Suzanne Faulkner, a nurse who works at a detention center for teen girls in Long Island, has started an initiative to teach the girls in residence to crochet. Working within strict budgetary constraints, she reached out to The Endless Skein for donations. We were more than happy to provide yarn and crochet hooks for the girls.

Suzanne shared with us about her work at Brentwood Residential Center, and about the benefits of crochet as a creative outlet.

Please tell us about Brentwood and about the girls who are in residence there.

Brentwood Residential Center is a minimum-security center in Long Island, NY. There are 25 girls in residence here. They are here for usually 6 month to 1 year. The girls are from 12-19 years old. They come from mostly the Long Island area to upstate NY. They are from varied backgrounds.

What is your role and how long have you worked there?

I have been working here about 6 months. I was a travel nurse, and then I came on staff.

What has surprised you about your work at Brentwood?

The thing I have been surprised about at Brentwood is that many of the girls are very sweet.

How/when did you learn to crochet, and what does crochet mean to you?

I learned to crochet 7 years ago, and what it means to me is a way of slowing down my mind and being present in the moment. It helps me not think ahead, and it reduces my stress.

What do you feel are the benefits of crochet for young people like the girls at Brentwood?

I think crochet will benefit the girls because they need something to feel proud of. It is a great way to reduce anxiety and stress. They need more creative outlets, and this would be ideal; especially in a social way because they are together for many hours a day. It will give them something to discuss and share. Also, it may be the only opportunity for them to learn, if they weren't shown prior to their arrival. They can use crochet in their lives ahead as a wonderful creative outlet.

We appreciate the meaningful work Suzanne is doing and we are proud to play a small role by providing materials for the crochet classes.