Every stitch brings warmth to Europeans
WHILE the ladies share a laugh over a home-baked morning tea, their minds are on the plight of families living in squalor in the impoverished countries of eastern Europe.
The Probus Knitters at Inverloch gather twice a month to make blankets, scarves, beanies, jumpers and bed socks for distribution overseas by the charity Mission Without Borders.
Last Tuesday, August 4, the Inverloch ladies heard firsthand accounts of how their creativity and kindness was bringing warmth to families enduring poverty and freezing conditions on the other side of the world.
They gathered at the home of Alan and Carol Hurst to hear Mission Without Borders Victorian coordinator Jenny Grainger talk about how the charity is enhancing life in Europe.
People without employment and incomes struggle to survive the chill of winter in Albania, Romania, Ukraine, Bosnia, Bulgaria and Moldova, often while living in cramped conditions with minimal food and home comforts. Houses can often be what Australians classify as sheds. Charity workers once found a Bulgarian man with his feet frozen to the ground.
“It is one thing to be poor in a warm country but a completely different thing to be poor in a cold country,” Mrs Grainger said.
Donations from the Inverloch knitters and other groups are taken to Mission Without Borders’ warehouse in Dandenong for sorting and then packing in a shipping container sent from Melbourne to the Dutch city of Rotterdam. From there, the goods are sent across to Europe.
A single container costs Mission Without Borders $8000 to send and distribute, but may contain up to $300,000 worth of goods.
The civil conflict in Ukraine has placed more pressure on the charity’s limited supplies and Mission Without Borders is now seeking 1000 quilts for dispersal in the country alone.
People in other countries have relocated to Greece, Italy or England in a bid to find work, but often find themselves in slavery or in the most severe cases, childhood prostitution.
“Quite often one parent will go to the West to find work and often that is the last someone has heard of them,” Mrs Grainger said.
Since producing for Mission Without Borders in 2006, Inverloch Probus knitters have made 438 rugs, 289 beanies, 31 mittens and gloves, 77 scarves, 21 jumpers, 29 socks and slippers, and three dolls.
The Inverloch Probus knitters also sew squares knitted by other groups into rugs. Knitter Hazell Billington said the group was proud to be able to help.
“It all goes to a very worthy cause. We set up in a warm house, knitting away, having a lovely morning tea, helping people that are in desperate need,” she said.
Despite international aid efforts, the future of many eastern European countries is unknown.
“Our goal for these countries is to move them forward and just to continue to support them,” Mrs Grainger said.
Creating for a cause: Inverloch Probus Knitters display goods they have knitted for distribution by Mission Without Borders. From left, Anne Downie, Rhonda Armstrong, Dawn Lujic, Jenny Grainger of Mission Without Borders and Janet Cifali.
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Posted by Tayla Kershaw on Aug 11 2015. Filed under Community. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
