Doing a bit to help...

On the last Friday of most months our parish has a morning tea at which everyone and anyone are welcome. Some of the ladies take the opportunity to cook the most calorie laden items possible, which balances out the cheese and crackers that I bring along! Some months we all bring along an item for a theme that has been set the month before...such as favourite china items, favourite poems, books etc. These are all designed to really get conversations going.
But having parishioners gather like this is always a perfect reason to get a 'few jobs done'.

So at our October morning tea we all pitched in and packed shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child which is run by Samaritans Purse. This task entailed packing gift items into shoe boxes and these would then be sent overseas to designated countries and distributed to needy children. In a previous morning tea we had brought along suitable items to start a stockpile for the boxes.

 Items for the boxes are based on 6 themes; something to wear, something to play with, something for school, something to love, something special, something for personal hygiene. Of course, different ages and boys and girls are catered for and the labels we place on the boxes show this.

Our parish contribution included not only filled shoeboxes, but also 3 bags of items that we couldn't fit into the boxes we had collected. Each box has to be accompanied by a $9 donation to cover costs of shipping. Again, generous parishioners donated more than enough to cover that cost.

There are those who feel that 'charity should begin at home' and frown on sending items overseas, but I know a number of people who have been doing Samaritans Purse for quite a while, so when our parish decided to become involved, it seemed perfectly natural. At the same time in the last few months of 2016, our parish collected toiletries and other items as gifts for the Mission to Seafarers gift giving program for any merchant seamen in the port of Brisbane in December. We also were collecting non perishable food for local charities to distribute. So all, in our small way, can help so many others.

At the November morning tea, before we sat down with our 'cuppas' we packed home baked biscuits (cookies) and slices ready for sale at our Christmas Craft markets the next day.

 

The tray of chocolate coconut slice that I made was packed in some boxes that we had left over from another function.

Throughout the year we save wide necked jars to pack the baking in and then decorate the jars a bit to make them look festive. 

In 2016 I made sure that I was available to help 'all day' at our Christmas Craft Market( really only 7.30am to 2pm), as our number of helpers is getting less each year as the older people move away...or pass away. Other years I've just done a few hours early in the day and then headed off to another commitment that I go to on the same Saturday every month. So I helped in the kitchen with the morning teas until 10 and then manned the parish stall until close of business...and it was fun.
The collage shows some of the stallholders at last year's market; most are regulars who book a table every year.

 

A view of the parish stall which I looked after. The big gap on the table was caused by the 'roaring trade ' I was doing with our home baking.

The parish made a nice profit from the market, so that was good!

I think we skip morning tea in January as it is around Australia Day, so February will be our first one for 2017.  

Make- Grow- Thrift

Once again I'm joining in with Jodie 's feature on her blog. I guess I'm a bit predictable because once again it's a 'make' and yes, it's knitting! lol
A few weeks ago on my blog I mentioned a fundraising activity that was happening in our parish, 'The $20 Talents' Challenge'. Well yesterday I took the scarves that I had made to the 9.30 service hoping that I would sell some of them. I ended up making 8 scarves in total which was a bit of a hectic pace as I've been a bit too tired to knit at night after work.

All but the red and the fluffy turquoise scarf sold :-)

The last scarf that I made was a bit different. I normally knit a fancy yarn mixed with a 5ply yarn or an 8 ply cotton but with the 'faux fur' yarn it looked terrible. I remembered that I had some 'Ebay' mohair yarn in a similar colour so mixed that in and it looks much better and the mohair gave it a soft but light feel.

I was delighted that I sold 6 of the 8 scarves but will hand in funds equal to all 8 being sold. I'll also hand back the $20  note I was given when I took on the challenge. The 2 scarves left will be very handy for donating to the myriad of other causes that I support or just have on hand to give as a 'cheer up' gift to friends.

It was later on Sunday after having a lovely lunch out with a friend (DH was at golf) that I realised that it was the first weekend of the month. That means it was a Challenge Weekend for my knitting group and I had put my name on the list to make items ready for the Homeless Connect Day in May. I had completely forgotten all about it :-/ ....so I quickly cast on some stitches for a scarf made with doubled 8 ply acrylic mohair look yarn (from an op shop) using large needles and double moss (seed) stitch so it won't curl up. In the group we don't have any real rules so I'll be able to work on the scarf and finishing off 2 blankets over the next week or 2 and still have them counted for the challenge. Phew...so many ideas for projects and so little time...lol!!

My quick knit scarf for the K4BN April Challenge