Monday, August 4, 2014

COMMUNIY MATTERS.....



Thoughts on community on this Civic Holiday weekend

Several years ago I got involved with Quilts of Valour http://www.quiltsofvalour.ca/, and DH and I held a Quilt Dedication at his parish, and that event got a bit of local media attention. From that event and the news coverage I met a wonderful lady Joan, who came to the church and dropped off several quilts for QoV. I found out then that she is totally immersed in making quilts (approx. 1600 quilts at last count ) for the local Ronald McDonald house. She does this at her own expense and with a dedication and determination few of us will ever be able to manage, because it’s an important outreach for her.

About the same time I met Claire http://www.clairemeldrum.ca/#home who is a busy wife, mom of 2, career woman, and graduate student who still manages to squeeze time to be creative into her very busy days. She has brought several quilts my way for quilting, and is a very talented maker and designer of smocked garments and specialty children’s clothing. She even helped her son David’s class make a Quilt of Valour. Her quilts are a pleasure to quilt and give me something to get my teeth into!

Some time ago Claire’s mom Judy M started to make aprons for Natural Abilities a store run by Community Living of Grimsby, Lincoln and West Lincoln. http://www.cl-grimsbylincoln.ca/
Judy has made over 200 aprons, and I suspect she does it because it’s a cause that’s important to her, and makes her community a better place to be.

As a rep for QoV I get lots of odds and sods given to me...boxes of fabric, thread, etc. Claire and some others know that much of what I do for QoV is done with little to no money; I do what I do because I feel it’s an important outreach. Claire brings boxes of scraps from her mom’s apron making and her own quilt making. Last year Pamela (another quilting customer) had to downsize and a substantial quantity of her stash arrived in my living room to sort and I did my best to pass it along to folks who are willing to be creative and make do.

Joan is one such person; what she does with scraps from Judy’s aprons, Claire’s quilts, and Pamela’s stash is quite amazing. I had a chat with Joan last week when she brought 3 new quilts for QoV and a quilt destined for ‘The House’ for me to see….

What little girl undergoing treatment for a serious illness would not want that quilt?

What wonderful outreach from folks like Joan, Judy, Pamela, and others like them with time, energy, a need to be creative, and a desire to assist their community...get involved in your community...it matters!

Cheers

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