Win Stait, Roger Cook, Jacquelyn Bagby, Maureen O’Donnell, Mavis Hall and Hilary Woollons.
Camera IconWin Stait, Roger Cook, Jacquelyn Bagby, Maureen O’Donnell, Mavis Hall and Hilary Woollons. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Kwinana women knit beanies and scarves to keep the homeless warm

Declan ByrneWeekend Kwinana Courier

AS the cold sets in, one group of Kwinana women set about knitting beanies and scarves for the homeless.

Maureen O’Donnell along with her friends Win Stait, Jacqueline Bagby, Mavis Hall, Hilary Woollons and Joan Geeves busted out the knitting needles and set to work.

“I’d been knitting shawls for my family when I thought I might knit some beanies for the homeless,” Ms O’Donnell said.

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She quickly settled into the groove, and before she knew it, passed her own expectations.

“I set my mark on 50, so I started knitting them and then I told Jacqui and Win, so they started.”

They ended up amassing more than 100 beanies and almost as many scarves, a shock even to Kwinana MP Roger Cook, who dropped by to pick up and deliver the garments to SOUL Soup kitchen in Rockingham.

“When they said they had some beanies I thought they meant maybe a dozen or so,” Mr Cook said.

“These women have literally knitted hundreds of beanies and scarves and that’s going to be a great contribution to those living rough this winter.

“It’s such a good initiative. This is about the Kwinana community caring for each other and really working together to make we continue to make this a great place to live.”

Mr Cook said people like Ms O’Donnell and her friends were indicative of the wider Kwinana community.

“The fact that these women dedicate so much time and effort to churn out all these beanies and scarves is really a testament to wonderful they are, but also a testament to the strength in our community,” he said.

“One of the things we can do for people in our community when times are bad is reach out to them, because it’s when we do that that they start to feel good about themselves and the place that we live.

“This is an incredibly rewarding aspect of my work, working with wonderful people like Maureen and her friends, helping them help the community.”