On February 28 2022, the biggest flood in modern Australian history inundated Lismore, and the rest of the Northern Rivers areas. Many had to be rescued by locals using an army of tinnie boats, canoes and kayaks to pluck residents from roofs, hanging off gutters or trapped inside houses in freezing cold flood water. Thousands were left displaced and homeless with emergency services beyond breaking point. Thousands are still displaced.

Love for Lismore HeART Space ❤️

Tuesday 1 November 2022: Rebecca Ryan and Jodi Dynan are co founders of Love for Lismore HeART Space. Rebecca and Susan Goodwin of Measure Twice Cut Once patterns talk about their experiences with these floods and how people can help this area rebuild their communities.

In the months after catastrophic flooding decimated parts of the northern rivers, including the heart of the region, Lismore, heart banners have been spreading through the region to bring hope, love and a sense of solidarity to our community.

Behind the scenes we have been working to replenish lost craft supplies, collecting and distributing gifts and using crafts as a way to heal all of our hearts. The Love for Lismore group has distributed over 1,200 heart banners, made and handed out over 1,100 mini heart flags at the Our Healing Hearts Lantern parade in June, created large scale banners for the stages at One From The Heart and other music festivals and fund-raisers and sparked heart based side projects including hot water bottle covers and pet coats to help the community through this cold winter.

We have been able to achieve so much together, with the help of donations, and now we are ready to stretch our wings and settle into a space to bring even more of this to life.

The HeART space will be a place to sew and craft, to donate heart banners and craft supplies or hand made gifts, to pick up much needed craft supplies at no cost or a heart banner for your home or business, a space to create, craft and heal together.

We have found a location in Lismore and in order to keep the Love For Lismore HeART Space running we need to ensure we can pay the rent and bills and will need your help to do so. All donations will help keep this brand new community space operating.

Have a look at some of the ways you can help this community as they rebuild their lives:

• Like the Love for Lismore heart space facebook page
• Funding for Love for Lismore heart space via Go Fund me page
• Send art and craft supplies to Love for Lismore heart space – ‘Shop 2 119 Magellan Street, Lismore NSW 2480’
• Make heart banners and join the Love for Lismore and surrounds facebook page.

Stay in contact with Love for Lismore Heart Space via their Facebook page. They need your support.

Susan also mentions Sofia’s kitchen where she prepares meals for locals everyday. Make sure you subscribe to Susan’s sewing YouTube channel. Taking the scary out of sewing is her focus for new sewists.

As the waters receded those who could get back to their homes were faced with utter destruction of their homes and their livelihoods. Everything was destroyed, covered in layers of flood mud a mix of raw sewerage, dirt, chemicals (from factories that couldn’t get cleared out before the waters rose) and the smell from that time is unforgettable. The affectionately named mud army (volunteers from local area) were mobilized to help clear peoples’ houses before mould and disease took hold. In those early weeks, the streets were lined with mounds of ruined possessions and household furniture. 

More than 6 months on and thousands are still left homeless, many have only one working electricity point in their home, some are without power entirely. Houses have been stripped back to bare floorboards and stud walls to remove water damaged walls and release mud from inside internal walls. While the rebuild has been started it is slow and will take years to complete. With so many people in a state of housing crisis and mental limbo the act of creating is being encouraged with the Lismore heART space