In 2025, an estimated 7,452 people experienced homelessness in Chicago, over 1,000 of whom were unsheltered, living on the city’s sidewalks and seeking refuge in tents and park benches. Chicago’s notoriously grueling winters, which can last long into March, create a brutal reality for the unhoused residents of Chicagoland. Amid this crisis, one Latin sophomore, Kate Elterman, recognized the dangers of homelessness during Chicago’s colder months and knew she had to make a difference.
Kate founded Knit Knot Knoop, a nonprofit organization that educates young people about homelessness through knitting, in 2022. With over 100 scarves donated, Knit Knot Knoop works to create a lasting impact on Chicago’s homelessness crisis. It has been recognized by organizations like Points of Light, one of the world’s largest organizations that promotes volunteering. The organization presented Kate with the Daily Point of Light award in November.
Kate’s award-winning nonprofit began as her Bat Mitzvah service project: Before she turned to knitting, Kate baked cookies to give to those experiencing homelessness. When Kate broke her leg, her mobility in the kitchen became limited, so she knew she would have to find another way to make an impact.
“I started knitting because my grandma taught me how to knit,” Kate said. She began knitting scarves to hand out to those living on the streets, instead of cookies. This new approach not only accommodated Kate’s injury but also addressed a critical issue unhoused people face during Chicago winters. Kate’s love for knitting grew, as did her awareness of the homelessness crisis.
“I got really passionate about it,” Kate said, “I saw how big the problem was and how complex the problem was because I would see homeless people outside on the corner of my street.”
The nonprofit’s clever name stemmed from the motions of knitting, as well as her own initials. “[My mom and I] were in the process of making the website, so we had to make a name, and my name starts with K, and knitting also starts with K, and I was thinking of different variations of knitting and knots, and knoop is another way to make a knot,” Kate said.
In order to share her hobby, Kate hosts workshops where she teaches participants how to knit, and as they weave their creations, she educates them on the reality of homelessness. “With the people I teach, I love seeing how happy and excited they are to help people, even if they’ve never met them before,” Kate said.
Once the participants have finished knitting, she uses her distributor, Ezra, to share their scarves with those in need. “[Ezra is] a cafe for the homeless, diner style, so it’s more interactive,” Kate said. “I would give the scarves to the people at Ezra, and then they would give it to the homeless people that come there.”
In addition to partnering with Ezra, Kate has shared her love for knitting elsewhere across Chicago. “I’ve been to a couple places that help people with disabilities and taught them how to knit,” she said. “I’ve also gone to nursing homes, and it was really cool because a lot of other people in the nursing homes already knew how to knit, so I could tell them more about homelessness.”
The community built through Knit Knot Knoop’s workshops solidifies Kate’s mission. She said, “We come from so many different places, but our end goal is all the same: We all want to help.”
Kate has also brought Knit Knot Knoop to Latin through annual winter clothing drives. Director of Student Life Tim Cronister explained Kate’s role: “We’ve added scarves, so I’ll give them to Kate, and she’ll take them to different shelters.”
Kate has shared the impact of her work by working with ninth graders taking Affective Education. “The focus of Affective Ed has changed more to civic engagement and being a part of a community rather than identity, and looking at ‘what would be something that I could work for that would be helpful to either our community or the broader community,’” Upper School Librarian and Affective Ed teacher Lisa Patton said. “Kids who are walking that walk already, I’ve asked to come in and present.”
A freshman herself at the time, Kate spoke with her peers about her organization. Ms. Patton is also the advisor of Latin’s Knitting Club and has knit scarves for Knit Knot Knoop. “It was fun to contribute to someone else’s initiative, and to contribute to something that one of our students had started all on her own,” she said. “That’s one of my favorite things about being able to knit, is the idea that you can create something that will keep someone warm.”
The lasting impact not only has resonated with Ms. Patton but has also transformed the perspectives of many who participate in Kate’s workshops. “Some people just think, ‘Oh, they’re homeless, what do they do all day?’ So I tell them a little bit more, like some homeless people actually have jobs and some people go to school,” Kate said.
Kate uses education and awareness to combat these stigmas surrounding homelessness. “There are a lot of people who have been homeless for their whole life, like born into it, or people who got there from either abuse, alcohol, drug abuse, or something with mental health,” she said. Indeed, according to the city of Chicago’s 2024 Point-In-Time Count and Survey Report, that year, 24% of those unhoused have sought help for substance abuse, and 38% reported experiencing domestic abuse.
With the power of these statistics and her refusal to be a bystander, Kate has kickstarted change. “If there’s an issue that you’re passionate about, like I was for homelessness, there’s going to be so many people saying ‘somebody else is going to do this, so I don’t have to worry about it,’ and then it just gets to a point where everybody is thinking that and then nobody ends up helping people,” she said.
Kate’s initiative has inspired members of Latin’s community, like Mr. Cronister, who recognizes the importance of student-led action. “There’s nothing like peer-to-peer role modeling,” he said. “A teacher can stand up and talk about getting more involved, but when they see a peer who’s taken on something like this and started a nonprofit and is really committed to it, I think that’s great role modeling. It empowers people; you feel like you can make a difference, and that’s really important.”
The impact has spread far beyond Latin, gaining Kate and Knit Knot Knoop recognition as a Points of Light award honoree, which celebrates individuals who make a difference in their volunteer efforts. “It’s very rewarding because this has been a four-year process, and I get to see how much my work has paid off,” Kate said. “Getting recognized by Points of Light means I’m actually helping someone and making their life a little warmer.”
While Kate has spread warmth to people throughout Chicago, what inspires those around her most is her ability to notice an issue bigger than herself and act on it. “I love that Kate looked up from being in her world, because when you’re a kid, you’re the center of your universe,” Ms. Patton said. “Kate looked up and looked around her, and saw people who needed something, and she thought about what she herself [could] do.”
