An east Auckland community organisation is turning 33 years old this year and it’s throwing a party to celebrate.
The Inner Wheel Club of Howick president Sue Miller says its cornerstone is friendship through service.
“We have a number of projects that serve our local community.
“These include knitting teddy bears for the Seasons for Growth programme, knitting baby jerseys, blankets, beanies and booties for the Botany Birthing Unit and Middlemore Foundation, and supporting our local food bank.
“A major project last year was sewing dresses for the Dress a Girl Around the World NZ charity.
“The motto of this international charity is, ‘Imagine a world where every girl owns at least one dress’. Our dresses were sent to families in the Pacific region.”
Miller says the fabric for the dresses was donated by the local community and it’s also received financial support from the Howick Local Board in the form of a grant.
“Our members sew these dresses, a project that brings great joy to both those of us that cut and sew and to our members in general.
“In the past year we’ve made 125 dresses. In June this year one of our members delivered 50 of our dresses to the family support unit in Raratonga.
“These were received with great delight and were going to be distributed to families in the outer islands.
“Our current sewing project is to supply children’s clothing to our local Women’s Refuge.
“We’ll also supply lined fabric bags we’ve made.
“Other projects include making doll’s cots for children in Kidz First Children’s Hospital and supplying emergency toiletry bags to Multi Agency.
“We also support Operation Uplift and the Fred Hollows Foundation.
“We’ve supported Stand Children’s Services for many years and will continue to do so when they move to Manukau next year.”
Miller says the Inner Wheel Club of Howick is always looking for opportunities to support members of the local community.
One of its new projects involves creating picture scrapbooks for dementia patients.
“All these projects require funds,” she says.
“Our current fundraising project is selling Rotary Christmas puddings.
“We can be found outside Jetts [at 87A Picton Street] in Howick on November 15-16 and December 14.
“We’ll also be at Bunnings in Ti Rakau Drive on November 30 and December 7.
“All the money raised from these sales will go to supporting our various projects.
“We’d love to welcome new members into our club.”
To find out more about the Inner Wheel Club of Howick or to buy one of its Christmas puddings phone Sue Miller on 021 294 7119.
