Tucked away in an unassuming room at Gawler’s Elderly Centre, there’s a hive of activity inside as a small army of volunteers is quietly filling a giant need in the community.

These volunteers are a part of the Quickest Warmth project, a not-for-profit group that works collaboratively with AnglicareSA to provide donated household and other essential items to individuals and families experiencing hardship.

Now in its tenth year, the project began as a way to provide warmth and love to those in need.

Many items given to the community, like blankets or teddy bears, are handmade with a level of care and kindness that can only be likened to a grandmother.

 

The Quickest Warmth’s history

The project began with humble beginnings, when founders Prue and Gail donated seven quilts to Families SA (now Department for Child Protection) for children going into foster care.

Then, as the need grew, so did the initiative – as of early May, more than 1,500 packs of items have been delivered to service providers, local community programs, and directly to community members this financial year.

AnglicareSA has been involved with the project for many years – founder Prue was a Chaplain at our northern sites until her retirement in 2022, and sadly passed away in 2023.

Quickest Warmth was also run out of AnglicareSA’s former Elizabeth Mission site for several years, before moving to Gawler after Prue’s retirement.

Now, AnglicareSA’s Warehouse team is responsible for managing the requests for items and delivering them within the community.

 

 

What’s in a pack?

Quickest Warmth volunteers make up a variety of different packs with items that members of the community might need.

This includes:

• kitchen packs, containing utensils
• bedding packs, containing sheets and blankets
• bathroom or toiletry packs, containing towels, toilet paper, and soap
• laundry/cleaning packs, containing buckets, washing powder, and bin bags
• table packs, containing crockery and cutlery
• activity pack for children, including books and stationery
• baby packs, including nappies, baby wipes, and toys

Quickest Warmth Coordinator Jeanie said that depending on the time of year, the community needed different things. For example, more bedding packs were needed in winter, whereas activity packs and toys were highly requested items during the Christmas period.

 

Who benefits from Quickest Warmth?

What started as a grassroots initiative has quickly gained traction in the community.

Quickest Warmth has been able to source and collate items by listing what is needed in a monthly newsletter, with requests filled by a wide network of more than 100 South Australians.

This includes community members from clubs and groups local to Gawler, as well as from regional areas like Clare, Mt Barker, and Port Pirie.

The packs benefit more than 60 organisations, including service providers such as AMES Australia and Workskil, government agencies, local schools and childcares, churches, and health services.

Some of AnglicareSA’s services, including Believe Housing Australia, Settlement Engagement and Transition Support (SETS), financial counselling, Reconnect, and the Care Finder Program, also receive regular donations from Quickest Warmth.

Jeanie said she found joy from volunteering and knowing the packs she helped collate went to people who needed support.

“For me, it’s rewarding to spend your time doing something that is going to help someone else, and it’s the connection you get as well,” she said.

“What keeps me volunteering is my own faith and the hope to be able to help people when they really need it, because you never know when you might need support.”

 

The social impact of donations

A client from AnglicareSA’s SETS program, which works with humanitarian entrants or family stream migrants with low English proficiency to Australia, said the blanket and household packs they received from Quickest Warmth had reduced their stress in finding affordable household items to kick-start their new life in Australia.  

“The support we have received from AnglicareSA and Quickest Warmth has helped us settle into Australia, as we can direct some of our allowance to other essential items such as food,” the client said.

“We can save money for recreation and school expenses for our children.”

Jeanie said the project was about building community.

“This project not only supports the people we’re helping,” Jeanie said.

“It also supports older people or those who are chronically ill who might not be physically able to volunteer but can knit or crochet.

“I think faith is spread by connecting with people and hearing their stories, so when people come to drop off their donations, they tell their stories as well, and you can help them through that. It’s a type of pastoral care for the people who are helping.”

 

 

Get involved

There are plenty of ways to get involved and support Quickest Warmth, whether by volunteering your time or donating items or funds.

To volunteer:

Volunteers meet on Monday and Thursday afternoons from 2-4 pm (excluding public holidays). Quickest Warmth is located at the Gawler Elderly Centre at 37 Fourteenth Street, Gawler South.  

For more information or to express your interest, please contact QuickestWarmth@anglicaresa.com.au.

To donate items:

To find out what items the community needs each month that you can donate, please sign up for the monthly newsletter by emailing QuickestWarmth@anglicaresa.com.au.

Please note that the program does not accept furniture and electrical goods.

To donate funds:

Support this volunteer-run program to continue to change lives by donating funds to the cause.

Please contact our Philanthropy and Partnerships team at donate@anglicaresa.com.au or by calling (08) 8305 9200 to donate.