From WA to the Hills with love
Posted April 15, 2020
Over 90 quilts hand-sewn by volunteer members of the Mandurah Sew & So's in Western Australia for fire-affected families in the Hills and on Kangaroo Island are being distributed from the offices of Rebekha Sharkie, Federal Member for Mayo, and Dan Cregan, State Member for Kavel.
Photograph: Federal Member for Mayo Rebekha Sharkie, left, SA Country Women’s Association Mount Barker Branch President Amanda Scott and State Liberal Member for Kavel Dan Cregan with some of the quilts made by the Mandurah Sew & So's in Western Australia for fire-affected families in the Hills and on Kangaroo Island.
President of the SA Country Women’s Association Mount Barker Branch, Mrs Amanda Scott, said the Mandurah sewing group had contacted the branch after the recent bushfires to offer assistance.
“This extraordinary act of generosity from volunteer sewers in WA will mean a great deal to our community," Mrs Scott said.
"Mandurah is a small regional community like ours and they know and understand how important warm bedding and other supplies are for people who have lost everything."
However, the Mt Barker CWA faced a major hurdle in getting the much-needed quilts from Western Australia to South Australia in the midst of coronavirus restrictions, including State border closures.
“We approached our local State Member Dan Cregan for assistance and he worked with Qantas to ensure that the quilts could make it into SA. I believe they arrived on one of the last remaining air freight services into Adelaide,” Mrs Scott said.
Over 23 quilts have already been provided to families on Kangaroo Island.
The remaining quilts will be distributed via the offices of Dan Cregan MP and Rebekha Sharkie MP.
Mr Cregan said the community appreciated the help of the CWA.
“We are deeply thankful for the work of expert quilters in Western Australia who have prepared these quilts with love. Many families in the Hills and on KI now face a very tough winter after losing their homes to fire and with the coronavirus pandemic," he said.
Rebekha said the community would be facing a hard winter on the backs of the bushfires and the pandemic.
“The love and support of volunteer quilters in Western Australia will help our community get through one of the very toughest winters," Rebekha said.
"This is a remarkable act of kindness and I hope that when WA needs help we can also provide it.”
