Br. Shantamrita Chaitanya and volunteers from the MA Center of Chicago visit Waldo Middle School with the hats and mittens from Uttarakhand, India.

The bitterness of Chicago winters just got a little warmer for the students at Waldo Middle School in Aurora, IL. Each day, many children walk long distances to and from school in the freezing cold, without warm clothing. Providing a sustainable and collaborative solution to this problem, women artisans from Uttarakhand were given the opportunity to use the handicraft skills they learned from AMMACHI Labs to knit woolen hats and mittens for low-income children in Chicago.

For many affected by the devastating floods in Uttarakhand, rebuilding lives involved much more than picking up the pieces. Many were forced to start over from scratch and find new means for employment. When AMMACHI Labs went to Uttarakhand to bring skill training to the region, the team was amazed at the potential of the women there. They were happy to create beautiful and useful items with their new skills, including training in knitting. Furthermore, when they learned about the children in Chicago, they immediately responded. These women understood the coldness of harsh winters and were happy to make warm clothing for the children.

The children of the Waldo Middle School in Chicago were connected with women in Uttarkhand by the M.A. Center Chicago, the hub of Amma’s charitable, educational, and spiritual activities in the Midwest. By connecting two struggling populations, life has become a little warmer for everyone involved.

Watch this video about the initiative.