Residents at Southern Cross Care in Parkes have been busy knitting trauma teddies and dolls during their weekly knit and natter group.
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More than 50 teddies and five dolls have been donated to Parkes paramedics, which will be used to provide comfort and reassurance to children who are experiencing trauma, injury or illness.
The donation is part of the Southern Cross Care Village's trauma teddies program residents and volunteers have been involved in for a couple of years now.
"Quite often you can turn a teary face into a smile," Parkes paramedic Dan Wright said.
The village runs a knit and natter group every Tuesday, which allows residents to come together and enjoy a friendly chat while sharing their skills and interests.
Residents Connie Curteis, aged 92, and Joyce Stanford, 94, are the women behind the great cause - with Connie knitting the teddies and Joyce creating more than a dozen dolls.
Volunteer Pam Moule who is now 83 years old, has been volunteering every week at Southern Cross for nearly 20 years and has done an amazing job in assisting residents by sewing all the knitted pieces together before assembling the trauma teddies.
While in lockdown for the past few months when visitors and volunteers were unable to enter the aged care facility due to Covid-19 restrictions, Connie and Joyce continued to knit the bears because it gave them a sense of purpose.
Together it took them six months in total to make this donation to the Parkes Ambulance Station on Tuesday morning.
"Knitting the trauma teddies has not only kept our ladies busy while in lockdown during Covid-19, it has also allowed our ladies to feel that they can give something back to their local community and to feel that they are able to help others who are experiencing a difficult time," Southern Cross Care Village lifestyle coordinator Maree Hando said.
"Knitting is also very beneficial for our residents as it is a great social activity, it is good for hand dexterity and it keeps minds active too."
Dan wanted to thank Southern Cross for their continual support in providing trauma teddies to affected children within the Parkes community.
"It's fantastic they're thinking of others in the community," he said.
"It's a great initiative, they are well received from the children."
Southern Cross Village is welcoming any donations of eight ply wool of any colour or knitting needles, if community members would like to support their cause.
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