The ladies at Lifestyle Village who knit and crochet trauma teddies were thanked at an afternoon tea on Sunday, March 2.
Melton Red Cross and Djerriwarrh Lodge gathered 26 residents for a wholesome afternoon of teddies, bikkies and tea.
Trauma teddies is an initiative by the Australian Red Cross, aimed at supporting children and adults experiencing distress, trauma, or illness.
Ladies from all over Melton volunteer their time and donate their skills and materials to make hundreds of trauma teddies each year.
The Djerriwarrh Masonic Lodge of Melton has been donating funds toward trauma teddies for over 30 years.
Worshipful master of Djerriwarrh Lodge Trevor Rosan said the afternoon tea was dedicated to the ladies at the village to reward them for the work they do.
“To me, this is a way of showing how our support can create a domino effect of one small donating becoming something much bigger,“ Mr Rosan said.
“It’s interesting meeting people from different walks of life at the afternoon tea and finding our shared connection to trauma teddies.
“I suppose you don’t know who’s around you and what they’re doing, but there are so many community-minded people in Melton that you can meet at these get-togethers.”
Jean Dickson, coordinator of Melton Red Cross Teddies, said the afternoon tea was a great chance to meet everyone involved and learn from each other.
“It’s a good time to share ideas about the teddies and get to know each other. It’s interesting to hear the questions that come up about sizing and needles and to help one another,” she said.
Last year, ladies across the City of Melton distributed 1,012 teddies and are hoping to reach that mark again this year.