Stitch is built on the spirit of volunteering.
That’s not always obvious — Stitch members who organize events and activities for other members are usually the ones having so much fun that it doesn’t seem like “volunteering”, but it is. They are volunteering their time to connect like-minded members, which as a result enriches not only their own lives, but those of their fellow Stitchers.
Some of our members, however, go above and beyond when it comes to volunteering for the community. Here are just a few inspiring examples of Stitch members volunteering their time to make the community great.
Sharing the love
On February 13th and 14th (yes, Valentine’s Day), thirteen Stitch members from Sydney dedicated their time spreading the word and love about Stitch at the NSW Seniors Festival Expo in Australia, an exhibition that draws 17,000 people!
At the Stitch booth they handed out thousands of flyers about Stitch, and shared their personal stories about how becoming part of the community has impacted their life.
As part of the Expo, Stitch was also asked to run four Speed Friendship Events (yes, just like Speed Dating but friendship focused) to help connect people from all over Sydney and the state.
Our thirteen Stitch volunteers took turns making sure these events ran according to plan, helped recruit new participants, and even jumped in for a chat when a spot needed filling!
Were it not for these volunteers who selflessly dedicated their time to helping the Stitch team over these two days, the Expo would not have been the success it was.
An incredibly big thank you to the Stitch members who volunteered their time: Aila, Archie, Bob, Christina, Dee, Gerardina, Jacky, Jay, Jenny, Jim, Mary, Marzi, and Sen.
This was not the first time that our Sydney community banded together to help at an exhibition.
In 2019, Community Champions Richard, Olivia and Dave M dedicated their afternoon to help spread the love about Stitch at the Lane Cove Community Connections Expo, a local council initiative.
Advertising in the local newspaper
Meet Stitch Community Champion Erin.
Erin grew up in the Pacific Northwest and spent a great deal of time in Hawaii before packing her bags and moving to Fountain Hills in sunny Arizona, just three years ago.
Discovering Stitch in late 2019, she signed up and immediately started hosting activities as a way of meeting others in her area. Unfortunately there were very few Stitch members in Fountain Hills, and she wanted to raise awareness to get more members to join.
Her solution? Run an ad in the paper.
She contacted her local newspaper, the Fountain Hills Times, and paid to run a small classifieds ad for three weeks, promoting Stitch to residents of Fountain Hills.
A couple of weeks after the ad ran, we received the below message from her, excited that new members were now attending her events.
Good news, I can’t believe it but I had to put a limit of 12 people on my next coffee event! There are already 11 people and I just posted it yesterday afternoon! Also, I just checked my Fountain Hills/ East Valley Happy hour and Coffee Club and there are 17 people signed up! So excited to share this news with you 😊
Thank you Erin for taking the initiative and running this ad.
Sisters are doin’ it for … Phoenix
Sisters and Stitch Community Champions Debbie and Chris from Chandler, Arizona reached out to their local newspaper, believing that a story in the paper would be a great way of introducing Stitch to more people across Phoenix.
Not only did they manage to get their story featured in the newspaper, it was positioned on the front page! You can read their inspiring story here.
Rhonda the radio star
Community Champion Rhonda is facing a serious dilemma.
She’s attending and hosting that many Stitch events all across Sydney that her grandchildren are forgetting what she looks like!
That’s what she jokingly told presenter Deborah Knight when she called the 2GB radio show on February 27.
Knight asked her listeners to call with any stories they had of finding love and friendship as seniors, inspired by the latest news that a seniors version of The Bachelor may be appearing on screens in the US soon.
Thank you to Rhonda for calling up the show and sharing her thoughts on Stitch. This is what she had to say:
“Stitch is great for anyone. If you want to play cards through the week, if you want to go out for dinner or lunch, if you want to go dancing, if you want to learn rock “n” roll like I’m doing at the moment … there’s something for everyone!
It’s a year since I joined. I have never in my whole life been out as much as I have the last year … I love it. I love it so much. I’ve made some wonderful friends, some really lovely friends!”
Listen to Rhonda chatting with Deborah Knight here or below. Start from 1:16:20!
Interested in volunteering?
If you belong to or are a new member of a Stitch Community that is not yet large or active, we would love your help in growing the community in your area.
Simply setting up a Stitch Group and hosting a monthly activity for this group will go a long way in connecting your community, and help to enrich everyone’s life through companionship and new experiences.
If this sounds interesting, get in touch with us here to find out how you can volunteer to help grow your local Stitch Community.
I haven’t been notified of any activities in my area in many, many months. Have you disbanded STITCH in my area?
Hi Michael, thank you for contacting us. The reason you haven’t received any messages from Stitch is because no one has actually suggested an activity in or around your area lately. Would you be interested in hosting an activity yourself? It wouldn’t need to be costly or time-consuming; something like a a coffee get-together or informal brunch would be perfect. If you’re interested, please get in touch and we can help you get the activity started and grow Stitch in your area!
Way to go! All the best.