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TROY — Origami For Good, a nonprofit organization founded by Thyra Foronda, encourages people to learn or improve origami skills while also spreading positivity.
Foronda is a student at the International Academy-East in Troy. She started this group after volunteering with another nonprofit organization called Asha Hope Amanaki, which supports marginalized communities through efforts related to education, socialization, health, and medical and food access. She was initially asked to make 20 origami bookmarks for librarians as a part of her volunteer work.
“Instead of making 20, my family and I created 256 because of how much we enjoyed making it and spending time making it together,” Foronda said in an email. “I realized how much origami could be used ‘for good’ as it helped me appreciate Asian art and make really interesting pieces out of folded paper that I wanted to share with the world.”
Origami For Good gives time for volunteers to learn and make origami pieces, as assigned during the allotted time, that will be sent to senior centers, hospices, soldiers, and more. Volunteers can earn service or volunteer hours while learning a new craft and giving back to the community.
Materials and instructional videos are provided to attendees, though people not attending specific events can make their projects at home — instructions are available on the Origami For Good website — and send their pieces on their own to the participating facility listed on the website’s event page.
“Over time, my nonprofit has gotten more recognition, such as holding origami workshops at my local library or at my extracurriculars,” Foronda said in an email. “Volunteers don’t have to attend events because they can send origami at any given time.” She said the group plans to hold events around the state. On the website, volunteers can sign up for a facility and make origami to send for the members in the facility.
Origami For Good hosted an event at the Troy Public Library May 24, where volunteers folded origami hearts and bookmarks. Over 20 attendees joined this event.
“I saw a flier for this when I was here for another program,” Amy Sharp, a volunteer for the event, said. “I like doing crafts and I like origami.”
Other volunteers included Evieliz Brown and Paromita Chandra, who go to school with Foronda.
“She does stuff like this at school and this is very interesting, very different, and very fun,” Brown said.
“It sounded interesting, and it’s been really relaxing,” Chandra said.
For more information, visit origamiforgood.squarespace.com.
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