APOPKA, Fla. — Over the past few months, the extra time at home brought on by the pandemic has many people around Central Florida honing their favorite hobbies or picking up new skills — everything from making cocoa bombs to juggling.

What You Need To Know

  • Sydney Hamood has turned her skills to help others

  • Her goal is to knit 200 hats for the homeless

  • Her neighbors have donated extra yarn to her cause

  • Discover more Everyday Heroes right here

One young woman in Apopka is turning her hobby into a way to help the homeless. 

“Even if you can only help one person, I mean that’s one life you’ve changed,” said Sydney Hamood, Apopka. 

These days,  Hamood has her life on a string, crocheting for around four hours a day. With the pandemic keeping this recent UCF grad without a kickstart to her career, she spends her days crocheting. She can create everything from Bernie Sanders dolls, pop-tarts and foxes along with the winter weather basics. 

“I had made the one hat for myself and then, I saw a statistic that said there were around 28,000 homeless people around Florida. I wanted to help and since crocheting is my hobby, I figured I could use that,” Hamood said. 

After crocheting a few hats for the homeless, Hamood turned to the NextDoor app to see if her Apopka neighbors had any extra yarn she could use. They delivered a big bin full to her, so she grabbed her needles and got to work.

“With how much (yarn) I’ve gotten, I’d like to make about 200 hats, that’s my goal," she said. "For now."

Spending hours every day crocheting hats and she has about 55 so far, donating them to homeless shelters and groups in need around Central Florida.

A thank-you note she got from one group making every stitch worthwhile. 

“It was saying, you not only met a physical need but you’ve also met an emotional need. I just started crying when I read that,” Hamood said. 

With 19 hats packed up and ready to go along with some freshly-crocheted scarves and ear warmers, she will soon be dropping off another batch to help keep the homeless warm this winter.  

Hamood said she’s grateful that in some small way, she can make this tough time a little easier for others.

“A life goal is to turn your passion into your purpose and right now, that is my purpose I feel,” Hamood said. 

If you want to donate yarn to help Sydney continue crocheting hats for the homeless, you can reach out to Hamood through her Facebook page “Sydney Stitches” here.