Christian Cuello

YARNS: Your story can make a difference ...

“Yarns” is a volunteer project to make a difference in our local community. The project is an independent effort between friends and colleagues, with assistance from Bankstown Youth Development Services and other members of the community. Our aim is to raise money to fund future volumes of the Yarns Project, with a portion of the proceeds being donated to charity.

The Yarns Project creates the opportunity for the elderly to share their stories about what is important in their lives with the world. In sharing the human experience, a space opens up for making a meaningful contribution to, and impacting, other people’s lives.

In every yarn there is something we can appreciate about our own situation. The elderly literally have a lifetime of wisdom, which often passes unheard in their later years. We know that things can be different!

The outcomes of the project present a possibility for transforming the way we appreciate the wisdom of the elderly; how we value their contribution to the world we live in today; and how we listen to them in the future.

How to contribute

“Yarns” provides opportunities for volunteers and story tellers to take part in shaping the outcomes of the project. This enables meaningful contributions from all involved, and results that can be shared in the real world.

Yarns: A collection of stories from then and now (vol. 1) was published in December 2010, with Yarns: Memories are never history (vol. 2) following in January 2012. Volume 3 will be published in early 2013 at a book launch event.

We are currently looking for any contributions community members would like to make. These can be stories written or recorded, or even some of your time to sit down and have yarn with a senior citizen. If you are a volunteer looking to join the project, there are many opportunities and ways to contribute, including writing, interviewing, transcribing, fundraising, liaising with media, and more.

If you would like to donate to this project, we appreciate your contributions. They will go towards project expenses and the printing of the books. Copies of volumes 1 and 2 of the Yarns books can also be purchased from the Yarns Project team.

More information

For any queries or to purchase a book, please contact Christian on 0417 069 259, email [email protected], or visit our website for excerpts, photos and more information: www.yarns.spellboundpress.com.au