This has been a really tragic event to happen in the history of Australia of natural disasters, sadly most of the fires were deliberately lit last Saturday February 7th, 2009, and still arsonists are going around lighting fires after all the carnage, very sad for whoever is doing this that they value life so little. Everyday I've been watching the news reports and although I don't know of anyone directly affected by this, I have been in tears watching the news reports and praying for the survivors and those who have lost loved ones and those who are working amongst it all. It will be a long road to recovery for all involved not only in Australia but around the world.
Personally I was thinking how I could do something via my crafting and I thought I'd make some cards to send to the Red Cross with postage on the envelopes so the victims can use them when they are ready. I would be happy to do this on behalf of any of you out there who would like to help this way by collecting all the cards and sending it in one parcel to them.
Here are some links to stories on the bushfire, this one in particular is of Sam the koala who turned out to be a girl, so its good that Sam is a girl and boys name.
Here is the video of it's first encounter with the volunteer firefighter who found her
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XSPx7S4jr4
Emergency operators haunted by bushfire victims final call
Latest news and photos of bushfires.
If you are a StampinUp customer, go to my other blog to see how StampinUp Australia is helping out http://stampingupastorm.blogspot.com/
Here's a card making drive due Feb 23rd
CARD DRIVE
Scrapbooking Memories magazine
50 Silverwater Road
SILVERWATER
NSW 2128
Please remember to put your full name and contact details on the envelope or card so we know who to thank.
We will have your messages of hope, sympathy and support sent to the areas affected by these dreadful fires. Please send all cards in before close of business on Monday 23rd Februarÿ.
Scrapbooking Memories magazine
50 Silverwater Road
SILVERWATER
NSW 2128
Please remember to put your full name and contact details on the envelope or card so we know who to thank.
We will have your messages of hope, sympathy and support sent to the areas affected by these dreadful fires. Please send all cards in before close of business on Monday 23rd Februarÿ.
...................................................................................
On a local group I am on called Stamphappy, a member Karen Rogers put this message out:
I have been keeping in very close touch with my best friend who is a Manager for a Community Support and Counselling centre in NE Victoria, and she has been, for their organisation, in charge of co-ordinating support and
counselling for many of the children who have been horrendously affected by this disaster. She is a specialist Child support worker and child psychologist, and I talked with her late tonight about the children and how they are doing, and the various thoughts that have been suggested here on Stamphappy. I in no way want to detract from the wonderful sentiments and suggestions by any of you girls, because I truly believe that at the right time, gifts of stamping/scrapbooking supplies will be incredibly treasured and gratefully received by all or some of the victims.
Tonight however, Kath talked to me about the need to meet some needs of the children, and how children have a need to be busy in the face of trauma and disaster – or at least have the wherewithal to do so when they feel a need
to. This might mean several hours a day for them, or could even just be 15 mins. at a time. Particularly for girls, but also for boys, they have a need to create as this is a very integral way of expressing their emotions and feelings, and very much is a coping mechanism for them. She explained to me that while at this time, crafting is not going to be any kind of a priority for the parents, for all the very valid and critical reasons Kath H. shared with us, on the other hand, it could and would be a huge help for the children right now. We talked at length, and with her input and thought and professional understanding firsthand of what they are dealing with in terms of helping the children to work through their own trauma, and have the needs to do so, I promised her that I would do what I could to focus some
giving particularly on the children in this respect, and she will ensure that it gets to the children individually.
So…I am humbly seeking your help in any way, big or small to enable us to touch the lives of these dear young children (and others maybe not so young, as there are young teenagers in there as well) Any donations you might be
able to round up would be gratefully accepted and appreciated. My hubby and stepdaughters have promised to help me make up individual craft bags – suggested by Kath, my friend – to be distributed to the children. Anything
will go to creating fun and interesting kits for these children.
Stamp Pads – dye ink only at this time as they won’t need adult supervision to utilise them, cardstock, papers, glue, double sided tape, pens, pencils, markers, stickers, rub-on’s, scissors, cutting mats, cutters, stamps,
embellishments, brown paper bags with handles for kits( I have some already and will buy some more, ribbons, cords, punches..anything at all would be ever so much appreciated. I have begun to put some bags together with my
stuff, and hope that you might be able to help me put together a substantial number of kits so that we can hopefully make enough to cover all the children. At this point, I am not real sure how many children are affected..but Kath tells me it is lots and they have been run off their feet this week counselling and supporting the kids.
I will be going to Melbourne to see her in 3 weeks, and would love to fill suitcases with kits to give her, and she will ensure they get distributed to the kids. I will happily pay excess baggage if I need to , to get them all to her – now I am thinking positive !!!!
If you can donate anything at all, it will all go to help these beautiful children who have so many needs, both physical and material, but also emotional at this time.
My address is for donations is:
counselling for many of the children who have been horrendously affected by this disaster. She is a specialist Child support worker and child psychologist, and I talked with her late tonight about the children and how they are doing, and the various thoughts that have been suggested here on Stamphappy. I in no way want to detract from the wonderful sentiments and suggestions by any of you girls, because I truly believe that at the right time, gifts of stamping/scrapbooking supplies will be incredibly treasured and gratefully received by all or some of the victims.
Tonight however, Kath talked to me about the need to meet some needs of the children, and how children have a need to be busy in the face of trauma and disaster – or at least have the wherewithal to do so when they feel a need
to. This might mean several hours a day for them, or could even just be 15 mins. at a time. Particularly for girls, but also for boys, they have a need to create as this is a very integral way of expressing their emotions and feelings, and very much is a coping mechanism for them. She explained to me that while at this time, crafting is not going to be any kind of a priority for the parents, for all the very valid and critical reasons Kath H. shared with us, on the other hand, it could and would be a huge help for the children right now. We talked at length, and with her input and thought and professional understanding firsthand of what they are dealing with in terms of helping the children to work through their own trauma, and have the needs to do so, I promised her that I would do what I could to focus some
giving particularly on the children in this respect, and she will ensure that it gets to the children individually.
So…I am humbly seeking your help in any way, big or small to enable us to touch the lives of these dear young children (and others maybe not so young, as there are young teenagers in there as well) Any donations you might be
able to round up would be gratefully accepted and appreciated. My hubby and stepdaughters have promised to help me make up individual craft bags – suggested by Kath, my friend – to be distributed to the children. Anything
will go to creating fun and interesting kits for these children.
Stamp Pads – dye ink only at this time as they won’t need adult supervision to utilise them, cardstock, papers, glue, double sided tape, pens, pencils, markers, stickers, rub-on’s, scissors, cutting mats, cutters, stamps,
embellishments, brown paper bags with handles for kits( I have some already and will buy some more, ribbons, cords, punches..anything at all would be ever so much appreciated. I have begun to put some bags together with my
stuff, and hope that you might be able to help me put together a substantial number of kits so that we can hopefully make enough to cover all the children. At this point, I am not real sure how many children are affected..but Kath tells me it is lots and they have been run off their feet this week counselling and supporting the kids.
I will be going to Melbourne to see her in 3 weeks, and would love to fill suitcases with kits to give her, and she will ensure they get distributed to the kids. I will happily pay excess baggage if I need to , to get them all to her – now I am thinking positive !!!!
If you can donate anything at all, it will all go to help these beautiful children who have so many needs, both physical and material, but also emotional at this time.
My address is for donations is:
PO Box 75,
Campbell Town. Tasmania.7210
I will also be sending this email to my stamping friends overseas, and to my own suppliers. I can order stamping/scrapbooking products wholesale through my own small business, so if you prefer me to do this on your behalf, contact me on kdrogers07@bigpond.com and we will figure that out. I realise that 3 weeks doesn’t leave a whole lot of time to pull this together, but please, at least think about whether you can help. If donations come in after the 3 weeks, I will continue to put the kits together and undertake to send them on to Kath each time I have 10 ready to go.
Thankyou for reading this far, and thankyou for caring, as we all do, for all the victims of this tragic situation.
Optimistically preparing to help in the small way I can..please join me.
Smiles and hugs
Karen Rogers
Feb 14th 2009 update:
I have spoken further with Kath this morning, and for the younger children, she asked if I would pass on that the very raw materials from craft ie coloured paper/card, pads of paper, crayons and markers/textas, and especially modelling clay or play doh would be what they would consider to be some of the most effective tools that can be used with the small children to help them express what they are going through..so if any of you have a surplus of any of these
That’d be fabulous! Thankyou so much for the response so far! ALL supplies will be kitted up and used, and we will kit into age groups for better accessibility to the right age!
Thanks heaps
Karen
That’d be fabulous! Thankyou so much for the response so far! ALL supplies will be kitted up and used, and we will kit into age groups for better accessibility to the right age!
Thanks heaps
Karen
