Through its comfort shawl program, Stags Stitch has handcrafted more than 25 shawls and blankets for community members in need, uplifting recipients and participants alike.
Five years ago, the Stags Stitch student club was formed by a group of crochet hobbyists. According to its constitution, the new student organization aimed to foster social connections and to manage stress through needlecrafts. While the initial statement remains true today, the club’s mission has since expanded. In 2024, inspired by its president, Rebecca Beauvais ’26, Stags Stitch launched a comfort shawl program.
A senior nursing major in the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies, Beauvais is a hook and yarn enthusiast with a passion for service. Dedicated to spreading care and warmth, she has crocheted blankets for preterm babies in the United States and for vulnerable populations in South Africa. When she introduced the idea of a comfort shawl program to Stags Stitch, the club’s members embraced the opportunity to make an impact and soon began to craft shawls, blankets, and hearts for those in the University community needing comfort and support.
What Is a Comfort Shawl Program?
Comfort shawl programs provide handmade shawls, blankets, hats, and other cozy accessories to people navigating difficult situations. The woven goods offer warmth and comfort to their recipients while also sending a heartfelt expression of support. Such programs date back to 1998, when two graduates of the Women’s Leadership Institute at Hartford Seminary launched the Prayer Shawl Ministry.
Upholding the tradition of that first comfort shawl program, Stags Stitch weaves blessings into each of its shawls, blankets, and hearts. Partnering with Campus Ministry, the club presents the handcrafted pieces to a Jesuit priest, who offers bespoke blessings to meet the needs of each item’s intended recipient.
Additionally, Stags Stitch delivers its custom creations with notes, modest reminders that recipients are surrounded by love, support, and community.
A Close-Knit Community for Good
Shortly after the launch of the comfort shawl program, a local hospital approached Stags Stitch about making shawls for patients. The club welcomed the opportunity and soon began to envision an even greater impact, one that reached beyond the hospital into the community, where neighbors struggled with physical and emotional challenges.
Focused on manifesting its vision, Stags Stitch invited the entire University community to join the service project. The students, faculty, and staff at Fairfield responded with enthusiasm. Some put their skills to work immediately, while others took to learning the craft gradually.
To date, Stags Stitch has created more than 25 pieces, including a large blanket for the Wellness Center, which will be on display at this year’s Art by All exhibition at the DiMenna-Nyselius Library.
Yarning for Purpose and Belonging
Though initially conceived as a service project, the comfort shawl program has impacted those who make the items as much as it has those who receive them. Specifically, the collaborative project has strengthened mental wellness, human connection, and personal fulfillment for those involved.
Recognizing the program’s potential to nurture wellness, the University’s Health and Wellness Center forged a partnership with Stags Stitch whereby it would cover the cost of materials. In exchange for hooks and yarn, the club agreed to teach newcomers how to crochet, ensuring that even the most inexperienced crafters could participate.
Students have reported several benefits of the program:
- The rhythmic, repetitive motions of crocheting and knitting induce calm and reduce stress.
- The planned activity provides a therapeutic escape from the rigors of coursework.
- The shared experience cultivates as sense of identity and social belonging.
Stitched in Jesuit Values
At 84 members large, Stags Stitch is a popular student-led organization that embodies the Jesuit values of Fairfield University. The comfort shawl program highlights its members’ social and moral awareness and deep concern for others within the community, especially those who are suffering and struggling. The program also supports the Ignatian principle of cura personalis, a Latin phrase that translates as “care for the whole person,” because its creative and charitable acts not only relieve stress among participants but also promote spiritual growth by nurturing a sense of purpose.
