HOWARD COUNTY, Md. — Sara Gajengi and Ami Raithatha had no idea that a small hobby they learned to do together as children would create an entire community in Howard County.
Ami says once she started crocheting again in her junior year of high school, she ran into a bit of a problem.
“So then I made like seven or eight hats, bags, and bags and scarfs, and after a certain point, it was like nobody in the house had any use for them anymore because how many winter hats can you use before it’s too many?" says Ami Raithatha, founder of Maryland Crochet, for smiles.
Then she found a solution; she started donating her creations to charities, retirement homes, and hospitals.
“Once I got involved with people in communities outside of our school so that would definitely be the pins and needles community, especially because after that, the donation drives increased exponentially, like it just kept growing, and I kept being completely overwhelmed but the amount of items we got each time," says Ami.
Hope Corrigan from the pins and needles organization really admired what Ami created.
She says she wanted to get involved more than just donating her spare yarn and hooks.
Lucky for her, Sara and Ami were also teaching children how to crochet on their own.
“There was a need to teach some of these children who may be recovering from cancer treatment or what have you that they want to learn how to do something new with their hands, and I felt like this is a way I can give back," says Hope Corrigan.
Sara says the classes are more than just crocheting, and she says it's a place where people can find peace.
“I think you should have a hobby where it's like it's calming; it gives you a release from a stressful day. Like say you went to school or work the whole day, I think it's nice to just have a hobby that is productive and that it helps you rewind," says Sara Gajengi.
Ami says she feels the same way; she says she realized having classes also helps with things like mental health.
“For some of the kids that come in, I can imagine it gives them a community as well because now they have something in common with this group of people, and they can just come in and they have something to talk about and a way to make new friends, and a way to relieve stress because we are providing them with yarn, hooks, and instruction. All they have to do is just whatever tension they have built up just to let it go and sit and crochet.”
The women are gearing up for September, where they have more classes planned and already have many organizations waiting on donations.
Some of those places are:
HOPEWORKS of Howard County, The Children’s Home in Maryland, Maryland Association for the Education of Young Children, and the Autism Society of Maryland.
Ami also says they will be teaching classes for children at the Casey Cares Foundation.
If you would like to donate or volunteer, you can reach Ami Raithatha at mdcrochetforsmiles@gmail.com or visit her website.
You can also find Sara Gajengi's artwork here.
