Knitting for People in Need

The women of Duncan Christian Reformed Church in British Columbia have been keeping their hands busy creating over a thousand items for people in need around the world.

During the past five years a group of 30 women has knitted, crocheted, and sewn about 500 washcloths, 400 woolen hats, 100 baby sweaters, 100 children’s dresses and shorts, dozens of blankets and bibs, and scores of bandages.

The handmade articles bring comfort to people in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and South America. The items are especially appreciated by children in refugee camps, orphanages, and isolated villages, as well as by the medical centers that serve these regions.

The project started when church member Jenny Moedt saw a news story about a need for cotton washcloths for new mothers and their babies. “Since quite a few ladies in our church knit these cloths, I thought this was a good project for our Ladies’ Society,” she explained.

“They all thought it was good idea and quite a few started knitting. When I put it into our bulletin, other ladies of the congregation joined. Then it really blossomed, and Canada Comforts cannot get over it how much we are all knitting and sewing!”

Canada Comforts is the local organization that collects the knitted items for distribution through Compassionate Resource Warehouse, which ships donations for overseas relief.

Sylvia Hatfield of Canada Comforts said that the items made from the Duncan group are wonderfully and lovingly made. “We try to share the special items across shipments,” she said. “These women are a dedicated group whose love for the children shows through the beautiful work that they do.”