Knit the Rainbow, a nonprofit dedicated to providing colorful handmade knitwear to unhoused LGBTQ+ youth, is in high gear this holiday season as temperatures drop and their clientele seeks shelter from the cold.
The group was formed by New Yorker Austin Rivers after he discovered his passion for knitting during the pandemic.
Related:
“I don’t have the capacity to build a shelter, the network or the connections to help in that way, but what I can do is knit,” Rivers NBC News. “And I know that New York City is cold, so I decided I would start knitting and create this nonprofit.”
Never Miss a Beat
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.
The group’s focus is on LGBTQ+ youth, which make up 40% of New York’s unhoused youth population.
“A lot of the times, the reason they’re unhoused is because they were kicked out by their families, so we’re not just providing warmth, we’re also providing that love and compassion that they so often don’t have.”
Rivers has recruited 550 knitters across the country to his cause.
Volunteers from 45 states and three countries “are mailing donations from across the United States to my apartment here in New York. We have local volunteers here in New York that come to my apartment and unbox donations, sort them, inventory them, tag them.”
The group has given away over 25,000 colorful knitted garments like hats, gloves, scarves and sweaters, Rivers shared. Volunteer teams in New Jersey, Chicago and Detroit are distributing garments to local nonprofits in those areas, as well.
Knit the Rainbow has partnerships with 22 different community-based organizations around the country and a long list of financial supporters who’ve donated funds in lieu of needle skills. A large donation from Kelly Clarkson accompanied Rivers’ appearance on her talk show in 2022.
The group’s founder had a message for unhoused youth during the holiday season this year.
“There are thousands of people out here that are constantly thinking of you and using their hands to make things for you,” Rivers said. “So don’t give up. Keep going.”
Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.
Don’t forget to share:
Good News is your section for queer joy! Subscribe to our newsletter to get the most positive and fun stories from the site delivered to your inbox every weekend. Send us your suggestions for uplifiting and inspiring stories.
