The new Anna Chaplain in Barrow in Furness, Cumbria, decided she'd aim for 700 knitted crosses to distribute to the town's older and most vulnerable people this Christmas. As it happens, Babs Lowes now has 1,000 to give away! Her local newspaper the North-West Mail has highlighted her project.
Teams of people, young and old, have been delivering the crosses to staff looking after people under the current pandemic's strict visiting restrictions.
The story explains the importance of Anna Chaplaincy to the town's older population, especially those in care homes and sheltered accommodation.
Anna Chaplain Babs Lowes said: "It's been a tough year for everyone but especially for people living in care homes.
"Some of them really don't understand why they can't see their relatives and I've heard the word 'prisoner', because people have said they feel like prisoners – at one time in particular they had to stay in their own rooms and even now they have to eat in their own rooms."
Read more here.
What an incredible start to Babs' ministry as an Anna Chaplain in the town. She looks forward to having at least one other Anna Chaplain colleague in the town before long as well as a team of volunteer Anna Friends working alongside her.