NORTHPORT—Sometimes, you need to make something with your hands and see what comes of it.

Reeves Gilmore, 74, along with his husband, both native-born Texans, moved to Maine 14 years ago and found their home in Northport.

"I volunteer at several places, but last year I was sitting and thinking that I needed to be constructive and do something with my hands, especially in the wintertime," he said.

He thought about crocheting or knitting, but, that didn't pan out. Then he woke up in the middle of the night and got the idea to make potholders, the kind that kids used to make for fun. 

"I remembered making those as a kid," he said. "The next morning, I ordered on a potholder loom kit on the website and it didn't take me but a second to get back into it."

Gilmore started making potholders and trivets in an array of colorful patterns and color schemes. The more he made, the more he wondered what to do with them all.

"You can only give so many away," he said.

He decided to sell his cotton potholders/trivets under the name “ManMade in Northport,” with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting the Northport Food Pantry. 

"I have made more than 700 in the last year," he said. "And more than 500 have sold so far."

He approached the Northport Town Hall, the Scone Goddess, in Northport, and Brambles in Belfast to ask if they would carry them, and they all agreed. Each item has a suggested donation of $4, but many people have exceeded that by paying $5 to $10 per item.

"A couple of times, I've been in these stores while replentishing the products, and people come up to talk with me," he said. "Sometimes, before I can even get the new potholders out of the basket, they reach in to buy one."

Gilmore said it's hard to pinpoint precisely how much his potholder proceeds have made for Northport pantry given the variations in donations, but he estimates it's about $2,500.

"We are very grateful for Reeve's initiative and generosity," said Patti Wright, president of the Northport Food Pantry. "Besides providing extra income to help us serve an increasing number of area residents each month, Reeves’s potholders have helped build community awareness of the pantry’s work. The potholders make an instant nostalgic connection, conjuring thoughts of shared meals in cozy kitchens.  When we distribute food, we hope that we are creating comfort and nourishment for our recipients."

"It's an amazing organization in that they serve 80 to 90 families monthly," Gilmore said. "Every time someone asks me 'why do you do this?' I tell them that it brings me great joy. It serves a creative, artistic need for me and it's beneficial for someone else."

The Northport Food Pantry welcomes recipients from any community. To learn more visit: Northport Food Pantry.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com