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WNYers sew "Joey Pouches" for kangaroos in fire-ravaged Australia

Posted at 11:56 PM, Jan 08, 2020
and last updated 2020-01-08 23:56:54-05

CLARENCE, N.Y. (WKBW) — Clarence New York on a cold winter's night, could Australia and their raging fires seem any further away? Well inside this Clarence studio, inside a plaza off Main Street, Australia and their problems are on the forefront of a handful of women's minds.

“It's heart wrenching, pictures of burned animals,” said Vanessa Dawson.

“You feel helpless. And you just think what can I do even in a small way to help this country,” said Beth Adams.

The brush fires have killed countless animals, including some of Australia's most famous like the koala and kangaroo. Ones who have survived are burned and homeless.

“So, these are pouches for little baby joeys, little kangaroos,” said Dawson.

The group at the Compassionate Self Actualization Center say, they'll make about 35 pouches, Wednesday night. Each pouch goes through about 5 or 6 liners in a day, so there is a demand.

“This is something they're going to need for quite a long time,” explained Dawson.

The help is not coming from just Western New York, crafters from around the world are making these pouches. They're also making mittens for koalas and wraps for bats.

“You just want to be able to do something, you know?” added Dawson.

Western New York and Australia couldn't be any further away, but Australians and their animals need help. And the people of Western New York help their neighbors, it matters not that the neighbors are on the other side of the globe.