NC non-profit sews pouches for animals impacted by Australian wildfires

WEAVERVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- A Buncombe County nonprofit is putting their sewing machines to work to churn out pouches to help save baby kangaroos, wallabies, koalas and wombats in Australia.

After hearing of the tragic wildfires in Australia, a group at 5 Little Monkeys Quilt & Sew in Weaverville called "Grateful Threads" has started sewing pouches for the marsupials impacted.

Marsupials are a species of mammals that carry their young in a pouch.

The owner of the shop, Angie Lamoree, put the word out on Facebook earlier in the week asking for members to drop off any items made that would benefit the Australian animals including pouches, wraps and sweaters.

By next week, Lamoree said the club plans to have 40 to 50 pouches made. On Jan. 16, she plans to send a big box of pouches to Australia at her own expense.

"They're easy to use up, especially flannel scraps," Lamoree said in an interview with WLOS. "They need to be natural fiber. They can't be polyester or cheap, slippery stuff. It has to be good quality fiber which is what we have."

Lamoree said the nonprofit will also be accepting cash donations to help with food and medicine in Australia.