Think you can’t help someone in another part of the world? Think again. In  September through October, Canadian Lutheran World Relief asked for donations of sweaters for the people of Syria who had migrated to the Jordan on account of war in their homeland. Many things are required for people in transition. It could be medical protection such as the End Polio Now, that’s  undertaken by Rotary Clubs in Canada to protect children. Or it could be as simple as sharing a sweater you no longer wear so that someone in those situations can be warm as winter approaches as undertaken by Canadian Lutheran World Relief.

Our church is part of a network of other Lutheran churches (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, ELCIC) who support the work of Canadian Lutheran World Relief and so we were asked in September to contribute or gather sweaters for the people of Syria who are anticipating a chilly winter in another country. They could be sweaters for adults  or children. In fact, all sizes are needed.

                                                                                                                           my own image of a hand-knit sweater

My husband and I looked through our wardrobe.  I, for sure, had a few hand-knit sweaters and others that I wasn’t wearing and that were taking  up space in my closet, and so I put three or four of my own into a bag. My husband added one of his own  as well.  Perfectly good sweaters that could keep someone warm.

We took them to our church where a couple volunteered to deliver the sweaters to a local Home Hardware depot from where they would be shipped to Winnipeg to the CLWR headquarters to be packaged and shipped overseas.

The effort has met with much success.  Perhaps, as Canadians, we understand how it feels to be cold, and so many people combed through closets and wardrobe, exceeding CLWR’s goal of 12,000 sweaters. The final count is still to be reckoned, but at this time it’s more like 20,000 sweaters collected.

Today, our pastor showed us a video taken in the warehouse in Winnipeg where the sweaters are being prepared for shipment overseas, hopefully, by the beginning of December. Here’s the youtube video. Watch it and see what’s being done. Sweaters are still needed. And now requests of a different sort for people of the Philippines.