Knitting together a new life in Tucson

The IRC's Desiree Collins models a hat that was created by a member of the knitting group; at left, more items knitted by Bhutanese refugee women who are part of the group

Photos: IRC

Desiree Collins is an administrative assistant at an International Rescue Committee (IRC) office in Tucson, Arizona, that helps refugees who are admitted to the United States to build new lives and become self-sufficient.

I started my career at the the IRC in Tucson seven months ago as a temporary employee, working as a receptionist at the front desk.  I’ll never forget the day a group of Bhutanese women came into the office with dozens of plastic grocery store bags, all stuffed full and brimming with color. I remember wondering what all these bags were for. Recycling?

It wasn’t until the next week that I learned these women were part of a knitting group created by one of our therapists and that the bags were full of yarn.

The group started as a way for the women to talk about their experiences as refugees and overcome past trauma while building new lives in the United States.  Every Friday morning the women shared their stories as they knitted fun, pointed hats and cozy scarves and blankets for loved ones -- combining colors in a way I would have never imagined.  It wasn’t long before they started running out of materials. 

When an item about the group’s needs was posted on the IRC’s Facebook page in October, I didn’t realize the amazing response it would get.  Within the week I received a large package addressed to me from California. I didn’t recognize the sender’s name or address, and was a little bewildered.  I opened the package: It was stuffed with beautiful yarn and a postcard from California.

That was only the beginning.  We also received yarn and knitting supplies from North Carolina, Minnesota and Connecticut -- and of course from our own Tucsonans. With each package came a beautiful personal story from the woman who had sent it: about where she was born, about her mother who had knit, about how knitting has been therapeutic in her own life.

I began to realize the true beauty of this knitting group of refugee women, coming together to share a moment, share yarn, share secrets. They were creating not only hats, scarves and blankets, but a community -- and, in turn, women across America from all backgrounds were joining this community.

Every week I have the pleasure of seeing the knitting group members’ latest project and knowing the story behind how that ball of yarn made its way into their hands.