Community News

(l-r) Alma Bailey (left) and Maree Burrows (right) are pictured with Sonia Gidley-King, the founder of Wrap with Love, and Jayne Goodes, who is the current Wrap With Love chairperson. Pic: Contributed

Wrap with Love stalwarts visit headquarters

Geoff Helisma

First published March, 24th 2021 | 

Wrap with Love stalwarts, sisters Alma Bailey (Clarence Valley coordinator) and Maree Burrows, recently paid a visit to the Wrap With Love warehouse at Alexandria in Sydney.

Alma has been coordinating the making and collection of wraps and other knitted items in the Clarence Valley for about 15 years – once completed the items are freighted to Alexandria where they are stored before being distributed to needy and cold people around the world.

“It’s so inspiring to see the river of wraps there and the 30 or so volunteers on Wednesdays and Fridays,” says Alma of their visit.

“Last year our groups worked on three different projects. We sent hundreds of wraps to Sydney and a special project that supplied wraps to GJ Gardiner franchisees, whose people travelled to Kenya to build an orphanage.

“We also gave 40 wraps to volunteer Rae Harrison and her daughter Mandy Chapman [she distributed at least 160 wraps/quilts], who personally delivered them to bushfire victims in Victoria, along with their own handicrafts.”

Maree has been involved with Wrap With Love for about two years. Initially she was picking up and dropping off materials in Grafton for Alma, who was operating out of Yamba.

“Through my contact with people picking up rugs and dropping off wool I decided that I should start too,” Maree says. “I hadn’t knitted for 30 years, but now I’ve become a regular at a few different community groups.”

In 2009 the Clarence Valley groups that Alma and Maree collect from sent 800 wraps and many hundreds of hand-knitted garments to Sydney for distribution.

“Many of the hand-knitted garments – beanies, scarves and socks etcetera – went to Swaziland through a special volunteer at Wrap with Love, Nancy Lagudi, who is at the moment distributing them through a group she has travelled there with.”

Alma thanked the many groups and individuals that volunteer their time knitting for the needy: Grafton and South Grafton Catholic Women’s Leagues, Lyn Betts group and the Dougherty Villa residents, Saint Catherine’s Hostel, Iluka Knitters Group, Evening CWA (Grafton), Grafton Seniors, Grafton u3a, Grafton Seven Day Adventist ladies, Rae Harrison who collects from ladies at Lawrence, and the dozens of ladies who work from there homes around the Valley.

Contact Alma Bailey (6646 2170) or Maree Burrows (6642 1640) if you would like to contribute of need more information.