Toys ‘made with love’ for fire kids

Reverend Terry Sadler has been busy in his workshop making toys for the children of fire impacted families on the South Coast.

And the first box of hand made toys was despatched to Moruya yesterday.

“I started making toys for kids back in 1984,” said Terry.

“But for the past week I have been making more specially for the kids of bushfire affected families.

“I am making up boxes of model cars and the mayor Cathy Redding has assured me she will organise to have them delivered where they are needed.”

Rev. Sadler is very familiar with the fire devastated areas – his original parish was in the region from Batemans Bay to Eden, the part of the coast badly affected by the current disaster.

Making the toys is his contribution.

“If you give something to the kids it has a positive impact on the whole family” he said.

“Having them made is far better than buying something and giving it to them. It has a love factor, on ‘I really care’ message and that’s what the kids will need.”

The model wooden vehicles range from a bat mobile to a Ford Ranger to VW Beetle, delivery van, bus, truck and more.

“Each will have a little sticker on it saying where it has come from,” said Terry.

“The sticker will say ‘this is a gift from the Narrabri district community with our love and encouragement. It was made for you by us in Narrabri. We hope you enjoy it.’

“People have been very good in donating timber for the toys – I will need more as we go on.

“It needs to be untreated softwood,” he said.

Rev. Sadler turns the toy car wheels on his lathe, a 30-year-old piece of equipment he developed himself, and has a small assembly line of toys in progress.

“It is a bit of a one-man job but if someone else wants to help they are welcome,” he added.

He said he will continue to make and send toys ‘as long as there is a need.’

“The parable of the Good Samaritan is my motivation,” he adds.