Mayumi Hoshi, member of the knitting group 'Yarn Alive,' poses with a baby sweater she knit. Christina Sawka

Two and a half years after the devastating earthquake and tsunami in northern Japan, some victims are taking on a new challenge: Helping others in need as far away as Syria and the Philippines.

Shortly after the disaster on March 11, 2011, more than 30 elderly women who lost their homes in the northern fishing village of Shichigahama formed a knitting group called Yarn Alive. The women, who lived in tiny temporary housing, knitted hats and sweaters every day, consoling each other and forming an informal support group.

But with the rebuilding of Shichigahama moving slowly, it's increasingly likely that many may remain in temporary housing for years. The group had a steady supply of yarn donated from the U.S., Japan and elsewhere. So Teddy Sawka, an American missionary who founded Yarn Alive, turned the knitters' attention to another tragedy halfway around the world: Syria.

More than two million refugees have fled Syria so far to escape the country's civil war, the majority women and children. Ms. Sawka recently heard from her missionary network that many women in refugee camps in neighboring Jordan were now bearing children, but faced a shortage of clothing and blankets as the weather got cooler. "Going on two years, I knew we were ready for a new project," says Ms. Sawka, a 66-year-old from Ohio. She quickly asked Yarn Alive members to knit and crochet baby hats, sweaters and booties to send to the Syrian refugees. Ms. Sawka's son plans to carry about 100 baby items to Jordan later this month. Mayumi Hoshi, a 53-year-old who lives with her husband and 94-year-old father-in-law in Shichigahama's temporary housing, says her own painful experience of losing her home has made her sensitized to other people in need. Christina Sawka "We're lucky to be able to live like this today, and it's all because other people helped us," says Ms. Hoshi, who knit a blue, purple and beige-colored sweater, complete with a collar. "It feels so good to be able to help other people, even if we're in a tough situation ourselves." Ms. Hoshi says her mind is recently on the millions of people affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. The footage she sees on television of flooded houses and people waiting for food supplies is "just like it was after the tsunami," she says. "I wish there's something I could do to help."

Copyright ©2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8