A cover-up operation
NICOLA MURPHY
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Nearly 8000 blankets, 10,000 pairs of gloves, slippers and socks, and countless pieces of other clothing.
This is what co-ordinator Jill Jacomb and her team of hard-working volunteers pack into containers every August and September to send away to orphanages in eastern Europe.
The shipment is timed to coincide with the beginning of winter there.
The work is part of Operation Cover Up, a project which encourages individuals and groups to knit blankets and other items for needy children.
And it's celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
Taupo woman Liz Clarke started it all when she learned that children living in Moldovan state-run children's homes had little bedding and were suffering in winter temperatures as low as minus 25 degrees.
She placed an ad in her local newspaper asking for people to donate knitted squares to sew together into blankets.
The project is now nationwide and has expanded to include knitted clothing, stationery, toys and linen and is part of a charity called Mission Without Borders.
Jill Jacomb says it's a good example of the power of word of mouth.
"The whole thing has just snowballed," she says.
"There are individuals, women's groups who get together for knit and natter sessions, church groups, even schools and youth groups helping out."
Each year the teams send their finished products to a factory in Te Atatu where Jill and other volunteers sort, compress and pack it all into two 40-foot containers for transport to eastern European orphanages.
"People's generosity has just been amazing," Jill says.
"Individuals walk in off the street with their little bag of stuff and they see everything donated and say they haven't brought very much.
"I tell them to look around the room, this is everybody's `not very much'."
The Henderson resident says the cause is so successful because it touches people's hearts.
"They have so little over there and in New Zealand we have so much.
"People just like to know they're helping in some way."
Call Jill on 021-208-8854 if you would like to donate wool or become a volunteer.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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