CWA works around self-isolation to connect
SELF-ISOLATION can be tough but self-isolation without snacks is even tougher.
That’s the thinking behind Woy Woy CWA’s Facebook page Recipe of the Week, just one of the ways branch president Jane Bowtell is keeping up morale in lieu of meetings.
She is also urging the entire community to stay in touch and support each other, with even a simple phone call “going a long way”.
“It’s exhausting,” Jane said of the coronavirus-related restrictions, which have left members feeling a little lost without their weekly get-togethers and fundraising activities.
“I think everyone is feeling the same – a sense of loss, that there’s no urgency to what we are doing and questioning our purpose because for most of us the CWA is such a big part of our lives.”
The Woy Woy branch has an 88-year history and last year was the second-fastest growing branch in NSW, with a membership of just under 50 women aged from 30 to 92, and more than 1000 followers on Facebook.
Members are keeping in touch through a “phone tree”, as well as Facebook, and Jane welcomed anyone to contact them if they needed help or just a chat.
“We are community, still here for the so if you find yourself in a difficult situation, please reach out to us,” she said.
The group is involved in a slew of activities, including most recently making about 700 cooling neck ties, containing water-soaked crystals, to help local fireys combat the immense heat in the field.
They are also running a Pulling Our Socks Up for the Fireys campaign with Central Coast Disaster Relief to provide all Coast fireys with firerated socks.
But Jane said the group had been hard-hit because many events it would normally support and others from which it would gain revenue, had been cancelled due to coronavirus.
“We gave away about $9000 last year to charities and community organisations, and we just won’t be able to do that this year,” Jane said.
“If people have ideas about how to help everyone get through this … maybe there are some seniors who have lived through really tough situations and can tell us, ‘this is what we used to do’, we’d love to hear from them.”
The group normally meets at 9.30am each Wednesday for craft and chat, and at 10am on the fourth Wednesday for the monthly meeting.