Thousands of handmade bags have been donated to charity in response to an ending single-use plastic campaign. A special video featuring bag recipients has been made to say 'thank you' for the collective effort made to make them.
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Meals on Wheels NSW put a callout in July asking for sewing skills to be put to good use by making reusable shopping bags for the charity's clients. Participants could go on the charity's website to get a copy of a pattern to follow, and then send the bags in.
The campaign was born as part of the charity's partnership with NSW's Environmental Protection Authority to share messaging around the state's ban of single use plastics.
The Senior ran a story about it through its e-newsletter and on the cover of its NSW/ACT August 2022 edition. In the time that followed, more than 150 people responded to an online expression of interest to participate in the initiative, and a number of bags were sent in or dropped off at local Meals on Wheels branches. Donations came in from across the state, plus from Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia.
Other organisations have gotten behind the project as well; the Country Women's Association in Manly dropped off 100 bags, which were all made from recycled materials, and a craft group in Ballina made 33 bags.
Meals on Wheels NSW general manager, marketing and fundraising, Claudia Odello, said a video was made of clients with their bags as a way of saying thank you to those who helped make them.
"Meals on Wheels NSW would like to thank readers of The Senior for getting on board. We are extremely grateful at everyone who has donated their time, their skill, and purchased the materials to make these bags," she said.
"They are allowing us to start the conversation around the authority's bans with clients, and we are also hearing so many wonderful stories about life before plastic bags.
"It really humbles us to see such great community comradery and we really appreciate the support we have received and are continuing to receive from members of the community."
Clients featured in the video are from Blacktown and Central Coast Meals on Wheels services, and services in Bathurst, Ballina and the Shoalhaven have received donations directly from the general public.
With 22,000 clients in the state, more bags would be appreciated. More information about how to do so can be found here.
Not born from this campaign but within its same spirit of minimising waste, the Mid Richmond Neighbourhood Centre hand makes boomerang bags as part of its sewing circle for meals to be delivered in.
It's not the only project the charity is working on for the single use plastic bag project; it's also developing resources that local Meals on Wheels organisations can use to reduce their carbon footprint.
"As an organisation we know that we need to adapt and make sure we reduce the carbon in our operations and environmental footprint," Claudia said.
"We have also completed an audit recently in conjunction with some bright young minds from UTS which will help us shape the resources we plan to release to local Meals on Wheels services in 2023."
With Christmas drawing near, Meals on Wheels NSW's financially disadvantaged fund is under extreme pressure. All donations received through its website go toward the fund, which covers the cost of meals for clients who cannot afford to pay for their meals. Donations to this fund can be made here.
