For the love of crocheting & charity

For Karen, Balsam, and Livia, crocheting is about their love to simply create, but that’s not all; It’s also become a way to contribute to their community. These three remarkable young women brought their love of crocheting and charity to their school last year and it has become a shared experience for many students.

“It initially started while we were on a bike ride together. We really wanted to crochet stuff and wanted to help and it actually all came together, and we were, like, we have to do this now, this is our chance!” expresses Karen with a big smile.

From that bike ride, the three students began the Crochet Club last Fall with a small core group of people who had crocheting skills. Their passion and enthusiasm for crocheting only seems to be matched by their desire to contribute and help those in need.

Karen relates how their first charity project began. “It started with the Maui fires. We were devastated and heartbroken. So, we started with that then moved more local.” So far, the group has supported several fundraisers and charitable organizations, including United Way BC’s Kapwa Strong Fund.

Raising their needles to support their community

When it came to supporting Kapwa Strong, there was no hesitation. “It was so tragic, and we couldn’t not do anything about it. That’s our local community. We know people who are in that community and area who are directly impacted.” The three are in agreement about why it was so important for them to support the fund and speak as one.

It wasn’t long before the club set up a booth outside the cafeteria to sell their crocheted creations. “A lot of clubs will fundraise at lunchtime,” says Peggy, a teacher at Killarney Secondary School. “Other groups will sell food or drink to fundraise but for them, they made it on their own through all the club members helping out.”

Selling at the school gives the club “an opportunity to spread the word,” says Livia enthusiastically. Over the week, they had many students and teachers interested in the crocheted products. “It’s a way to kind of connect with others as well. We would have people who would say, ‘oh, I don’t have money, but can you hold it for me?’ and we’d be like, ‘yeah, I got you.’ It’s nice.”

The many threads that make a creation

The projects are “typically seasonal,” says Karen. “So, we always do a Christmas one, then we decide where we would want to donate money to. We also do a Mother’s Day fundraiser.” How they determine where the funds go involves the club members who all have an opportunity to contribute.

“We’re only a small demographic of this high school,” explains Livia. “We have club members from different ages, different classes and backgrounds. It’s always great to hear from other people and get their info on the fundraiser. We all kind of decide the theme together and then move from there.”

Soliciting the input of club members isn’t an easy task when you consider the club has bloomed to 30 members this year, many who regularly attend. However, as Peggy explains proudly, “They’re a very dedicated group and have a really nice community.”

Knitting together a future

“I think the dynamic of our club kind of shifted from when we first found the club last year,” Balsam conveys. “We originally kind of were more focused on just getting products out for fundraising and most of the people in our club had the skills. So, that’s why it was kind of a more smaller specialized group. We have definitely made the club more learning based now, teaching people the basics.”

The shift in focus will also allow the club to continue after Karen, Balsam, and Livia all leave their high school to attend UBC next year. Balsam intends to study International Relations while Livia will explore her options at the Faculty of Arts. Meanwhile, is hoping to get into Chemical and Biological Engineering to fulfill her desire to help the environment.

Though the founding members may be graduating, they’ve set the Crochet Club up to succeed and thrive even in their absence. An earlier meeting involved them helping the club transition without them.

“I kind of say our club is a triple threat,” smiles Balsam. “It’s a hobby-based club, a volunteer-based club, and also a learning-based club.”

It’s also a club that thrives as it expands and evolves but never losing sight of their love of crocheting and supporting their community.