Volunteers combine community craft sale with local and global outreach efforts

Members of the St. Marys Memorial Hospital Auxiliary continue their longstanding tradition of fundraising and community support through events like the Stitch Market. Pictured are Diane O’Shea, treasurer of The Rotary Club of St. Marys, and Janis Fread, president of the St. Marys Memorial Hospital Auxiliary.

By Alex Hunt

Community members are invited to browse, buy and support the St. Marys Memorial Hospital Auxiliary at The Stitch Market, where all items are by donation and proceeds will help fund hospital equipment and international projects.

The St. Marys Memorial Hospital Auxiliary and The Rotary Club of St. Marys have partnered to bring The Stitch Market to the community. The market will sell donated fabrics, notions and yarn to raise money for the hospital. The event will take place on Oct. 24 from 6-8 p.m. and Oct. 25 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

The market will be facilitated by volunteers from both service clubs and will take place at the St. Marys United Church at 85 Church St. S. 

“This is kind of a neat collaboration with the Memorial Hospital Auxiliary; because of the aging of service club members, there was an encouragement of collaborative ventures in St. Marys,” said Diane O’Shea, treasurer for The Rotary Club of St. Marys. “This is a really good opportunity, but it also fulfills some areas like saving stuff from landfills.” 

The Rotary initiative to collaborate on this event was inspired by Threads of Hope, which showcases the struggles of grandmothers in Africa raising children affected by AIDS. Proceeds from the initiative were directed to support those grandmothers.

Currently, The Rotary Club of St. Marys is continuing the action of global aid through a new project in Kenya. Next month, 14 Rotarians from St. Marys will travel to the region to help build washrooms and expand classrooms at a local school.

“In our Auxiliary, we are always raising funds; that’s our mandate and the foundation raises large amounts of money for capital projects with the hospital,” said Janis Fread, president at the St. Marys Memorial Hospital Auxiliary.

“What we are hoping to contribute towards from the stitch market is to fund a wound vac machine for the hospital. When somebody has an open wound, the machine draws out fluid and reduces the infection. We are also funding to finish the refurbishment of the gazebo outside of the hospital.”  

People interested in donating can drop off items to be used in the market at the St. Marys United Church on Oct. 18, as well as at Hyggelight Fabrics and the hospital gift shop from Monday to Friday between Oct. 1 and 18. 

Fread joined the Auxiliary because she sees the hospital as a vital part of the community and wants to support it in any way possible. Many members have been involved for years, which helps sustain the group’s ongoing fundraising efforts and contributions to the hospital’s gift shop.

“One of the reasons why I became a Rotarian was to have opportunities to serve the community and my background is in home economics, so food and textiles have been a part of my life,” said O’Shea. “I love the idea of repurposing as well as the whole environmental thrust is something that’s really important; there’s a great deal of satisfaction.”