Carol Mullany and Nan Williams organised a knitting project with the Wairarapa Parish to reach out to children still in need after the Christchurch earthquakes.
WelCom February 2018: Last year two enthusiastic Carterton knitters, Carol Mullany and Nan Williams, realised there was still a need for warm woollen knits during the colder months for Christchurch children displaced by the earthquakes.
What began as a project for the local Lions Club, quickly began to involve the Catholic Parish of Wairarapa. With the help of wool donations from the parish community, boxes of jerseys, hats, scarves, slippers and more, were packed up for Christchurch. Generous parishioners also donated knitted items for the boxes and we received donations from church people to assist with freight costs. A very big ‘thank you’ to Vinnies of Carterton who also donated money to freight our knitting to Christchurch.
As the need was greatest in Christchurch’s eastern areas, the boxes were freighted to Settlers Health Centre in Ferrymead, where organisers distributed the clothing to where they knew there was a need, and which for many remains as great as it was after the first earthquake.
Fr Bruce England
Fr Bruce England is parish priest for the Catholic Parish of Wairarapa.