A REMINDER THAT PROFIT ISN'T EVERYTHING - VOLUNTEERS
We always enjoy hearing stories that come back from the people we have been able to help as well as from our volunteers.
As a non profit organisation, the loving time and materials contributed by our volunteers is not only worth its weight in Gross Domestic Product, but it also provides buckets of enthusiasm and inspiration for us.
STOP PRESS - ANNUAL ABC 702 KNIT-IN FRIDAY 1ST AUGUST 2008
Mark this date in your diary - 7am to 11am at ABC 702 Ultimo
Plus - this year 'The Knit-In' is expanding to five simultaneous locations; Hornsby RSL, ABC Central Coast Erina, ABC Dubbo, ABC Wagga Wagga
OUR VOLUNTEERS COME FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE
More and more schools, community organisations, companies and individuals are becoming involved in knitting and crafting Wraps, providing transport and freight, or supplying us with yarn, and for this we thank you.
ITS WORTH MORE THAN JUST TWO WRAPS
This is from years 3, 4 and 5 of a Canberra primary school which contributed two Wraps.
'At first we weren't that good at knitting and we dropped stitches. Some people even gained stitches but most of us have learned to knit during the process. Each student knitted a square with help from a lot of fantastic parents and grandparents. Some students became 'experts' and helped the rest of us with our knitting. Some smart knitters made two squares! We feel really proud that we finished the Wraps and we hope they go to someone who really needs them.'
AN AVALANCHE OF ENTHUSIASM
A Catholic Sister in NSW was inspired to become a volunteer and asked another Sister to teach her to crochet. Within weeks she had completed her first Wrap.
Other Sisters joined her and there was great excitement as each commenced a Wrap. In addition, a friend in Switzerland, via email, was inspired to join in and started making Wraps for refugees and asylum seekers in Europe. She wrote: 'I am very happy to belong to this movement of love and to help that group of people faced with problems that pass our understanding.'
REACHING OUT
An Outreach International worker on her way to Bulgaria sent the following story: 'I managed to squeeze as many Wraps as I could into two suitcases and felt very sad that I was going to have to leave some behind, so, on the off chance, I decided to fill another big bag and take it to the airport. If they rejected it, so be it.
I was told that it would cost $600 in excess baggage. But when I explained who we were and what we were about and that the three bags were blankets for the gypsies and orphans in Bulgaria suffering a bitter European winter, the reply was 'okay, that's fine'.
We visited orphans and gypsies who lived on the rubbish dump. The temperatures were minus 20 degrees with very thick snow.'
