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\u201cShe called back and I said I could probably get five people to make 500 and she said \u2018They need 1,000\u2019. That\u2019s how it started.\u201d<\/p>\n
From there, \u201cHelping Our Hospital Heroes Australia\u201d was formed.<\/p>\n
The retired IT specialist and printmaker said the volunteer group has sewn and delivered 1,000 hats to Royal Melbourne Hospital and a further 1,000 to Box Hill Hospital in less than three weeks.<\/p>\n
Ms Elliott said University Hospital Geelong was in line to receive their hats this week.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe started a Facebook page and we\u2019ve now got 1,400 members and we\u2019ve got demand for over 10,000 hats. So far we\u2019ve delivered nearly 3,000,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe also just supplied 650 caps in conjunction with another group to Royal Perth Hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Elliott said people of all ages from across Australia were getting on board with the initiative, and that textiles businesses (including Amitie Textiles in Torquay) and individuals had been donating materials to the cause.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are donating their materials and their time. Lots of people have gone through their fabric stashes and dropped it off here, as well as thread.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Elliott said co-ordinating the group had been a rewarding experience, particularly in a time when uncertainty is clouding people\u2019s abilities to find joy and give back.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you say? It\u2019s overwhelming, it\u2019s heart-warming. I certainly shed a few tears when we got sent the first pictures through from Royal Melbourne of hospital staff wearing the hats, and it all happened within 10 days.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll our volunteers say to me, \u2018It makes me feel engaged and it makes me feel like I\u2019m contributing\u2019. People are connecting and communicating through all of this.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople who I\u2019ve never met ring me up like they know me. It\u2019s just a joy.\u201d<\/p>\n
To find out more about the group or to get involved, search \u201cHelping Our Hospital Heroes Australia\u201d on Facebook.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WHEN Deborah Elliott returned to her Anglesea home from New Zealand last month, she was forced to self-isolate. On day four, Ms Elliott said she began to feel sorry for herself until she received a phone call from her former colleague and friend of 20 years, Kerry Kirk. Ms Kirk had a most inspired idea, […]<\/p>\n