Blanket donations a warming gesture

THE target of 500 donated blankets over winter has seen volunteers work extra hard to pack essentials for struggling international students.

International students Suvil Karmacharya and Snehapreet Kaur decided to volunteer for the fast-growing Show Hope campaign after receiving blankets earlier in the pandemic.

Mr Karmacharya, a Nepalese masters of accounting student who moved to Tasmania from Sydney just before the lockdown, said just one warm layer made an immense difference.

“I knew it was cold in Tassie but I was sleeping with two blankets and thought that would be enough,” he said.

“I took a third blanket and it was great for me, I sleep well at night.”

Studying her masters in pharmaceutical science, Ms Kaur said she had searched everywhere for jobs after recently moving from India but had no luck. She said Show Hope’s weekly blankets and grocery donations provided emotional and financial relief.

The weekly boxed goods include pasta, soup, shampoo and feminine hygiene products supported by Food Bank and other contributors.

Wellspring Anglican Church Reverend Dr Sam Gough said his

Show Hope blanket drive needed extra community support to reach 500 blankets.

“We want to make sure every international student and their wives, their husbands and their little children are warm overnight,” he said.

Donors can drop their blankets to Wellspring Anglican Church or donate to the Show Hope GoFundMe campaign at gofundme.com/f/ Show-Hope