Grant Park High School students sewing class threads the needle with compassion

As temperatures continue to plunge outside, sewing class students at Grant Park High School are threading the needle to help Winnipeg residents stay warm during our cold winter.

“I like knowing that I’m doing something to help the city and stuff like that, to help the people who are in need,” said Asher Rohne, a Grade 11 student.

Asher Rohne, a Grade 11 student at Grant Park High School said it has been a pleasure to make these items in class knowing they have an opportunity to make a difference in the community. Here he is using a sewing machine on Tuesday Nov. 26, 2024. (Joseph Bernacki/CTV News Winnipeg)

Rohne is one of many students working on toques and treat bags for those in need. They are helping a local Indigenous nonprofit, Wiigiishin Giiwiigeenahn, an Ojibwe translation meaning ‘help me, help you.’

The downtown organization has held weekly Saturday walks since June 14, handing out dozens of sandwiches, bottles of water, and clothes.

“You never know when you’re going to see somebody who you might be related to or have some type of relationship with,” said lead organizer Joshua Nepinak.

“We call them our relatives, and it could be any one of us and anyone of us in need, and sometimes what we need to keep going is a sandwich or water.”

The walks are a motivating drive for Nepinak to do more for others, and the community is rallying behind his organization.

Kari-Lin Watt, the Textile Arts and Design Teacher at Grant Park, met Nepinak’s group in October and asked how her class could help.

Every student is making three toques, and her class says they are willing to make more.

'It's so heartwarming to see how they really want to give back to the community'

“Last week, the walk handed out over 50 hats, and within 20 minutes, the hats were gone,” Watt said.

“I never have to pull teeth. They're always willing to volunteer, and it's so heartwarming to see how they really want to give back to the community.”

Watt’s sewing class has a goal of making 150 hats to equal a donation of 150 toques she received in support from Princess Auto. More toques and treat bags with food are continuing to be made over the course of this season.

“It really brings you hope because these types of treat bags are not only filled with treats for the homeless, but they can use these bags to fill with stuff that they have that they can't put anywhere else,” said Anastasiya Danin, a Grade 11 student.

“The skills we learn in sewing aren’t just for us,” said Sam Samira, a Grade 10 student.

“We get to make bags and pajama pants and stuff that is for us, but we also get to use these skills to give back to the community and those who might need it more.”

Wiigiishin Giiwiigeenahn begins their Saturday walks starting at Pitikwé Skatepark with a usual team consisting of 12 to 20 volunteers. The team will typically hand out more than 200 sandwiches and bottles of water on a given Saturday.

“We have a stipulation in our walk that when we're out there, we're asking anybody,” Nepinak said.

“We're not profiling. That's one of the biggest things that we're doing, and we're just handing out these necessities to everybody.”

Since June 14, volunteers with Wiigiishin Giiwiigeenahn have met on Saturdays downtown to take part in a weekly walk handing out food and water to those in need. The group starts their walk outside of Pitikwé Skatepark as seen on Saturday Nov. 23, 2024. (Joshua Nepinak)

Nepinak said their organization is very grateful for the continued support from Grant Park High School.

“They could really just emphasize that saying; any difference makes a difference,” Nepinak said.

People looking to volunteer and help Wiigiishin Giiwiigeenahn can reach out to their social media page for more information.