Threads of Compassion Update:
December 2011
This year unbelievably I am updating my page three times in one year!!!
Truthfully, I just wanted to thank everyone who has sent scarves and supported Threads of Compassion this year. You are the reason Threads continues to exist. Also I wanted to thank all the people who have started new Threads groups all over the world. Just this year alone, groups have started in Brookings, South Dakota (http://southdakotathreadsofcompassion.blogspot.com/); New Britain, Connecticut (http://threadsnb.org/); Nottingham, UK; Colorado Springs, CO; Napa, CA; Danbury, CT; San Francisco, CA; and most recently our first Threads group in Arkansas! I can't express how honored I am to have all these people working along side of me!! I also wanted to thank Anne Ream, of the Voices and Faces Project, (http://www.voicesandfaces.org) and Deborah Wilieko, of Advocacy, Living, and Mentoring After Assault, (http://almaa.org/) for all the support they have offered this year. The work you both do, stands out as inspiration to me.
Some of the new groups:
The Southern Colorado Chapter of Threads
The new Arkansas chapter
and a picture of one of the tags!
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Threads of Compassion Updates:
August 2011
Well, miracles do occur. I am actually updating this page for the second time in a year. I can't believe that 7 months have passed since I posted last. The number of Threads of Compassion groups has grown, as people continue to start new groups all over the U.S. Just in the last few months I have been contacted by people starting groups in Connecticut, Colorado, and two in California. I am also honored to announce that Threads is growing in Europe. There are now 2 groups in the U.K. and one in Paris. Sadly the need for scarves is an international one.
Tagging and bundling is an all ages event...
The last step is to pack them...
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Threads of Compassion Updates:
Jan. 2011 UPDATE!!!
Ok, I have received quite a few emails asking if we still exist since I have not updated this page in sooooo long. Yes, we are still here. My ability to keep up with this page is lacking, but the need for scarves is not. Just recently we had a group meeting to bundle and bag scarves, and we need to meet again soon to bundle the rest. Even with all of these scarves though, there are still rape crisis centers that we cannot supply. We currently are supplying two crisis centers in Chicago, but my hope is to soon be able to supply a third. Other news: This past September Threads of Compassion marked its 5th anniversary! It was 5 years ago that I told my friend at the Quetzal Rape Crisis Center about this crazy scarf idea I had and asked her opinion on it. From that conversation this web-page and Threads of Compassion was born. My plan was, I would knit a few scarves, I might get a few scarves, and just maybe I could help a few people.
I can still remember how excited I was when the first scarf arrived in the mail (from Louise in San Diego). I would never have dreamed then that Threads of Compassion would grow to have groups not only all over the United States, but even internationally. Just this year many new Threads groups have started up. Recently I received an email from Jessica from Oklahoma City, whose Threads group was featured on their local news channel. If you have started your own Threads group please let me know so I can direct others who contact us to groups in areas where they live.
Well that's all for now. I will try to keep this page updated more often than I have. (Anyone in the Chicago area want to take over this?).
Happy New Year Everyone! Thanks so much for all of your support.
Sarah Sullivan
Threads of Compassion
Threads of Compassion Updates:
Since Threads of Compassion has started we have had an overwhelming response from people who have wanted to reach out and support other victims of sexual assault. This page is eventually going to be used to add portions of emails and letters we have received, and to let people know about other ways they can help.
One of the most important developments that has happened since we started this website, is that Threads of Compassion groups have begun to be established in other areas. We have received emails from California, Louisiana, and even Ontario Canada where people have started their own Threads of Compassion groups. We have even had rape crisis centers from other states contact us asking if we knew of Threads of Compassion groups in their cities. If you are interested in starting a Threads group, please let us know.
Another exciting sign of growth for our Chicago group is that now we are able to supply scarves to 2 rape crisis centers, thanks to all the support we have received. We also hope to eventually post some pictures of the scarves as they are being bundled and prepared to take to the rape crisis centers.
Overall, we want to thank everyone who has sent scarves, letters, and emails of support. We are so grateful for everything we have received. Our hearts desire has always been to offer support and comfort to those who have been recently sexually assaulted. We never realized what an abundance of encouragement we would be given in the process.
Sarah and Cindy / Threads of Compassion
April 7, 2006
October 2006 updates
It's been a while since we updated the site so I thought I would throw on a few more photos, and say thank you to all the people who have been sending scarves. I can't explain how grateful we are for all the scarves that have come in. I also want to apologize for how long it takes us to get back to you with letters acknowledging your gifts or answering your emails. Please know that our intentions are to reply quickly...but sometimes it takes a while to move from bagging scarves to writing thank you notes for them. Truthfully if it wasn't for my co-worker Cindy, those letters wouldn't get out at all!!!
New photos:
Three stages of scarves...scarves come in, we bundle them and add the tag, and then bag them.
Bundling up scarves...
Scarves bagged...
Scarves ready to take to the rape crisis center...
Thanks again for all the scarves sent, and the emails and letters of encouragement. This project would never work without the support of all of you.
Sarah and Cindy / Threads of Compassion
October 15, 2006
DECEMBER 2007 UPDATES:
Ok, I admit I have been horrible about keeping this page updated. And now that I have started getting emails from people asking if we still exist or not, I know it's time to finally write something!! Threads of Compassion is still going strong, and not only have we had more scarves donated this year than ever before, and we also have had numerous Threads groups start up all over. We even received an email thanking us from a Rape Crisis Center in Canada, which receives scarves from a Threads group someone started there. All of this encourages us greatly, and helps to motivate us when we need to spend evenings bundling and bagging scarves. Just recently Cindy,Tracy (another friend we have drafted into Threads), and I spent hours preparing scarves for the rape crisis centers we support in Chicago. By the end we had 6 HUGE bags full of scarves ready to be handed out. As I went to deliver the scarves to the crisis centers, it hit me how sad it is that we will never been done making scarves...that there is no end to the growing number of sexual violence victims who will need comfort and support. With this somber thought I walked into one rape crisis center, and was thanked because they were out of scarves...again letting me know how big the need is. But there is hope too. I get so many emails from people who have experienced sexual violence first hand, and yet as they continue their healing, they want to reach out and support someone else. A tangible way of walking out their healing, that in turn helps others. The beauty in this gives me hope, that just maybe we are making a dent in the pain that is out there. And I just want to thank everyone who has contributed to the work of Threads and has helped make the dream behind Threads a reality.
Sarah, Cindy, and Tracy / Threads 0f Compassion
Dec. 14, 2007
April 2008
A lot has been going on with Threads of Compassion in the last 4 months:
- Threads is going to be featured as the charity group of the month in an upcoming Crochet! magazine.
- We have been contacted by numerous people who are looking into starting their own Threads groups. One group, the Woven Lotus, has started in Canton, Georgia. Others have started in Boulder, CO; Chapel Hill, NC; Barre (central), MA. and also the Washington DC area.
- And most important the scarves keep coming in from all over the country (truthfully world). I can't say thanks enough to those of you who have sent scarves. I try to get out thank you letters, but I'm usually running months behind in getting those out (thanks Cindy...if it wasn't for you I would be running years behind!!!). Recently I spent an evening bundling up over 100 scarves (with the help of my husband and also a good friend Sandy). I was so touched by the letters that people sent with the scarves, the following is a quote from one letter: Please know that I have been through similar circumstances and I have made these scarves with the intention that these women will heal, survive and be stronger than they can imagine.
Sarah Sullivan
Threads of Compassion
Boxes of scarves almost reaching the ceiling...I think it's time to bundle this batch.
April 2009
Ok, I have to admit that waiting a year to update this page is bad for even me. So, once again, after numerous people have written to ask if we still are around, I am finally getting my act in gear and putting words on this page.
Numerous things have happened since last year: We had a booth at a local Sexual Assault Awareness event, I have spoken about Threads twice in classroom settings, and once at a Arts and Music festival. If you are in the Chicago area and would like someone to speak about Threads at an event please let us know.
We have also been featured in two magazines. The first was in the January 2009 issue of Crochet magazine, which even created a specific scarf pattern for Threads of Compassion. The author of the pattern was Belinda "Bendy" Carter, and the scarf was given the following description: This simple scarf conveys a powerful message of comfort and caring to those who have suffered the devastation of sexual violence. The easy, chain-stitch loops are interlinked as you work, symbolizing the unique and irrevocable connection shared by victims of this, and all, abuse. Click here if you would like to get a free copy of the pattern. Since this article appeared we have had numerous completed versions of this scarf sent to us, which have all been beautiful. Our thanks can't be expressed enough to Crochet magazine.
The second magazine that did an article was McClungs, a feminist magazine out of Toronto, Canada. The article appeared in their Winter 2009 issue. To read the piece clink here, and follow the thread to the article titled, "One stitch at a time: Threads of Compassion weaves links between survivors of sexual abuse." Through the article I actually found out about other groups that have branched off from ours, and was greatly encouraged. There will never be a shortage of need for scarves, so each time I hear a new Threads group has started, I know that means more victims of sexual violence will be offered comfort. Thanks to McClungs, Crochet Magazine, all of you who send scarves, and to everyone who has started their own Threads groups in cities all over. When each one of us strives to do something to promote change, it happens.
Sarah Sullivan
Threads of Compassion
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