Stories of #GoodChange
Sending warmth with Wrap with Love
Good Neighbours Australia has formed a new partnership with Australian charity, Wrap With Love, to send 2,000 hand-knitted blankets made by Australian volunteers, to support quake victims in Morocco and displaced people impacted by the war in Ukraine.
As winter draws closer in the Northern Hemisphere, villagers in Morocco’s High Atlas mountains near Marrakech are in dire need of essential blankets, coats and sleeping bags.
Meanwhile, in Romania and Ukraine, our Good Neighbours global field office has also put out a call for warm clothes and blankets for distribution amongst displaced people, especially orphaned children in our care.
Wrap With Love has helped answer this call, mobilising hundreds of volunteer knitters across the country to complete their colourful blankets, each one individually designed and crafted with plenty of love.
Update from our team in Morocco
The September 6.8 magnitude earthquake which struck Morocco’s High Atlas range near Marrakech, led to the loss of over 3,000 people, with another 5,500 injured. As efforts turn to the rebuilding of shattered lives, homes and communities our global Good Neighbours team is already working with local organisations on the ground in the recovery efforts.
Local coordinators have established four storage facilities for relief items, including essential food, shelter, bedding, cooking and other household items. These storage spaces are expected to be in place for at least 12 months, to support the long-term recovery efforts.
The team has also been involved in the launch of a Psychosocial Support Program, focused on providing training, support and safe spaces for children to recover from the trauma they’ve experienced.
Update from our team in Romania
Our Good Neighbours team in Romania recently advised our Australian office, that with winter coming, there is an urgent need to get warm clothes and blankets to children and families displaced from Ukraine.
Wrap with Love has pledged 2,000 blankets for the cause. In addition the Knitters’ Guild of NSW is looking to provide a quantity of warm knitted clothes created by their members. And, Blue and Yellow Hearts, a charity based in Australia which supports Ukrainian refugees who have arrived here in the last year and a half, are also making a significant contribution of warm clothes and toys for the cause.
All up, Good Neighbours Australia is planning to ship a container load of warm blankets, clothes and toys in mid-November for distribution to children and families in need this Christmas.
Christmas Appeal
As one of the few international NGOs on the ground in Morocco and with our ongoing efforts to support displaced children and orphans from the Ukraine, Good Neighbours Australia is able to help get aid through to those who need it most, this Christmas.
We urgently seek financial support or bulk in-kind donations of winter supplies for shipment in mid-November.
Get in touch with us directly on (02) 9993 0312 or 0416 030 381 if you want to be involved.
Lend a hand this Christmas. That’s what good neighbours are for.
