Do you have clean towels, face washers or flat bed sheets that are past their use by date?

If so, you can help Grafton Midday Rotary by dropping them in to Clarence Valley Wholesalers, corner Prince and Bacon Street, Grafton where Rotarian Jenny Hyland will store them for Rotarians to run a working bee and cut them up for birthing kits.

The kits are used by remote area midwives in the Pacific Islands. They contain a square of towel and a square of sheeting (to wrap the baby in), washer, soap, scalpel, swabs, gauzes, twine and plastic garbage bag for the mother to lie on as she gives birth. Each kit is stored in a sealable plastic bag.

“We are reliably advised that the kits lift the usual 40% birthing survival rate to 90%. In short, each kit saves lives”, birthing kits team leader Leila Thompson said.

“We have the kits delivered to the Gold Coast based Rotary Australia World Community Service (Donations in Kind) depot where a shipping container is filled with a wide range of donated and used medical and school equipment such as hospital beds, desks, chairs and the like.”

“Your old towels, washers and sheets are appreciated!”

Brian Lane