Sisters crochet protective sleeves for water filters

Sisters of Charity of Nazareth are crocheting protective sleeves for portable water filters to help families access clean drinking water. The sisters use donated yarn to create colorful covers, which they call socks, to protect the filters from damage during daily use.

Sister Rosemarie Kirwan started the project and was later joined by Sisters Barbara Joseph Lammers and Paschal Maria Fernicola. Sisters Anne Magruder and Brenda Gonzales have also participated in the ministry over the years. The group estimates they have made thousands of these sleeves at the Nazareth Motherhouse.

The sleeves support the work of Water By Women, a nonprofit based in Louisville that has equipped women in 48 countries with water filters. The organization trains one woman in each community to operate a filter, providing safe water for her family and three neighbors to help reduce waterborne illnesses.