Burnaby, BC—Immigrant seniors from MOSAIC Burnaby Seniors Club presented Dixon Transition Society this afternoon with bags of hand-knitted goods to support women and children affected by domestic violence.The donation of knitted hats, socks and dishcloths was the accumulation of a ten-week knitting circle project that took place during the spring of this year. According to Yumi Onozawa, a Settlement Worker who organizes MOSAIC Burnaby Seniors Club, the idea was dreamt up and realized by immigrant seniors who met at a seniors’ English conversation circle about six months before the project: “They didn’t just learn English—they built lasting friendships too. And they caught on to the idea of volunteering because the teacher was donating her time to help newcomer seniors get better used to life in Canada. They thought ‘We might not be able to teach English, but there are other skills that we can share.’“Knitting was the skill that the group had in common, and they found it was a good fit for the women and their babies accessing Dixon Transition Society. Based out of the MOSAIC Burnaby Centre for Immigrants 5902 Kingsway office, the seniors are keen to support organizations which strengthen neighborhood communities.
