for the Hooks n Needles group!”

Most months of the year our Hooks and Needles group chaired by Elaine Hobbs meets at the Baright Library in Ralston starting a 11:30 p.m. on the third Saturday the week after our monthly breakfast.

This group contributes the largest amount of our hours for community service every year in spite of the fact that the membership is slowly shrinking, but on a typical Saturday one might find about 12 – 14 members seated at tables in a square pattern and the meeting will usually open right after the coffee starts to cook.

Elaine starts with any important announcements about relevant events as well as exciting developments for the group’s interest, such as thank you notes from any of the recipients of our gifts. At some point we start show and tell in the grandest sense.

This is where everyone gets an opportunity to tell us what they have accomplished since the last gathering. A lot of this time is spent in Sharon Bailey’s corner where she displays one artistic quilt after another. Sharon gets many requests from Papillion for folks being treated for cancer. Her displays always embarrass my latchet hook kit I’ve been working on for almost two years and now approaches about the halfway point.

It’s quite amazing when you distribute the yarn and other materials at one meeting and next time they’re key ingredients for pet blanket,slippers, wheelchair saddle bags, afghans, lap robes, hats, scarves and mittens and more, all showing off the skills of these crafty people.

As if that’s not enough it seems that there are always door prizes to be given out. The climax is the opening of the snack bar created by some willing volunteers. When appropriate the Nebraska Football game will be on the radio.

Hooks and Needles truly provide warmth for the body but more so warmth of the heart. This group is amazing! 1000 Thanx to Elaine and the rest of the troops.

Submitted by Jerry Golmanavich