By Danielle Kutchel
A Cranbourne East breast cancer survivor has been busy over lockdown, creating beautiful crafts to sell to raise funds to fight the disease.
Chris Kendall, a volunteer at Balla Balla Community Centre, said she loves to keep busy – and crafting allows her to do exactly that whilst giving back to the people who helped her beat cancer 11 years ago.
She first began knitting while recovering from her breast cancer treatment and found that it helped stop her from going crazy from boredom.
That feeling came back over the Covid lockdowns, when many of her support systems and groups stopped due to restrictions.
She visited Balla Balla, looking for something to save her from “plummeting”, and hit it off with manager Maree Cullinan.
Chris asked if she could bring over some of her crocheted blankets to help raise funds at the centre’s Biggest Morning Tea – and of course, Maree said yes.
Despite only taking up crochet two years ago, Chris has become proficient and has another steady pile of blankets building up, ready to donate once lockdown ends.
“I’ve got to be doing something – so I make these blankets, and the money goes to cancer,” she explained.
“I raise the money and it’s good for my mental health too.”
A crafting machine, Chris doesn’t just stop at blankets; she’s also made some scarves and responded to a call out for baby bonnets for premature babies, making about 400 of them.
A visit to a nursery in between lockdowns inspired her to create garden ornaments out of old plates and bowls.
She also decorates soaps with lace, and plans to start painting rocks to leave out in the community once she can get her hands on some paint.
People now know about her crafty crusade and donate wool to her to keep her going, Chris said.
Ever mindful of her community, Chris has started up a friendship circle to ease people’s loneliness.
The group meets on Mondays via Zoom, but after lockdown ends she plans to go out for lunches and on walks with these new friends.
The activities have helped make lockdown a little easier to bear, she said.
“It only takes a little bit to make a difference to someone,” Chris said.
“I get as much out of it as I’m giving.”
