Crochet for a Cure is a club at our Montclair High School that promotes wellness and creativity.
Crochet for a Cure can be a quiet place for students to hang out after school while crocheting. Whether you’re learning how to crochet for the first time or you’re a skillful crocheter already, Crochet for a Cure provides a place for comfort and relaxation while crocheting.
The club provides yarn gathered through donations, which is then distributed to the students in the club. They are given instructions based on their prior experience with crocheting. Students who don’t know how to crochet begin by looming beanies.
The beanies loomed and the other articles crocheted are given back to the teacher, who then donates their crafts to chemotherapy labs.
“The people appreciated it so much, especially the women in the chemo lab,” stated Ms. Shiffermiller.
The donations bring students who are part of the club a sense of joy through giving and caring for others.
Crochet for a Cure has been ongoing since the fall of 2014 with Ms. Shiffermiller as the advisor. Next year, however, she plans to retire and have someone new fill in the shoes of an advisor.
Irene Baltazar-Rodriguez, the president of Crochet for a Cure, finds the club to be relaxing. “…it allowed me to do it during school and just, like, relax because I’m taking a bunch of honors and AP’s and it can get stressful.”
The club can be used by its members as a setting to unwind and take one’s mind off of stresses that may occur from life.
“So just looming and crocheting, it just—you can zone out and it takes your mind off of everything,” Irene states.
Crochet for a Cure has become a club that Ms. Shiffermiller can be proud of.
“Kids have learned skills they could use for their lifetime. Not only can they use it for their lifetime, they have fun doing it,” she said. “And they have found [this] sense of belonging and community through this and they get that feeling when I go take things to the hospital.”
Overall, Crochet for a Cure is an admirable club, fit for relaxation and the capability to help others.
