Charity Knitting
Knitted and crocheted garments are always so much in demand and there are a number of charities in Australia who would be very happy to receive them.
Some of our Guild groups “adopt” a charity and send garments all year round; others knit for a particular charity when they see a specific need arising. If you’re a Guild member, ask your local group if there is a charity they support in the area. If not, perhaps you could suggest that they “adopt” one (or two!).
The Guild also gratefully accepts donated yarn and you can be assured that it’s going to be put to good use providing items for a very wide range of charities.
We don’t officially endorse any of these charities but we know that the following are generally very happy to receive donations. We do recommend that you contact them first as their requirements can vary from month to month.
Details for these charities can be found below.
Charities
Arthritis and Osteoporosis NSW
Arthritis and Osteoporosis NSW is a charity keen to receive fingerless gloves for people who have poor circulation and have problems keeping their hands warm while still having the use of their fingers. They are also currently asking for knitted trauma teddies and the pattern is available here.
6,000 children in NSW live with arthritis. The gloves and teddies can be sent to Locked Bag 2216, North Ryde, NSW 1670
DRUG ARM Australasia
DRUG ARM Australasia is looking for beanies and skull caps to distribute when they operate their Street Outreach van on Friday and Saturday nights from Liverpool to Parramatta and Mt Druitt. The organisation services the homeless, young people at risk and individuals affected by drug and alcohol misuse by providing them with hot drinks, soup and noodles. They would love to be able to also give them a warm hat.
Hats are required for adult males, females and teenagers and should be sent to:
DRUG ARM Australasia
PO Box 1030, Fairfield, NSW 1860
MISSIONBEAT in Sydney
https://missionaustralia.com.au/
All items for the homeless, such as blankets, beanies, jumpers, hats, gloves, socks.
PARRAMATTA MISSION
http://www.parramattamission.org.au/
Items for the homeless.
EXODUS FOUNDATION
http://www.billcrews.com.au/htm/exodus_frontpage.htm
Items for the homeless.
CARE FOR STREET KIDS
http://www.startlocal.com.au/organisations/charities/nsw_southcoast/Care_For_Street_Kids_Australia_1527534.html
Clothing for all ages plus blankets and toys.
Send to: 100 Woodrow Place, Figtree, NSW 2525.
NSW WOMEN’S REFUGE RESOURCE CENTRE
http://www.womensrefuge.org.au/about-us
Clothing for women and children.
WRAP WITH LOVE
http://www.wrapwithlove.org
25cm knitted squares required for blankets. Full instructions are on their website and many local libraries in NSW collect knitted squares for this charity.
CAT RESCUE, Sydney
http://www.catrescue.com.au/
Pet blankets and toys.
Also, we suggest you contact your local hospital where there is often a need for baby clothes for preemie babies, or hats for people undergoing chemotherapy treatment.
The organisation Knit4Charities is definitely worth a visit too. They are a wonderful resource for information and profile different charities across the whole year through their Charity of the Month programme. http://knit4charities.webs.com/
STEWART HOUSE, Sydney Northern Beaches
http://www.stewarthouse.org.au/
Money. Knitted items such as beanies, caps, bed socks, jumpers, cardigans, scarves, rugs. Stewart House does not receive government funding and receives most financial support from the NSW Teachers' Federation, as well as public donations. More information can be found on the Stewart House website.
Cromehurst School, Lindfield
http://www.cromehurst-s.schools.nsw.edu.au/
Rugs and caps.
Quest for Life Foundation
The Quest for Life Foundation (founded by Petrea King) provides residential programs for vulnerable people living with cancer or suffering grief, trauma, past abuse or depression. The programs are held in chilly Bundanoon (Southern Highlands, NSW). They would love to provide all participants with a gift to take home of bed socks, mittens, scarf, beanie or knee rug. They don’t have any special requirements other than they are men and women over 18. They do have an affinity with rainbows and people always love anything rainbow on the programs. Many thanks in advance!
Please send to Quest for Life Foundation, PO Box 390, Bundanoon NSW 2578
WIRES - Australian Wildlife Rescue Organisation
Possum and macropod pouches. You can download the patterns here (PDF file).
Please contact NSW WIRES on 02 8977- 3333 or info@wires.org.au
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for your local WIRES branch address to deliver pouches to throughout NSW.
NATF - Native Animal Trust Fund
Based in Newcastle NSW, like WIRES, it too is looking for knitted pouches to help rear sick and orphaned possums and joeys.
Please contact Charlene Price on 0417 426 124
Instructions for making their pouches can be downloaded here (PDF file)
Royal Hospital for Women
The Royal Hospital for Women at Randwick can no longer use premmie baby beanies as "modern equipment used provides such a highly controlled environment that there is little need for any knitted items".
They are now asking people to continue for another worthy cause, the Malabar Midwives Service. They "provide much needed support to new and disadvantaged Aboriginal mothers and would be very grateful for any knitted items provided, preferably in their combined symbolic colours of red, yellow and black. The sizes would need to be suitable for normal weight and older babies".
Any of the above items can still be posted to the hospital and they will ensure they are passed on to the Malabar Midwives.
Address is:
The Royal Hospital for Women
Locked Bag 2000
Randwick
NSW 2031
Thank you to Michelle Raymond for this update.
Yasminah's Gift of Hope
A registered not-for-profit charity. It provides support and a Gift of Hope to families who experience miscarriage, premature birth, neo-natal loss, stillbirth or infant loss of their child. The Gift is a hand decorated journal as pictured here. It is given via hospitals, medical centres, funeral homes and palliative care facilities. Gifts can include knitted or hand sewn garments to provide families with a lovingly made keepsake that their baby has been able to wear, such as beanies, bootees, blankets and clothing (in premature sizes as well).
If you would like to know more their web site is : www.ygoh.org.au
Knitted Knockers
Knitted knockers are FREE 100% cotton prosthesis hand knitted in Australia and provided to breast cancer sufferers who have had a mastectomy.
If you’d be interested in knitting some of these, the pattern, Bendigo Woollen Mills cotton and fibre fill is supplied free of charge on application to the organisation.
For further details, see their website: http://knittedknockersaustralia.com/kits/
St George Hospital Special Care Unit
Knitted singlets are used for premmie babies while in the Special Care Unit at St George Hospital, Kogarah and given to them when they leave the Unit.
The Southern Group at Kogarah has donated singlets to the Unit for many years. They have made their pattern available for others to knit the singlets as well.
Instructions for making their singlets can be downloaded here (PDF file) and a photo is here.
Sydney Wildlife
http://www.sydneywildlife.org.au
Possum pouches. You can download the pattern possum pouches (PDF file).
Please contact Sydney Wildlife on 02 9413 4300 or info@sydneywildlife.org.au
KITTEN for DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS (for children in Papua New Guinea)
Any acrylic yarn & needles to match & cast on 30 stitches.
Knit either in garter or stocking stitch for 55 rows and cast off.
To make up
Sew up the two long sides together, this will be up the centre back
Sew along the bottom
Sew on the eyes, (NO BUTTONS PLEASE) nose and mouth now with black yarn or to suite
Stuff the body with poly fill Sew up the top of body
Sew across the two top corners for ears
Sew down the two sides one third for the arms
Stitch up from the bottom to divide the legs, again just sew up one third of the body.
Thread a ribbon around the neck, one third down the body, and tie a bow tightly.
The cats will not all be the same size as the thickness of the yarn and needles, as well as the tightness of the knitter will determine the end result.
Make them strong and cuddly and a pleasure to love. And send them to
Ms. Kris Supierz, c/o PO BOX 418 Jannali 2226 NSW