This Christmas, the Tea Tree Gardens reception desk is adorned with a gorgeous knitted nativity set, hand-made by a crafty resident in the community.

But the heart of this story goes back 14 years, and is threaded with kindness and history.

It all began at the Tea Tree Gardens’ Christmas Dinner Dance in 2006. A couple in the village won a knitted nativity set in the raffle (top photo), and have wondered for years which talented knitter was responsible. They love it so much, they’ve always wanted to thank the clever crafter in person.

When Village Manager Lucy spotted this on their fireplace last year, she set out to solve the mystery. With some selective detective work, she discovered that the nativity set was knitted by Elva, the village’s longest-reigning resident. While Elva recently moved into a nursing home (age 102!), a younger and equally crafty resident, Gloria, resolved to continue the tradition.

She presented Lucy and the village team with a gorgeous replica (bottom photo), which now has pride of place in the office. Thank you Elva and Gloria, your crafty creations have a special place in our hearts!

The toy group at Carlyle Gardens has been hard at work, lovingly crafting an array of handmade toys for children in the broader community. Residents have been using their woodworking skills to create miniature tractors, cots and lawnmowers, to name a few.

They were thrilled to receive a donation of $500 from Rotary Club of Bundaberg City Daybreak yesterday, to help the group continue its good work. Rotary will distribute the toys to those in need this Christmas, bringing a little joy and festive cheer to the community.

Before Rotary arrived, the residents’ workshop looked a little like Santa’s, overflowing with gifts, woodworking tools, and dedicated toy-makers putting the finishing touches on their handiwork.

Village Manager Belinda Hensler was on hand to receive the cheque from City Daybreak President, David Facer. We’re very grateful for the kind donation, and to the team of residents who’ve been working hard on hand-crafting these gorgeous toys.

Residents at Forresters Beach are answering a call from local charities by donating scores of handcrafted woolly warmers to help community members doing it tough during the coronavirus pandemic.

The 30-strong Ladies Knitting Group has notched up production of warm clothing and blankets to assist organisations such as Vinnies, which is bracing for a surge in pleas for assistance.

St Vincent de Paul’s National COVID-19 Winter Appeal kicked off in late June, with Vinnies NSW CEO Jack de Groot calling for community donations to help people experiencing difficulties as the crisis continues and government assistance begins to wind down.

The Forresters Beach group, which has been knitting together for 11 years, approached a local Vinnie’s welfare officer to offer blankets, beanies and scarves as gifts for those receiving welfare checks from local support workers.

Village Manager Julie Ramage said it was heart-warming to see the residents swing into action.

“Even though many of our residents are in the high-risk category, they’re constantly thinking about how they can help others in our community,” said Mrs Ramage.

As the crafty group continues to weave kindness through the Central Coast community, we think this is a purl of an idea!

Over the past few months, residents and the village team at Tarragal Glen have been working with local organisations to help fire-affected communities get back on their feet.

Convoy Missions Australia (CMA) is one such organisation. Their ‘Operation True Blue’ initiative builds permanent and semi-permanent housing for locals to live in while they rebuild their homes.

The whole Tarragal Glen community pitched in to help. Residents have donated furniture, non-perishable foods, clothing, Bunnings gift cards and other goods. Meanwhile, village staff rounded up items from refurbished apartments that would usually be considered waste, giving them new life in the hands of CMA. Materials like old ovens, tapware, door handles, used kitchen appliances, sinks and even a patio roof were able to be re-purposed to help families settle into their short-term homes.

The team has also worked with Tinonee Outreach Incorporated, donating three more trailer loads of goods for families near Taree on the weekend. While the 2019/20 bushfire season was the worst in NSW history – and the re-building process is just starting for many – the efforts of the Tarragal Glen community have gone some way in helping those who lost everything.