Quilting the Stress Away: A Support Group for Victims
Many activities can help people relieve stress from our daily lives. Some like to run, others like to meditate, and for some a simple bubble bath can do just the trick. The same principle applies when addressing the stress and trauma that refugees have faced not only in their home countries but, here in their new homes.
A volunteer for US Together had the idea of introducing her go-to stress reliever activity, quilting, to refugees who were victims of sexual assault and female genital mutilation. Her idea was that quilts can represent the scraps of our lives. “The times we've been broken, lost, and in pieces. We piece together the scraps with a fragile thread and that thread pulls the scraps together to make a beautiful new creation.” This analogy for life led to a mutual peer support group being created .
Once a week, during the month of June, the quilting support group met together to have conversation and share the struggles they were going through. At the same time, the ladies worked together to quilt, knit, and crochet the Ohio Star with colored cloth from their home countries. Each week the ladies gathered together and helped each other not only learn the techniques to complete their project, but also how each of them was handling the challenges of being a refugee.
“The times we’ve been broken, lost, and in pieces. We piece together the scraps with a fragile thread and that thread pulls the scraps together to make a beautiful new creation.”
One woman shared her frustration of using public benefits while another shared her confusion of paying rent. Through these conversations, the support group is able to slightly heal and find community with those going through similar struggles. It also provides case managers the opportunity to provide extended cultural orientation on areas that were mentioned.
At each session, there is an interpreter present and attendees are provided with transportation to and from the meetings. Case managers and staff also hand out essential items like baby wipes, diapers, hand sanitizer, and snacks.