Yesterday Dunedin Curtain Bank manager Belinda Le Lievre was outside New World Centre City shaking her donation bucket, and chatting to passers-by.
The charity takes unwanted and unused curtains, relines them and distributes the curtains to people in the community in need.
They also recycle the hooks and curtain rails in an effort to continue sustainability and recycling.
"Curtains are an awesome way of keeping the heat in your house — up to a third of a home’s heat is lost through the windows," Ms Le Lievre said.
She said each year they supplied between 400-500 people with curtains to help them heat their homes. In the last two years the numbers supplied had increased.
"I think people are doing it a bit tougher out there."
Not a seamstress herself, Ms Le Lievre said the charity was mostly running because of a large volunteer base that organised, stored, sewed and helped with the supply of the curtains.
Most of the volunteers at the organisation were retirees and they had one paid machinist to do the sewing.
"We wouldn’t be able to do anything without them."
All funds raised during the appeal would be put back into the charity to continue to provide curtains for Dunedin residents in need.
Those that missed the appeal can see the curtain bank at the Otago Farmers Market today from 8am-12.30pm where they would be selling creations made from curtain offcuts in their Enviroshop.
