Handmade with love, from our community
Each year we're grateful to receive a multitude of handcrafted comfort items which support our patients; offering comfort, warmth, a splash of colour in their room, as well as a special reminder that a stranger in the community is thinking of them.
In line with Canberra Health Services' infection control protocols, all handcrafted items for patients at CHS must be donated through the Canberra Hospital Foundation. Please drop off your donations to the Canberra Hospital Foundation shopfront. From here, the items will be wrapped for infection control purposes, and then distributed to all areas of CHS.
Our Wishlist
- Large blankets (quilted, knitted and crocheted)
- Teddies
- Small knitted bears and padded toys*
*We need more of these tiny heroes for all the little hands who might need them this year. They are the perfect size for little hands and are ripe for a good cuddle at just the right moment. They bring comfort and distraction to little ones who are a bit uneasy whilst having treatment, getting tests or even just by being in a medical setting.
On January 10 2022, vaccinations of five to eleven year old children will begin. 46,000 children make up that cohort and a large majority of them will visit a Canberra Health Services clinic to get their COVID-19 vaccination. So if you are looking for guidance from us for what to focus your creative hands and minds on, consider making small knitted bears and padded toys. Thank you!
We, unfortunately, don’t have the capacity to accept any more beanies (baby or adult) at this time.
For more information, please call the Foundation on (02) 5124 3542.
'Wrap Our Hearts Around You'
This project will see hearts being collected by the Canberra Hospital Foundation for a special celebration that will be symbolic representation of the appreciation and love in the community for our healthcare workers and patients.
Your Impact
The impact that a warm knitted blanket or quilt made with love has on patients and their families, carers and clinical staff is quite extraordinary.
An example of the therapeutic power of donated comfort items was when they were gifted to a chronically unwell patient in ICU. The patient had a mental illness and was homeless. When he received the gift of a beanie, scarf and blanket it transformed the care the nurses were able to give him. Prior to this he was non communitive and guarded but thanks to the gifted comfort items he felt valued and cared for and began to trust his care givers. This changed the direction of his care as he opened up to his doctors and nurses, accepted care and that lead to his recovery. A social worker reflected that it was the gift of the comfort goods that "broke the ice.” Later the patient confided that he was institutionalised as a child, and these gifts where the first he had ever received. It meant so much to staff when on discharge from ICU he asked for a "teddy". Apparently his first one.
Some of the donations we recieve are responsible for spreading joy from the moment they arrive at our Donation Station...
Gifters Gazette Newsletter
We release a Gifters Gazette quarterly, packed full of information of what’s been happening at the Foundation and in our crafting community, plus patient, loved ones and staff stories about the impact of your kind donations, as well as inspiration for new projects! Download your copy below. Sign up below to receive the next Gifters Gazette sent direct to your email inbox.
