A Story of ECW Resurrection at Trinity Church, Watertown, New York

— Submitted by Jennifer Kenna
Province II Representative
NECW Board

In the Fall of 2008, when I was Province II ECW President, the rector at Trinity Church, Watertown, NY, in my home Diocese of Central New York, invited me to speak to a group of retired women at his parish, interested in re-organizing the parish ECW. I wholeheartedly accepted the invitation and spent an evening sharing ECW materials with the women and left encouraged by their enthusiasm. Since that evening nine years ago, this group of women, who call themselves YARN group, has grown and flourished.

The group call themselves YARN, not because they sit around a table telling stories but because their hands are never idle. They are knitting, crocheting, and making fleece blankets, while planning the next event, and discussing the next mission involvement. They meet almost every Tuesday morning year- round, working together and supporting each other.

And this is some of what they do. These women host a luncheon every fall for the 80+ years-old-members of the congregation. They hold two fund-raisers a year: a holiday fair at Christmas and a rummage sale in the spring. Seventy-five percent of the proceeds are distributed to organizations like the Watertown Urban Mission, the El Salvador Medical Mission of the Diocese of Central New York, and Episcopal Relief and Development. They knit and sew chemo caps for the Cancer Treatment Center and baby caps for the Maternity Center at the Samaritan Medical Center. They sew dresses to participate in Dress A Girl Around the World, and provide blankets for the Wounded Warriors project. They make cat mats for the SPCA, and participate in the fund-raiser for the Watertown Urban Mission.

These tireless workers have also joined forces with women of other denominations. They work with Roman Catholic women from Immaculate Heart Central School in knitting sweaters and hats—particularly for Syrian refugees. They have aligned with First Presbyterian Church in supporting “Women of Grace,” a program that offers sewing workshops to create sustainable employment for women living in Malawi, Africa.

Using skills they already possess, the YARN group has found new ways to serve God’s mission and enhance and brighten the lives of others. They have regenerated ECW at Trinity Church, Watertown, NY, and are making a vital contribution to the parish, the community, the Church,
and the world.