Ellicott City teen uses art of crochet to bring smiles to community

Ami Raithatha, 17, of Ellicott City, was looking for a way to combine the art of crochet with her desire to better the community.

Though she learned how to crochet when she was a child, she lost interest in the activity as she got older. When the pandemic hit four years ago, she rediscovered her old crochet materials and love for crochet.

Finding solace in the activity, she wondered how she could use her crocheted creations to help others.

“Crocheting became pretty much a stress reliever through ninth grade and 10th grade, but the more I crocheted, the more projects I had sitting around and not being used,” she said. “I [thought], there has to be some way these can be put to better use and that’s how I came up with the idea to crochet and donate because it allows for the stuff I make to be put to better use by people who would appreciate it more.”

In September 2023, Ami launched Crochet for Smiles, a dedicated community of crochet enthusiasts united by a love for crochet and a desire to help others. The group has used handmade items to spread kindness and joy in the community and build connections among people who enjoy crocheting.

Since its inception, the organization has donated more than 250 handmade items to the Lorien Encore Retirement Home in Ellicott City, including hats, toys and a variety of other products to provide emotional support and warmth to elderly residents.

The organization has also offered free crochet classes to teenagers at the Miller Branch Library in Ellicott City to teach young people crochet and provide them with the opportunity to develop new friendships and support those in need.

Sara Gajengi, 17, of Ellicott City, teamed up with Ami to teach the crochet classes to teens at the library.

Finding comfort in the activity herself, she said it means a lot to her to be able to help others through crochet.

“Crochet is a therapeutic art for me,” she said. “By sharing the art of crochet with the community, I hope to give others an escape from stressful situations or just a fun, productive activity that can bring a sense of peace and accomplishment to their lives.”

Crochet for Smiles has plans to donate to Casey Cares Foundation in Columbia, Small Miracles Cat and Dog Rescue in Ellicott City and the Oncology and Hematology Department at the University of Maryland Children’s Hospital in Baltimore to provide blankets, hats and toys.

Ami said she hopes the organization will expand beyond her in the future.

“I want this organization to be long-lived and I want it to transcend past my leadership,” she said. “I want to expand the reach of Crochet for Smiles and make it so more people can feel its positive impact.”

For more information, visit amiraithatha.wixsite.com/crochet-for-smiles .