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C ADA //2 #25 New Canada Area Project FWIO Provincial Board has decided to discontinue the Caribbean Project in March 2008 because several problems (expensive mailing. non-delivery and return of some parcels) were being reported. However, Branches and individuals who have developed a friendly relationship with their contact may wish to continue on the understanding that this becomes a local project. A new project called Canada Comforts has been selected for peopie who would like to continue assisting people in need. What can i do to help? Cash donations can be sent to the address below. These donations help cover the cost of shipping containers. Baby toques, scarves, and sweaters are greatly needed along with children's toques, scarves and sweaters as well. If you knit, sew or crochet and would like more information on the types of items needed and specifications, please contact your Area Voting Delegate, Board Director or the FWIO international Officer. Onlysuppliesthatarerequested are sent which means nothing goes to waste. Donations can be sent to: Canada Comforts Clo Sylvia Hatfield 1185 Wychbury Avenue Victoria, BC V9A 5L1 The Canada Comforts Story By Sylvia Hatfield, Organizer of Canada Comforts In 1986 in Bath, England, the Emergency Care for Children (ECC) sent out a medical team to the Sudan and received shocking reports back. A temporary refugee camp had been set up for 2,000 tubercular orphans who had been found (some with guns in their hands) wandering in the desert. Someone in Bath came up with the idea of knitting each child a simple Teddy. The idea caughton rapidly and 2,000 bears were sent to the Sudan. The Teddies clutched by the children were the only things they possessed. One doctor said the Teddies did more good than medicine. "Cheer them up mentally, give them hope, and you are on the road to putting them right physically”. Another doctor said the Teddies were helping to make children back into children. However, since these Teddies were the children's only possession, they were afraid that someone would take their friend away while they slept. Hence the bag idea. As soon as the bags were sent, Teddy could remain safe and out ofsight at night. The Teddy idea came to Canada in 1992 through a lady named Melody McQuitty who lives in Sidney, BC. As a relative to the Chief Surgeon ofthe Christian Blind Mission International, Melody and her friends began making bears to be sent through this Mission. The Mission has a broad mandate since it works with the blind, the deaf, those with war related injuries such as land mine victims and those suffering with any number of physical ailments. Since Melody was on holiday, it was i who was challenged on February 2. 1998 to produce, in 5 weeks, 250 teddies and bags for a remote poverty stricken area in Tanzania. Since I didn't know any of Melody’s helpers, I sent word out to the Western Communities and a group of ladies met in my home to work on this project. Although cross<eyed and fingerâ€"blistered, we were very proud to ship off 550. We quickly ran out of room at my home and moved to the Juan de Fuca Senior Centre in September 1998 and we have been there ever since. When Christian Blind Mission stopped sending goods from Canada, we were delighted to hear of the opening ofthe Compassionate Warehouse here in Victoria. This warehouse is run completely by volunteers. Only goods that are requested are sent and they are shipped in 40’ containers. Thanks to email. we know when the containers clear customs and we know that all containers have arrived safely to date. After we expanded the variety of our articles we were sending. a name change was in order since we no longer just made Bears and Bags ' We became Canada Comforts.