00:00Two different people, brought together by their heartache, with one common goal, to help those in need.
00:08At this knit and natter group at Fusion in Maidstone, Carol Hodges is using her pain to spread love to
00:15others by crafting hearts for homeless people.
00:18These crafts are then placed in Christmas gift boxes.
00:21The hearts made here at this knit and natter group aren't just made as another creation.
00:27They're made to help other people feel less alone.
00:30My husband's got dementia and we went on holiday.
00:33And, oh, it's going to make me cry.
00:35And we were on holiday and we'd had a big argument and I was sitting down in the bar, crushing.
00:41And I couldn't see what I was doing because I was crying.
00:44And this lady come over and she said, we have a heart for you.
00:47And it was just nice because she kept saying, we have a heart for you.
00:51And Carol's hearts are being felt across Maidstone and Medway.
00:55The families are feeding back to me that the hearts have been really popular with their children.
01:00So then I went back to the knits and natters and said, you know, can you make children's hearts?
01:05So they've been doing those for about six months.
01:08The knitters here have also been making cat blankets for cat boxes.
01:12For Dee, the idea of the cat boxes also comes from a personal place.
01:18In 2017, one of her best friends, John Chadwick, took his own life in a bed and breakfast after being
01:26separated from his pets when his landlord sold the property.
01:30I knew that obviously him being evicted, he probably wouldn't be able to take his pets with him to temporary
01:36accommodation.
01:37And that happened.
01:38He was separated from his pets who were his lifeline.
01:42Since his death, Dee has successfully campaigned to ensure that homeless people with pets are not forced to give them
01:49up when moving into social housing.
01:52Through these cat boxes, Dee is continuing to remember John and his story and make sure no one has to
01:59give up their pets.
02:00From one stranger to another, these hearts and blankets are helping those in need, one stitch at a time.
02:07Justine Lata, for KMTV, in Maidstone.
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