Donate a Sweater and Help Your Neighbor

Fred Rogers and Daniel Tiger SweatersNeighbors from all over western Pennsylvania are asked to donate new or gently worn sweaters. Receptacles to collect the sweaters and other clothing will be at each of these four YMCA locations prior to and throughout “Be My Neighbor Day” held on the weekend immediately after Fred Rogers' birthday.

Fred Rogers’ cardigan sweater has come to represent the gentle spirit, warmth, and nurturing of the Neighborhood.

Fred Rogers once said “All of us, at some time or other, need help. And whether we’re giving or receiving a sweater, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That’s one of the things that connects us as neighbors—in our way, everyone is a giver and receiver.”

All of Fred Rogers’ original sweaters were knitted by his mother. Each year she knitted a dozen sweaters, and at Christmas, she gave one to family and close friends. To help set the tone for a “comfortable” visit with his young viewers, Fred Rogers decided to put on a sweater and change into sneakers as a way to help children settle in for the half-hour program. One of his sweaters is on display at the Smithsonian Institute.

Learn more about Fred Rogers from the company he began, The Fred Rogers Company.

Doing something neighborly today?
Share your stories and photos using #BeMyNeighborDay.