The Northern Rivers Times Newspaper Edition 102

Love

with every stitch

From left to right: Ray Castlemaine, Nelly Verhooven, Lisa De Rooy, Betty Phelps and Ray Shepherd. Absent: Vilma Nicholls, who was not well.

TONIA DYNAN

Betty Phelps is one of a group of residents at Kyogle-Casino Whiddon Group who have been crocheting and knitting blankets ��������������������� affected residents for a few months now. “It’s something to do,” Betty said. But it is a bit more than that. “We stitch with love

for the people we are stitching for, and we hope that it means something to them, that they wrap it around them and be warm for the winter,” she said. A lot of the residents grew up rurally, so they wanted the people feeling stuck and alone to know that they weren’t forgotten. “We want them to know that we care about them, and I think that’s

very important,” Betty said. “There’s nothing worse than being in a place where you don’t feel happy.” The group has spent many, many hours producing items, putting love into every stitch for people feeling the cold. They’ve also used a lot of wool. “It’s amazing how many people give you

wool when they know what you’re using it for,” she said. Betty learnt to crochet years ago from her mother and is using her skills to help others. “I will keep doing it, and I think the man up there would like me to do that and my family up there would too. I do it with memories of them. “I hope they go to those people that need them. It makes you glad that you’re doing something to help.”

And with the help of Bianca Bowman MacDonald, pictured, from Our Two Hands, the items will get to the people who need them. Our Two Hands is not ����������������������� who assist and help the homeless and those in crisis. They have stepped up in the last few months to help people affected by the ������ “Nothing beats the extra warmth that a hand crochet blanket made with love, which we

will donate on behalf of the kind residents from the Whiddon Group to anyone needing warmth in these cold months,” Bianca said.