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Tuesday, February 9, 2010 |
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Locals create comfort for those in need
Published March 20, 2009
The ladies of the Faith Lutheran Church have put the pedals to the metal on their sewing machines to aid the Lutheran World Relief program.
Having topped last year’s record of 500 quilts, these busy bees have constructed over 600 patchwork comforters to donate to the program hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.
“Four hundred fifty-five thousand seven-hundred and ninety-eight quilts were distributed last year throughout the world,” said quilter Doris Beicker. “This is the first time we got 600 and we were really excited.”
Starting at 9 a.m. every Wednesday morning with at least 12 quilters the ladies work in an assembly-line fashion to tie up any lose ends, Beicker said.
“We have got piecing, sewing, assembling, tieing and then binding,” she said. “I am proud of all of the quilts we have done.”
With eight boxes of color sorted, contributed material to choose from, the group is proud to say that they use all they get, Beicker said.
“We are the recycling queens, we recycle everything from every little bit,” she said. “All of this stuff is donated, like the thread.”
“The upholstery companies gives us samples of their curtain materials and we use those.”
The group is able to obtain the necessary materials through a wide variety of means including an inherited stash from a passed loved one, spring cleaning of the attic or basement, loss of interest in a hobby or even the revamping of a room and changing out the curtains, Beicker said.
Even though they receive a lot of help with supplies, they are not afraid to seek out further assistance, Beiker said.
“Bed sheets are necessary for the middle and we are always on the look out for any supplier of used sheets,” she said. “We go around to some of the hotels and ask for them. We have gotten a lot from Comfort Inn, who have been long contributors.”
With a little help every year, after Easter, the women gather their handiwork and send off for storage and distribution, Beicker said.
“The Zion Lutheran Church in Helotes collects all of the quilts from this district,” she said. “The Koehler Company every year provides transportation to Zion Lutheran Church in Helotes before they go to Maryland.”
Upon their arrival, the pieced together crafts are bundled into larger bails and can either stored or shipped right away, said Beverley Seidenschwarz.
“Where ever the need is around the world, they are distributed,” she said. “If the need comes in from Afghanistan or Louisiana they receive the quilts.”
Foreign countries and outlying states are not always the recipients of the blankets, Seidenschwarz said.
“Like Katrina, it can either be local or global,” she said. “When we had our flood in ‘98, I know we brought a bunch of quilts over to Emanuel’s and we gave them to all of the flood victims from that church and I am sure all of the flood victims from this church got a quilt, as well.”
Before their trip, the quilts are packaged up in to boxes, counted and weighed, Beicker said.
“The boxes can not be more than 35 pounds because it would be too hard to lift,” she said. “The quilts fit perfectly in banana boxes.”
Even though quilts may be their specialty, these ladies piece together other packages of essentials.
“We also do school kits which we (LWR) distributed 193,665 and we also do health kits, 133,500 of those have been distributed,” Beicker said. “This year, Beverley’s (Seidenschwarz) group has made over 100 [school kits] this year and my group has made over 113 health kits. We are aiming for 125 and we will get it.”
Both kits are comprised of everyday items that kids and or adults may be deprived of, Beicker said.
“In the school kits we put in pencils, notebooks, crayons, rulers, scissors, erasers and construction paper, things that kids would need and they are in a bag that we make that can be used as a school bag,” she said. “The health kits I am in charge of and we do hand towels, wash cloth, a toothbrush, a comb, a nail file and a bar of soap.”
Donated items for the quilts or kits can be dropped off at Faith Lutheran Church, 1326 E. Cedar St. or call Doris Beicker at (830) 303-4646.
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