Weaving Love and Service: Nashville, TN
Weaving Love and Service: A Journey of Recycling, Empowerment, and Grace
In 2023, I launched a fabric-recycling project in honor of Swami’s 98th Birthday. Members of the Sri Sathya Sai Center in Nashville, TN, created 225 tote bags for a local women’s shelter using old Indian shawls and, in time, recycled saris. We continued this initiative for Sathya Sai’s Aradhana Declaration Day in 2024, as He guided our efforts to spread love and support sustainability. Our efforts may seem like a drop in the ocean, but we remain committed to conserving resources and reducing the adverse environmental impact of textile production.
A parallel initiative began in 2024 at the Nashville Sai Center. Members, including children at the Sai Center, learned to knit, and they created 99 caps, which were then shipped to the Room to Grow organization. The ‘learn-to-knit’ sessions were extended to several centers in the region and beyond. For instance, members, both men and women, attending the regional retreat learned to knit baby caps, which they then delivered to a local hospital in St. Louis.
In 2025, I introduced the recycled tote bags initiative at the SSSIO-USA National Conference in Dallas, distributing tote bags made from recycled saris. Several attendees warmly embraced the concept as a potential service initiative. Soon after, we began to receive donated saris from St. Louis, Austin, and Houston, which were made into 101 diaper bags to distribute to young mothers at the Room to Grow organization, which offers a three-year parenting support program for parents. Additionally, I crafted potli bags, a small, traditional drawstring pouch, made from recycled fabric, to raise funds to support the education of underprivileged girls in India through Education for All. This project continues to thrive.
In September 2025, the focus shifted to empowering young mothers by helping them generate an income stream. I conducted three Zoom sessions for expectant mothers at Clarksdale Baby University in Clarksdale, MS, on how to crochet baby hats. The mothers were filled with joy upon seeing their finished products and expressed enthusiasm to make more, with hopes of eventually selling them as a source of income. A new initiative is underway to purchase five sewing machines for the women’s shelter in Clarksdale, so the women can sew bags from recycled materials to generate a stream of income.
In November 2025, members of the Sai Center in Nashville knitted and delivered 50 baby hats to Nashville General Hospital at Meharry, supporting families with low income.
The experience taught me a powerful lesson: Even the smallest purposeful effort progresses only with His grace. Each step strengthens our vision and helps our work build unstoppable momentum. These projects reflect a blend of skill, innovation, determination, and discipline. Swami is guiding us every step of the way, helping us channel positive energy into meaningful activities.
The recycling project focuses on empowering young girls and promoting sustainability through joyful service. We take pride in our work, not for any recognition, but for the joy of uplifting others. Through this initiative, we are transforming our community, creating beauty that resonates with love.
~ Geetha Bhatt