According to National Coalition for the Homeless, 40% of the country’s homeless youth population is comprised of LGTBQ+ teens.
When New York native Austin Rivers took up knitting during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was this staggering figure that drove him towards action.
“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 told NBC News.
“And I know that New York City is cold, so I decided I would start knitting and create this nonprofit.”
That’s when he founded Knit the Rainbow, an organization that distributes free handmade garments to those in need.
And nearly five years after it was first created, Rivers’ knitting collective isn’t just serving the queer community in New York City.
Their nationwide network links local yarn stores and local nonprofits with over 550 volunteers from 45 states.
As of 2024, they have collected and distributed over 25,000 winter garments — including sweaters, hats, gloves, scarves, and socks — throughout homeless communities in New Jersey, Chicago, Detroit, and beyond.
Once clothing items are shipped to Rivers’ apartment, he works with volunteers to unpack boxes, tag and sort donations, and pack and deliver them to local shelters that provide housing to LGBTQ+ and HIV+ homeless youth.
Although the organization’s impact is wider, and the piles of mail have grown higher, Rivers still has a hand in day-to-day deliveries.
“We’re going to do it whether it’s rain, or snow, or shine,” Rivers said in his NBC News interview, pulling a handcart topped with boxes.
Those clothes could be the difference between frostbite and hospitalization, especially in cities that often drop below freezing in the wintertime.
But Rivers also noted that every handmade item — knitted, crocheted, or stitched — has a dual impact, because every piece of clothing is made with love.
“A lot of the times, the reason that they’re unhoused is because they were kicked out by their families,” Rivers said.
“We’re not just providing warmth, but we’re also providing that love and that compassion that they so often don’t have.”
To the members of the community Knit The Rainbow served, he had a clear message.
“There are thousands of people out here that are constantly thinking of you and using their hands to make things for you,” Rivers emphasized. “So don’t give up. Keep going.”
To download free knitting patterns, donate a garment, or sign up to volunteer, you can visit the organization's website to get started.
Header images via Knit the Rainbow Facebook page
