Big Blanket Project needs donations as winter demand soars
A group of retirees knitting for the needy urgently needs wool and funds to meet requests from shelters, orphanages, and old age homes.
As the winter chill tightens its grip on Pretoria, the Big Blanket Project, a registered non-profit organisation in the east, is working around the clock to provide warmth to some of the city’s most vulnerable residents.
However, the growing need for blankets and scarves this year has left the dedicated team of volunteers stretched thin and in desperate need of donations.
The project, which started as a small initiative, has grown into a network of mostly retired volunteers who bring their own wool and knit warm items for distribution to homeless shelters, hospices, old age homes, and orphanages.
Big Blanket Project spokesperson Carol Bunn said this winter, the demand has been much bigger than in previous years.
“A ward councillor in Pretoria West recently approached us with a request for 80 blankets for an old age home.
“That’s a lot of blankets to knit, and we simply don’t have the resources right now to meet that need.”
So far this winter, the organisation has distributed close to 100 blankets to various facilities.
Last month, it donated 30 blankets to Charisma, an aftercare centre in Mamelodi for children from poor backgrounds.
“It’s lovely to know that 30 three-, four-, and five-year-olds were able to take their own warm blankets home,” said Bunn.
They also provided 27 blankets to the Phyllis Robertson Home for Physically Disabled Adults, near the old HF Verwoerd Hospital (now the Tshwane District Hospital).
Bunn added that they gave another batch to Harmony Wood, which houses pensioners who live on Sassa grants.
She said that Tshwane Youth Development, which works with homeless people in the metro centre, was also among the recipients this winter.
“We’ve been giving out the blankets as soon as we make them because we don’t want to keep them here when it’s so cold outside,” said Bunn.
“However, making 80 blankets takes a huge amount of wool, and we need donations to make that happen.”
The organisation relies heavily on contributions of wool and financial donations to buy supplies.
Bunn said people can donate wool or knitting needles.
“We also accept financial donations directly into our bank account.”
To make it easier for the community to help, the Big Blanket Project has set up collection boxes at the Hazelwood Market on Saturday mornings and at Cash Converters in Gift Acres.
“If people have any spare wool lying around, they can drop it in the box at these locations,” she said.
As temperatures continue to drop, Bunn hopes Pretoria residents will come forward to support the initiative.
“Every blanket we make means someone else doesn’t have to face the cold without warmth,” she said.
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok.
