Handmade Warmth – People of Campbell RIver Part 4
In celebration of Giving Tuesday Canada, Destination Campbell River partnered with Erin Wallis – local photographer, story-teller and all-around good “Riverite” herself – to highlight some of Campbell River’s unsung heroes. Here is installment 4 of 5, to make your heart smile and think about the world in a different light.
ERIN WALLIS;
My next feature was a bit trickier to track down. I first came upon a post on a local facebook page about her and how she knitted touques and scarves for the homeless and less fortunate in Campbell River. She is the epitome of what I wanted these features to be about. She would never ask to be recognized for this. Ever. There are so many amazing people who do so many things, but the ones who just do it, all the time, because they can, because they care and without asking for or receiving any kind of praise, because they want to help in any way they can, and use their own unique talents to help… they really get me.
Flo Terry
Meet Flo Terry, a 79 year old gem from the heart of Campbell River ( I found out near the end of our time together also the incredible “Cougar Annie”s granddaughter.) She sits at her neighbor’s kitchen table (she thought her kitchen was too messy with her baking supplies) listening to her tiny radio, listening to Today FM or she turns on Jukebox oldies on tv; this year she knitted 70 toques and 30 scarves for Campbell River’s most vulnerable and homeless community. Flo sits for hours with her knitting and said she “only gets up to dance”. The first year Flo started knitting she funded all of the yarn herself; this year a couple from town overflowing with kindness, heard of what she was doing and donated 101 balls of yarn to her. Flo, “they just drove down to Walmart and picked me up 101 balls of yarn, that must have cost them about $500.” Those balls of yarn along with Flo’s big heart, caring hands, and knitting loom will help keep people warm this year.
No one asked her to do it. She just started doing it. When I asked her why she does it she quietly stated, “because it’s the right thing to do, because I care, and because you never know when you will be the one in need of a little help yourself.” Flo does it because she cares. When I told her I thought she was amazing for doing something so thoughtful and compassionate she replied with tears in her eyes, “I really didn’t expect this, I just do what I do and I don’t need thanks, just like to see some warmth for some of our homeless in Campbell River!!”
Flo has already started for next year and is almost out of the donated yarn as well, so if anyone is inspired to help replenish her yarn supply (and this is Erin talking not Flo… or wants to buy her a new car, she’s been driving the same car for 29 years and she laughed “sometimes I wonder if I’m going to make it into town!”) please don’t hesitate to contact me [email protected]
Read PART 5 NEXT…
In celebration of Giving Tuesday Canada, Destination Campbell River partnered with Erin Wallis – local photographer, story-teller and all-around good “Riverite” herself – to highlight some of Campbell River’s unsung heroes. Here is installment 4 of 5, to make your heart smile and think about the world in a different light.
ERIN WALLIS;
My next feature was a bit trickier to track down. I first came upon a post on a local facebook page about her and how she knitted touques and scarves for the homeless and less fortunate in Campbell River. She is the epitome of what I wanted these features to be about. She would never ask to be recognized for this. Ever. There are so many amazing people who do so many things, but the ones who just do it, all the time, because they can, because they care and without asking for or receiving any kind of praise, because they want to help in any way they can, and use their own unique talents to help… they really get me.
Flo Terry
Meet Flo Terry, a 79 year old gem from the heart of Campbell River ( I found out near the end of our time together also the incredible “Cougar Annie”s granddaughter.) She sits at her neighbor’s kitchen table (she thought her kitchen was too messy with her baking supplies) listening to her tiny radio, listening to Today FM or she turns on Jukebox oldies on tv; this year she knitted 70 toques and 30 scarves for Campbell River’s most vulnerable and homeless community. Flo sits for hours with her knitting and said she “only gets up to dance”. The first year Flo started knitting she funded all of the yarn herself; this year a couple from town overflowing with kindness, heard of what she was doing and donated 101 balls of yarn to her. Flo, “they just drove down to Walmart and picked me up 101 balls of yarn, that must have cost them about $500.” Those balls of yarn along with Flo’s big heart, caring hands, and knitting loom will help keep people warm this year.
No one asked her to do it. She just started doing it. When I asked her why she does it she quietly stated, “because it’s the right thing to do, because I care, and because you never know when you will be the one in need of a little help yourself.” Flo does it because she cares. When I told her I thought she was amazing for doing something so thoughtful and compassionate she replied with tears in her eyes, “I really didn’t expect this, I just do what I do and I don’t need thanks, just like to see some warmth for some of our homeless in Campbell River!!”
Flo has already started for next year and is almost out of the donated yarn as well, so if anyone is inspired to help replenish her yarn supply (and this is Erin talking not Flo… or wants to buy her a new car, she’s been driving the same car for 29 years and she laughed “sometimes I wonder if I’m going to make it into town!”) please don’t hesitate to contact me [email protected]