By Setarreh Massihzadegan
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

As tiny hand-knit sweater sets, colorful quilts, and cuddly stuffed animals crowd the counters in the creative arts studio, Virginia Rando beams, both pleased and awestruck.

“It’s an emotional day,” she says.

Rando and her group of faithful knitters at Brooksby saw the fruits of their labor this year when they displayed the baby clothing and accessories they made and collected for donation to the Massachusetts Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC). Now in its sixth year knitting for the charity, the Busy Fingers group has lived up to its name.

Dedicated to the cause
Throughout the year, group members use their time and resources to knit items of their choice, with the promise that everything they make will be donated to MSPCC, a state organization that provides support for young families and works to prevent child abuse.

“We know that we’re doing the right thing,” says Vera Ginsberg, who lives at Brooksby and has been knitting with Busy Fingers for four years. “We have our hearts in it.”

Group members knit on their own and meet once a month to trade patterns, exchange tips, and socialize.

“We just keep going until this happens,” Ginsberg says, gesturing to the piles of clothing for donation. Busy Fingers also put out large boxes in each of Brooksby’s clubhouses, where community members made additional contributions.

MSPCC employees who came to pick up the donations from Brooksby admired the many items and thanked the group of about ten women who had contributed.

“[We are] overwhelmed with all the gifts,” said Maria Avila, regional prevention director at MSPCC. “It’s perfect timing because things are getting tougher,” with the economy, colder months, and holiday season, she added.

MSPCC works with young parents, generally between the ages of 16 and 19, many of whom live on incomes of less than $20,000 a year. The parents often struggle with day-to-day financial hardships, which keep them from focusing on parenting.