The foundation supports families of sick and premature babies — recognising the need to keep their heads warm — through the knitting of beanies for premature babies.
Mrs Lowe is the grandmother of twin boys, who were born to her son Justin, and his wife, Belinda, eight weeks early.
“We were fortunate, because they breezed through. When I read about what other kids have been through I realise they got through fairly easily,” she said.
Ten years after two of her four grandchildren were born she has been the energetic figure behind the partnership between the Kyabram community and the Life’s Little Treasures Foundation.
The foundation started in 2005 and its services range from perinatal mental health assistance to emergency financial support for some of the 48,000 babies admitted into neonatal intensive and special care units every year in Australia.
Mrs Lowe said she recognised the care that her premature grandchildren received at the Francis Perry Hospital — and the happy ending — was not the same for everyone, hence her enthusiasm for the project.
“They had fantastic facilities from the time they were born,” she said.
Mrs Lowe is uniquely placed to co-ordinate the preparation of the “knitting nannas’’, who produced several hundred items for the foundation.
“I thought it would be a good thing to do. People have been knitting for the last couple of months,” she said.
Mrs Lowe is the co-ordinator of a Kyabram Community and Learning Centre craft group, and she also has connections to several of the Lake Rd centre’s other groups.
“We have recruited people from the craft group, the exercise groups and from a variety of other community groups to get involved,” she said.
Most of the participants in the project are grandparents, but not all have experienced the challenge of having premature babies in their families.
“Most are experienced hands in regard to knitting,” Mrs Lowe said.
“The response was great.
“They could do any colours they liked, there are all sorts of nationalities that have access to the beanies (along with knitted clothing items).
"This organisation supports groups Australia wide.”
The KCLC craft groups have supported a range of other causes, including the preparation of quilts for palliative care patients of Kyabram District Health Service, along with bushfire and flood support.
A resident of Kyabram for 47 years, Mrs Lowe said she was aware of several contributors to the cause using it as a distraction.
“A lot of people would knit a beanie in one night, while watching the football,” she said.