Hanging with the curtain crew

CURTAIN CALL: While they are always running out of curtains, they never run out of needy families, say Turanga Health’s Memory Taylor and Curtain Bank co-ordinator Sharron Hall. The call is always out to the Gisborne community to not throw away curtains when they are replaced, but pass them on to the women who do great things with them to warm up the lives of families with bare windows. Picture courtesy Strike Photography

WINTER has finally arrived and with it a strengthened relationship between Turanga Health and Curtain Bank Gisborne. More families are getting help to stay warm.

Established in 2009 to provide made-to-measure curtains for people on low incomes, Curtain Bank Gisborne’s volunteers are busy snipping, stitching and sewing to restock their shelves with donated curtains.

Families all over the district are referred by Plunket, Women’s Refuge, Barnados and Work and Income to receive recycled drapes and curtains.

Turanga Health refers most of them. In the past 12 months 40 families have received new window coverings as a result of the bolstered relationship between the two organisations.

“We receive referrals from all over, but Memory Taylor at Turanga Health has smoothed the way for our organisations to help each other out much more,” said Curtain Bank co-ordinator Sharron Hall.

“Sixty percent of Curtain Bank’s referrals now come from Turanga Health. Memory is just what we needed.”

Ms Taylor is Turanga Health’s healthy home kaiawhina, which involves her in interventions, including referral to health and social agencies, installing insulation and ventilation, and design improvements to houses.

Support can be anything from curtains to draft stoppers or, in some cases, help with transferring a family to more appropriate housing.

The culprits of a cold homeShe sees the culprits of a cold home as soon as she walks in and said a lack of curtains, draughts under doors, crumbling insulation and expensive yet ineffective sources of heat are at the top of the list.

When she began her job 12 months ago, one of her first ports of call was Curtain Bank in the Red Cross rooms in Palmerston Road.

“My first impressions were ‘what a lovely group of ladies’, all giving up their free time to help the community, and I wanted to be part of it,” she said.

Now, as well as being a regular referrer, Ms Taylor is one of seven volunteers who sew curtains every Tuesday.

Once a referral is received, complete with window measurements, it takes three to four weeks before curtains are ready for hanging. Ms Taylor will hang the curtains herself, or families will call in to the Curtain Bank to pick up their curtain parcel.

Love the reactions of familiesBoth she and Mrs Hall love the reactions of families.

“The good thing is that all our clients are appreciative of anything they receive,” Ms Taylor said.

“It’s awesome and it’s why I love my work. It doesn’t matter if there’s a patch in the fabric or if it doesn’t match the carpet. They are so happy.”

The only problem is that, while they are always running out of curtains, they never run out of needy families.

“So please donate your old curtains if you are refurbishing,” Mrs Hall said.

“We will be able to make something out of them. Don’t chuck them away.”