For 41-year-old Nelson Mendonca, fighting addiction used to be an impossible feat.

For the past 20 years, the man has been in and out of jail because of his drug addiction. Just when he thought he’s overcome the need for substance, he finds himself giving in to his demons and going back to his old ways. He believed he was never going to escape the darkness he has gone into until he found himself a hobby that truly changed his life.

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In the midst of the pandemic and while being imprisoned in British Columbia, Nelson came upon a program where detainees are receiving therapy through artworks. He got hold of a loom hook—a knitting tool—and started to learn about knitting.

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Initially, Nelson was curious as to how knitting works. And when he got the hang of it, the man found himself learning and loving the hobby even more. He became active in the said program and for months, Nelson did nothing but numerous toques for the homeless.

In July, Nelson got released and the first thing he did was to enter Phoenix Society, a treatment facility with an integrated addiction services center. He wanted to join their 90-day live-in treatment program and while undergoing treatment and fighting loneliness, Nelson got hold of his loom hook and began knitting again.

Thru this hobby, Nelson was able to cope with his anxiety and learned how to relax and calm down. Little by little, the man found something that gave him happiness and found himself getting better each passing day.

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“The first thing that came into my head was I just wanted to go get some yarn and a loom. I started making a toque. Everybody was wondering what I was doing since it kind of looks weird at first,” Nelson shared.

Nelson’s mates in the facility saw him and his unusual hobby and could not help but be curious about how knitting is done. Other men began to ask him how knitting works and decided to try it for themselves.

One by one, more men came to learn about knitting and before they knew it, Nelson has 10 other guys on his floor knitting toques fr the homeless just like him!

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“It just became a little knitting club on our floor,” he said.

Days passed by and the men eventually got better with knitting and have learned to make more complex designs. They even added some pom-poms and some are designed to be used for sports activities.

The knitting group has created over 200 toques for donation to the homeless and women in recovery homes. They also learned to make little toques for newborn babies in the Surrey Memorial Hospital and will be delivered there once the authorities allow it.

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What used to be a simple hobby and distraction has now become an amazing way to help others in need while simultaneously helping the club recover from their own demons and past.

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“It helps them open up to be focused on something: you’re not thinking about what you’re saying,” Nelson said. “It makes it easier for them to open up and dig deep about certain things.”

The thought of someone using the toque he knitted gave Nelson “a spark of joy” that made him decide to pursue this hobby and make it a more meaningful activity. Along the way, Nelson’s unique love for knitting has made way for him to recover and help the other people in the facility learn more about life and truly living.

Now, that is one inspiring story!

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Source: Phoenix Society, My Positive Outlooks