A talented crew of seniors have handmade more than 100 knee blankets for the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre as part of Melton City Council’s CommuKnitty Crafters program.
This week, Council sent the cosy donation to the Peter Mac centre in Melbourne.
City of Melton Mayor Cr Lara Carli said she was moved by the dedication of the 86 local seniors who knitted and crocheted the blankets.
“I’m continually impressed by the generosity of our residents. These seniors have each spent about 20 hours handcrafting blankets for complete strangers. It’s an extraordinary gesture and we thank them for their work,” she said.
“This project is something Council introduced to engage seniors during COVID-19 restrictions. It’s become a wonderful way for our seniors to connect, with many sharing their progress and creations via our new City of Melton Seniors Facebook page.
“It’s lovely to think that the blankets will soon be warming the knees of people receiving treatment at Peter Mac. This is a heart-warming project which Council is continually proud to be part of.”
Most of the donated blankets will go directly to Peter Mac cancer patients, with some destined for the Peter Mac shop which helps to raise funds for the cancer centre.
Council took the opportunity to support a small local business during this project, purchasing all materials from Bargain Box Fabrics in Melton South.
The materials were contactlessly delivered to the homes of the volunteer crafters, and the blankets were then collected by Council staff once complete.
Council’s next CommuKnitty Crafters projects will be knitting or crocheting blankets, gloves, or scarves for women and children escaping domestic violence and for Indigenous families in need.
If you’re a City of Melton resident aged 50 or over and you’d like to get involved, please email [email protected] or call 9747 7332.
