Get Stitched // The Stitch Blog

Group of Stitch volunteers at an older adult event

Seniors Festival Bonanza!

What happens when 20 Stitch volunteers come together with Andrew and Ellen to share the love of Stitch with the whole New South Wales Seniors community?

Something amazing!

Recently, Stitch had a booth at the Seniors Festival in Sydney, Australia. The event was organized by the New South Wales state government to bring together activities, clubs, and services for older people in Australia. 

In other words, it was a huge party for us.

I put the call out on Stitch for anyone interested in helping us have a presence at the Festival. We were hoping a couple of people would join us to put the word out there, tell people about Stitch, and maybe reach some new people who hadn’t heard of us before.

No fewer than TWENTY people responded, filling a busy volunteer roster over the two-day event.

We were absolutely blown away by the enthusiasm, generosity, and kindness of our Stitch volunteers, who arrived eager to help in their Stitch t-shirts.

Over 60 volunteer community

Stitch love makes a real difference

Incredibly, we found out that our invitation to have a booth at the NSW Seniors’ Festival also came about because of Stitch members.

At last year’s Festival, Stitch members turned up in droves, attending sessions, asking where the Stitch booth was, and organising Stitch events to meet up with other members for lunch. 

Their enthusiasm and support for Stitch were so infectious that it caught the attention of the Festival organisers. 

They asked our members where they were from and what they were looking for, and when they learned that they were all members of Stitch, they realised they were missing out! 

This year, the Festival reached out to us and offered us a booth and space for our glorious members to share their enthusiasm with others. It was a real example of how the community shines!

Volunteer energy

We had volunteers come to the Seniors Festival from all over. Joanne made the trip down from the Central Coast for the day, which was a fantastic effort. 

People were happy to share their own stories and experiences with Stitch. One member shared how his social circle had declined after his wife died. Another had moved to a different city to be closer to her family and missed being around people her own age. 

They all discussed the way Stitch brought colour, fun and connection into their lives. Event attendees were blown away to see how much joy Stitch had spread. 

Jay sat with a woman who was interested in Stitch and helped her set up her profile on the spot. By the time she left, she was our newest member. It was a simple, kind thing to do, and made her feel instantly welcomed.

Christina talked to so many people that by the end of the day, she was starting to lose her voice! A stupendous effort — she genuinely made sure that hundreds of people had heard about Stitch.

Stitch members in black tshirts at over 50 community event

A glowing day

Over 2,000 people took Stitch flyers over the course of the day. Many people who visited the booth mentioned that they’d like to meet more people and expand their social lives. They left excited to look us up later.

Stitch ended up taking up far more space than our little booth, because of all the conversations and laughs that were sparking around it. As people walked past, they were drawn into the discussions and stories, learning about Stitch while having a great chat. It made our little corner of the expo the liveliest part of the whole room.

Stitch members in red and black Stitch tshirts

A huge thank you

Everyone who volunteered at the NSW Seniors Festival Expo is an absolute Stitch Superstar.

They shared their day, shared their experiences, and welcomed everyone who visited with such warmth and good humour that they truly showed them the spirit of Stitch.

Group of retired volunteers

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