Stitching service: Sisters unite to comfort those in need
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Last April in his conference talk, President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency, said, "The feelings of unity will multiply the good effects of the service you give. And those feelings of unity of families, in the Church, and in communities will grow and become a lasting legacy long after the project ends."
This inspiring thought was the cornerstone of the community quilting bee that was held in Pine Top, Ariz., July 18-20 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in three different ward buildings of the Pine Top Arizona Stake. The community gathered for a three-day quilting bee to celebrate Arizona's centennial year with the theme, "100 quilts for 100 years." Fitting with Pioneer Day, the Pine Top Arizona Stake sponsored the community wide event that would help benefit local charities and people in their community.
Linda Bohn, co-chairman of the event and humanitarian specialist of the Woodland Lake Ward, said she came up with the idea of an old-fashioned quilting bee to be featured along with the stake's Pioneer Day celebration upon hearing President Eyring's talk in April conference about a day of service. She was inspired to expand the idea from the ward to the stake and include the three communities of the stake.
After getting the idea approved by the stake president, a committee was formed that included members from all over the stake to help organize and plan the large community event. It was decided that the event would be sponsored by the Church and would be called the "Community Quilting Bee" with the mission being "to involve the women of the Church and the community to reach out to those in difficult circumstances. The quilts are to be a gift of comfort, warmth and love."
Sister Bohn said they wanted to organize the event so individuals, families and organizations could make a blanket and donate it to the bee. She said committee members visited organizations to inquire what their needs were and how many blankets they would like to receive. They visited a local police department, fire department, safe house, home for unwed mothers, home for mothers in crisis, assisted living, the Salvation Army, a child protection services center and a rehabilitation center. After they collected the numbers it was estimated that they would need to make more than 100 quilts for their community, thus creating the idea they were going to make "100 quilts for 100 years" of Arizona being a state.
To get the word out to the community, the committee conducted interviews with local radio stations, newspapers and magazines. They also made posters, fliers, newsletters, bulletins and announcements at other local events. They created a website with information on how to volunteer and donate, and provided information about the progress of the event with their catchy slogan, "100 blankets for 100 years." They even created a Facebook page and sent out emails to reach the younger generation of their community.
During the two months of preparation, donations from members of the ward and community were received to offset the costs. Members sewed quilts to tie and crocheted blankets. The community assisted in promoting the event and donated finished quilts as well as materials. A professional quilter generously donated seven quilts and a quilt top while one homebound sister, who is dependent on oxygen, crocheted a baby blanket for the cause.
Others worked long hours during the event and took blankets home to finish that evening. One sister finished 10 quilts and then worked during the event to complete more. Some of the sisters met weekly before the event, preparing quilts to be tied and for those who could not attend during the event; many finished quilts in advance to donate.
The number of completed quilts was 368, far surpassing the original goal of 100 quilts. A display of the quilts was featured at the Sierra Blanca Rehabilitation Center for three days following the event. On July 25 the quilts were delivered to the charities around the community. A commemorative quilt was made as a way to remember the time when the community came together to help those in need. More than 20 women contributed to the quilt with hand embroidery and pictures that depicted Arizona. The quilt read, "Arizona Centennial, 100 years, 1912 to 2012." The quilt is to be displayed in the town hall, historical societies and local libraries. The stake plans to enter it in the Navajo County Fair and other quilt competitions and the sisters have hopes to one day display it in the Arizona State Capitol.
Service hours tracked at the buildings those three days of the quilting bee were in excess of 1,000 hours. Many more untracked hours were given before, during and even after, when quilts were delivered.
"We who have worked so closely as a committee feel so grateful for this service opportunity," Sister Bohn said. "I know that even those who had even a small part in the project felt the spirit and blessing of giving service."
