A chance introduction with a pastor at a local church led Queensland woman, Karen Croke, to begin knitting for the homeless and underprivileged in Brisbane. Two years later 164 members have joined her cause and all of them are learning valuable lessons along the way.
“I can knit, I learned as a child and my mother always knitted for charity,” says Karen. “When I heard that people rarely donated warm clothes and woollen items to the homeless in Brisbane because they didn’t think they needed them, I thought, ‘I could help with this’.”
Nights spent on streets, no matter what the city, can be cold and frightening. Karen and her fellow volunteers at Knitting for Brisbane’s Needy have learned this all too well as they’ve gotten to know more about the charities they’re involved with.
“It’s eye opening stuff,” she says. One of the groups that the knitters (they also do crochet and sewing) have begun helping is QuIHN - Queensland Injectors Health Network. “I don’t judge,” says Karen. “We are here to help... and each day I learn something new. For instance, some of QuIHN’s clients are people with terminal illnesses who can’t wait for the morphine tablets to take effect so they’re taught how to liquefy the tablet to speed up its potency.”
Since she first created her online group in January 2006 more than 5761 items have been made for donation. Karen and husband, Peter, are the powerhouse of the organisation but 164 members, from all over Australia, from Canada, England, NZ and Belgium, all do their share.
“Some of us gather and have ‘Knit and Natters’ now which gives some of the older members a new place to go and a new social group.” The youngest Knitters for Brisbane’s Needy is 19, the oldest around 93. “Some of our ladies have lost their partners, perhaps friends have died and their children have moved interstate. We’re helping ourselves as well as the people we donate to,” says Karen wisely. ‘Knit and Natters’ take place in Scarborough at the home of a member called Yvette, and at Caboolture and Beenleigh Libraries.
The groups helped by Knitters for Brisbane’s Needy vary greatly - from knitting for babies who die at birth (“I can’t do that... I just look at those little garments and get goose pimples,” says Karen) to homeless shelters, even animal welfare groups. “We try and work for those groups who have a lower profile and maybe don’t get that much help and attention,” says Karen.
One of the most emotional events the knitters have participated in is Brisbane City Council’s Homeless Connect Days. “All kind of groups and volunteers are involved,” she explains. “Centrelink and other community organisations send people over and there are hairdressers and doctors and second hand clothing people all donating their services or products. I have to admit I didn’t know what to expect but it was very gratifying, emotional day. To see a mother crying because she had a brand new knitted toy to give her child - who may have gone without for Christmas - is pretty confronting.”
This mother of two grown children is clearly changed by what she’s seen since starting the group just two short years ago. “You see people shuffle in, heads bowed, eventually they might wander up and ask how much a beanie is. When you tell them they’re new and they’re free you should see the smiles.
The other project that ‘Knitters’ are involved in is the Festival of Hope, run by CityCare Brisbane which gives away an estimated $250,000 worth of food, clothing and bedding.
“When we were there 300 people were lined up outside by 6.45am and the doors didn’t open til 9am,” says Karen. “You had to have a letter from Centrelink with you outlining how many dependents you had etc and how much aid you were eligible for but we didn’t put any limits on it. How can you when you see mums in tears trying to help their families?”
These days Knitting for Brisbane’s Needy is branching out as a result of lessons it learns every day. They’re making fabric toiletry bags for homeless people and “beg, borrowing and stealing” to get the toiletry samples and wash cloths etc from hotels and personal care companies.
“We could do with help on so many levels,” says Karen. “We need help with postage and couriers, yarn and fabric, toiletries... you name it. Once you join we don’t expect you to produce any specific amount or style of garment or items a year. We’ll find someone who wants anything made – clothes, scarves, baby quilts, mittens, fingerless gloves. People who don’t have access to a computer can still join. Peter and I try and send out a regular newsletter.”
“These people never take more than they need and often want to leave things for others who might need them more” - Karen
Get involved/find out more:
Knitting for Brisbane’s Needy [groups.yahoo.com]
http://au.groups.yahoo.com/groupknittingforbrisbanesneedy/ [groups.yahoo.com]
Email Karen Croke at: kcroke@bigpond.net.au or call her on (07) 5493 0538
Meet Yvette O’Brien, one of the ‘Knit and Natter’ hostesses at her blog: [grandmasknittingplace.blogspot.com]
www.grandmasknittingplace.blogspot.com [grandmasknittingplace.blogspot.com]
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