Ava Williams recently earned the Gold Award from the Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida for her project Threads of Comfort, an intergenerational crochet club focused on supporting children in need. Learn more about Ava’s project and get advice for starting or joining a similar project in your community. Enjoy this interview with Ava!

How long have you been crocheting? What are your favorite projects to make?

I have been crocheting for almost 3 years. I enjoy amigurumi projects, wearables, blankets, bags, and hats.

When did you first join Girl Scouts?

I joined Girl Scouts when I was in kindergarten, so I’ve been in it for about 13 years now.

What have been your favorite parts of Girl Scouts over the years?

My favorite part of Girl Scouts has been learning how to help my community and connect with others in it. I also have enjoyed learning about the environment and how to protect and conserve it.

Did you always know you wanted to pursue the prestigious Gold award? When did you first begin to think seriously about a project that might earn that award?

I have always dreamed of achieving my Gold Award since I learned what it was as a kid. As I continued my time in Girl Scouts, I became more and more focused on achieving the Gold Award. I also increased my desire for the Gold Award when I joined Scouting America (Boy Scouts) and altered my goal to instead achieve both the Gold and Eagle Awards, which I now have been awarded with. With both in mind, I was able to persist and get over stressful or discouraging times, especially when I became uninspired or felt stuck. When I was in my junior year of high school I really started to think about what to actually do for my Gold Award, but it wasn’t until my senior year that I got the idea to donate crocheted stuffed animals to youth as comfort items. This idea then transformed into establishing a crochet club that would donate projects when I realized that although I could crochet all day as fast as possible, there was no way I could crochet fast enough and that I didn’t have much time between school and other extracurricular activities.

How did you first get the idea for your project Threads of Comfort? What inspired it?

I was inspired to start threads of comfort when I learned about comfort items in my psychology class in school. Originally, I thought it would be nice to make crocheted stuffed animals for children. I wasn’t even thinking it could be part of my Gold Award project until I started thinking more in depth about what service project I could do for it.

How did you decide which group to donate your crochet projects to?

After doing some research to see what groups in town might be in need of comfort items, I came across Youth Haven, which is a shelter for abused and neglected children and teens in SWFL.

How did you manage the logistics (collecting materials, organizing volunteers, etc)?

At first, I had brought some of my friends together who were interested in learning to crochet. I gathered supplies from Michael’s, Joann’s, and Hobby Lobby using money donated by my friends and family. The school’s art teacher also had a box of yarn that she let us use. We met a couple times at school during lunch in her classroom, but as the school year was ending and we were graduating, we became too busy to meet.

Over the summer, we had to stop the meetings entirely since most of us were out of town or busy working, but I continued to make a few projects in my free time.

Near the end of summer I volunteered at my church’s VBS program. That is when I discovered I could host the club meetings there. The church’s event planner, Tricia, helped me to reach out to members of the church and even made an advertisement that was put in the weekly bulletin to reach out to even more people. Along with the supplies I bought previously with money donated, the church’s youth leader at the time, Alicia, gave me the church’s large stash of yarn for the club to use. We started the meetings at the church and around 8 ladies now attend the club with more always joining.

Were there any hiccups along the way, or any obstacles you had to overcome when organizing your project? How did you overcome them?

There were a few obstacles to overcome throughout the path to achieving Gold Award. The biggest issue I came across was having to meet at the school. The purpose of making the club was to allow teens throughout all of SWFL to have a place to meet outside of school. With limited time and not many places to go, we had to meet at the school if we wanted a guaranteed place to go. Another issue was finding teens who even wanted to crochet or had the time to. Many students at the school who did want to attend were busy with other clubs or doing homework during lunch. There had been a previous crochet club at the school, but they had fallen apart much earlier in the year due to the same reasons. This was solved by switching the club meetings over to the church.

Another issue that I had was finding teens who were interested in crocheting. It was hard to connect with them and plan since they were focused on other things or just weren’t interested at the time. I overcame this by reaching out to my friends who did show interest and have better connections and had them ask their friends.

What have been the most rewarding parts of organizing Threads of Comfort?

The most rewarding part of my project had been seeing the effect of the club on its members. Every time we meet, I get told by someone that it was such a great idea and that they’re glad they know other people share their interest in crocheting and crafting. Most of the time, the members discuss the projects they are working on or ask others for advice if they are stuck on a design. It was also very rewarding to see how everyone is able to connect so easily, especially the connection between the two generations. I have been very proud of the club for taking over leadership and allowing me to step back from it to let them decide how to run it. I still attend each meeting to crochet with everyone, but I no longer hold any authority. I was also very glad to know that Youth Haven appreciated the crocheted animals and that I was able to assist both the elderly and youth at the same time throughout the project.

What skills did you use or develop most while working on Threads of Comfort?

I have learned many skills over the course of the project. The biggest one was learning to manage time and plan in advance. I have learned to communicate better and how to better lead a group of people and teach them to crochet. Another skill I have learned is adaptability, especially when I had to change the club’s direction a few times before it solidified after moving to the church. I also developed my teamwork, networking, and communication skills since I had to work and plan with many different people at once.

Is there a particular story or moment from the project that really stuck with you?

No specific memory sticks with me, but I do love that almost every meeting someone shows gratitude towards the club. This lets me know I have made a positive, lasting impact on the community and that the project I worked so hard for has succeeded. I also am the fourth generation of my family to attend Moorings Church, so it’s really neat to me that I am able to make my own impact on the church like the rest of my family has over the years while also creating opportunities for the rest of the community to connect as well.

How do you hope Threads of Comfort will continue or grow in the future?

I hope that as the club continues, more people will join and gain appreciation for crocheting and fabric crafts. I want the club to be a place for people to not just crochet, but also connect and have a place to share their own interests in crafting. While they already do this, I hope the club members continue to teach each other their crocheting tips and tricks and expand upon each other’s skills. I also hope that the club continues to donate to Youth Haven and even expand to other places in need as well. I do know that they have plans to make hats for children in Guatemala and one lady, Mrs. Payne, makes baby blankets for babies at NCH so I can’t wait to see the club complete these projects and continue with similar ones.

Has this experience influenced what you might want to study or do in the future?

While I have always been interested in studying child psychology, this project has helped to intensify my interest in helping children and teens in need. It has influenced me to look even more in depth about comfort items and the effect that crafting has on mental health and functions of the brain and motor system.

What advice do you have for other kids and teens – or even adults! – who might be interested in organizing a similar project in their communities?

My advice to people who are interested in organizing similar projects is DONT WAIT. If you have an idea, just do it. I procrastinated the project and creation of the club so much and I wish that I had started it sooner. I also want people to know that even if it starts badly or isn’t what you thought it would turn out to be, continue trying to aim it in the direction you wanted it to go. Don’t quit. Nothing will ever turn out how you want it to if you don’t even try.

All images courtesy of Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, Inc. (via Ava Williams).