by Helen Brinkman
The community of the Albury and Wodonga ‘twin’ cities area, which straddles Australia’s Murray River and the New South Wales-Victoria border, has a history of being big-hearted.
Albury is today home to Australian Lutheran World Service (ALWS), while the settlement of Bonegilla, fewer than 15 kilometres from Wodonga, was the birthplace of the LCANZ overseas aid agency. So, with humanitarian service seemingly woven into residents’ DNA, it’s no surprise that the region boasts a special team of people with nimble fingers, willing hands and hearts for helping others.
The members of the craft group of St Luke’s Lutheran Church, Albury, are quietly supporting the work of ALWS by sharing their sewing skills to create beautiful tote bags from bright Kenyan fabrics. These unique creations are gifted to ALWS ambassadors as part of the organisation’s Ambassador Boot Camp (ABC) training workshops for Lutheran school teachers, says ALWS Community Engagement Officer Celia Fielke.
‘The ABC is where we equip our teachers with a deep understanding of ALWS, humanitarian aid and service learning in schools,’ she says. ‘We seek to inspire them to be the drivers in their school communities to create awareness and encourage their students to have an impact in the world.
‘The bags are a reminder for the ABC participants – with their beautiful, authentic African colours and material – of the importance of understanding, compassion and action. We are all unique creations of God, and we all deserve opportunity, dignity and love.’
Craft group member Leigh Caldwell was excited to join fellow members in delivering their first batch of 59 bags to the local ALWS headquarters in May. ‘We think they look marvellous, even if we do say so ourselves! That glorious fabric sews up beautifully,’ she says.
Age is no barrier for the craft group, which ranges from 65 years old to the mid-90s, and varies between eight and 12 members each session, depending on the day.
‘We love meeting with each other and sharing our lives,’ says Leigh. ‘It is such a great little community. We enjoy doing our own crafts, and we love working together on projects like the ALWS bags and birthing kits for [women in] Papua New Guinea.’
Another member, Christine Nicholson, says being involved in the project has given her such a sense of achievement to know it will benefit others here and overseas. ‘It is also important in our society to have connections with others,’ she says. ‘People can feel isolated these days. Helping others definitely feels wonderful. Having a coffee, a chat and working together for a common cause is so uplifting.’
Fellow volunteer Patricia O’Brien agrees. She was delighted to join the craft group’s latest project. ‘I am a sewer and have been all my life, so it was a pleasure to help out ALWS and get to know fellow sewers over a cup of tea,’ she says.
And teamwork makes the dream work, according to Sandra Parry, who says the group collaborated on all aspects of the project. ‘To work as a team was very rewarding and satisfying,’ she says. ‘We had a “conveyor belt” system that worked so well! It’s a joy to be part of such a wonderful group of ladies.’
Group member Olive Severin shared her joy at being involved with such an enthusiastic group of women who share many craft skills and love to help others. ‘There is such a sense of achievement to complete a project like the bags, and sharing the chat, the laughter and the many cuppas and food during the journey,’ she says.
St Luke’s craft group has been going for more than 20 years, starting in the early 2000s with making aprons for the annual church fete and cushions for the church pews. The ALWS team asked the local group to sew the tote bags after COVID stopped an Adelaide sewing group from helping out.
Longstanding member Dorothy Dunkerton, also a pastoral carer at St Luke’s, recalls the days when the group first came together to support each other, learn new skills, and share company over coffee, cake and shared recipes. ‘We choose what we want to achieve for ourselves, knitting, crochet, card-making, beading, and joining in group projects,’ says octogenarian Dorothy.
‘We give crocheted and knitted knee rugs to our members who are experiencing difficulties or going into care. We love our coming together to socialise, to share our love for each other, to help solve our problems, and laugh together. I wouldn’t miss it.’
The colourful bags have also been used as thankyous to people who support ALWS and are sometimes gifted to Lutheran World Federation teams overseas.
And, as St Luke’s congregation heads toward its centenary next year, its craft group continues to reflect the legacy of love, compassion and action in its community. And they are also looking forward to another ALWS sewing project next year.
– with thanks to ALWS Supporter Care Officer Amanda Lustig
