What charity needs lap size quilts, do you know?
 

Hi,

I'm interested in making lap sized (or even small throw sized) quilts for a charity, but do not know of a charity that needs them. I checked with our local cancer center, and they don't need any quilts. I just want to be able to make some lap sized quilts to decrease my stash and enjoy making smaller projects.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

I work thru a church organization. We have had a request for men quilts who are in a wheelchair. You might check with any senior homes. Also look using Google what local churches have a quilting group. Just found out another church group have quilters that met on Friday.

Veteran's centers, elder care facilities, neonatal units, shelters (both human and animal), hospitals.....

I understand from a local charity coordination group that senior citizen nursing homes really love to get the smaller quilts for warmth (wheelchair or lap size).

You could check with your LQS - Pacific Fabrics just put an email out requesting quilts for Project Linus to benefit students at Marysville Pilchuck High School. Also check with veteran groups, hospitals and food banks in your area.

Project Linus is all that comes to mind....you might consider checking with local quilt guilds. My guild donates quilts to several different charities.

this was going to be my suggestion, too

I am very active in our local Project Linus project. I make at least 21 quilts or throws each month. The way I understand the project is that each child who enters the ER is given a blanket or quilt as a comfort thing. It doesn't have to be big enough to cover them entirely. I have gotten dozens of thank you notes over the years saying that the quilt I provided calmed the child down and enabled the medical staff to work on him without having to deal with his or her fears. I mostly try and make things that are either gender neutral or geared toward boys. As a step-mother of two active, clumsy boys I made lots of trips to the ER with them. I don't believe Project Linus existed then but it would have been welcome on those visits. Project Linus also takes baby size quilts. They can be used to protect a child in an incubator type bed from the bright lights that are required overhead and then given to the family.

Google "Quilts for Kids" They supply quilts for many Children's Hospitals nationwide. Only problem is you need to mail them to their headquarters and that can get expensive. Thanks for making and donating quilts.

I used to be in a group that made them for families who had lost their homes to fire. Maybe check with the fire department.

Nursing homes.

My guild supports the local women's shelter. It is sponsored through YMCA. You may also check the police department too.

I have made some Linus quilts and that was the first thing that came to mind. If you have a homeless shelter that could also be a place that has needs.

Local foster families. Our guild members each made a top and provided the batting and backing. I then quilted them and we are donating appr. 20 quilts to a local foster family. We only have about 12 active members. Sometimes kids are taken out of a bad situation without anything except the clothes on their backs. These quilts were made with the intention of them keeping them where ever they end up.

Chris

We give them to our local Sheriff's department to keep in their vehicles. When they are dealing with an accident, and someone must sit in the car, there is a quilt available. Sometimes children, sometimes older.

We have three adult day centers run by a non-profit organization. They are like kid day care centers but for Seniors and the adult disabled while their family member caregivers are at work. They love the lap size quilts and are used by Those sitting in chairs, wheel chairs and recliners. In addition this same non-profit, LIFE Senior Services in Tulsa also has an annual holiday project to give gifts to local low-income Seniors and lap quilts are often requested as gifts. I give all my lap quilts to them! You might check with your local United Way agency to see if you have a similar Non-profit agency in your area for Seniors.

There is a Veteran's Home (nursing home) about 2 hours from here and I recently called them and asked if they could use lap size quilts and they said YES. I asked if all of their residents were men and the lady said "no" that they also had a women's wing. I plan on bringing them some on my way to St. Louis. You might check your area to see if you have something like that in your area.

Our Guild provides quilts to the child advocacy center. Children who are removed from their home go there and every child gets a quilt.

when you ask if they need quilts, be sure to ask if they have a preference on dimensions..........our church group is in the process of making some for a local nursing home and they specified 24" X 48" we were surprised that they wanted them so narrow......

Thanks for all of the great suggestions! :)

I just received a request from *QuiltsforKids* they are in need, over the years I have sent upward of 100 quilts to them, they send quilts to hospitals all over the country for kids. Also, locally I always take kids quilts to the women's resource center for the emergency shelter; around the holidays stress sometimes causes ( families/kids) to wind up in the shelter over the holidays with no means to provide much of a Christmas... A nice, snuggly quilt for a child who has landed in a ( scary situation) can make a difference. Also, I am in contact with the local fire department, when a family suffers a home fire I sometimes receive a call / request for quilts for them. The local groups who put together gift baskets for families also appreciate donations

Check with pediatricians. A guild that I attended donated quilts annually to a local pediatrician who distributed them to needy patients or kids that were really sick and in need of comfort. As he gave them out, he sent a card to the quilter to tell her that her quilt had been given to a child of __ age, etc. No name, etc. Also nursing homes have residents who rarely have visitors or would love the hug of a quilt that someone made just for them.

Try local women's shelters or Salvation Army shelters that house families or abuse women shelters. I make pillowcases and donate household and body care items to the abuse shelters here.

For the Quilts For Kids check their website and see if there is a local chapter in your area that you can work with. For shipping the quilts, try using the vacuum bags to reduce the bulk before shipping them. This should allow you to ship items in smaller boxes to reduce the postage.

Sadie's Dream for a Cure is always looking for quilts and people to make tote bags. They will send you the pattern for the bags and the fabrics to make your first one. You can cut down your stash with tote bags too. Our local police departments carry quilts and stuffed animals in their cars.

One of our church ministries is to provide quilts to cancer patients at the local hospital. So far this year we have donated 137 comfort quilts and 7 knitted prayer shawls (a group of about 15 women). I make mine 40-42 wide by 62-65 long, depending on the block size and how wide my backing material is! We can always use more so if you can't find a local source, they will be greatly appreciated in North Carolina. I have developed a couple of controlled scrappy patterns that are the perfect size and doesn't cost an arm and a leg to donate. The guild buys the batting and if money is available, muslin for the back. And I beg scraps off anyone I know in order to keep the work going. The majority of my scraps are cut 3 1/2 x 6 1/2 in order to take advantage of the scrappy patterns I like the most. Here is a link to my favorite http://b-quilts.com/blog/. Go to the right side where is says "free patterns" and click on Shirley's Quilt.

I highly recommend finding your local chapter of Project Linus. We make and give blankets to kids from infant to age 18. We get a lot of baby blankets and children's blankets because they are quick to make, but teenagers suffering from trauma can really benefit from a quilt of their own. I'm sure your quilts would be welcomed!

In addition to all ideas posted the request section from the board also has requests for different causes. Your local guild might also be helpful in finding a cause that you like.


http://www.quiltingboard.com/requests-f25/

yes, see if there's a Veterans center near you! I help make lap robes for them, they like them about 45 x45, and we make knitted and crochet ones too.

Hospice can always use them

Please consider veteran's homes. Many of those veterans have no family and need someone to dare!

Quilts For Kids. http://www.quiltsforkids.org/

A church group here does that, too. There were over 250 donated and USED last year!! The quilts and knitted blankets are stored in a zippered plastic bag in the back of the Sheriff's cars.

Keep looking locally. Mailing a quilt to an organization can get pricey.

I volunteer for Quilts for Comfort....in NJ we make quilts 40x60 for Leukemia patients...we meet twice a month. Susan has website Quits for Comfort...we give the quilts to the two hospitals in NJ that do bone marrow transplants.

So true and the quilts are so appreciated by the patients and families.

My quilt guild makes quilts for our local kidney dialysis center.

Oh good golly, how much stash do you have? Project Linus, Newborns in Need, ConKerr Cancer; (they want pillowcases for kids). Quilts for Kids. (you can google any of these for local places). Your local police, sheriff or fire departments, CPS, if you live in a large city, hospitals for NICU, local veterans hospitals use wheelchair quilts. All of these are smaller quilts, they will burn thru your stash in no time, and you will have the satisfaction of helping someone. Don't forget homeless shelters or domestic violence shelters, contact your local police for info on how to contact them. (I have donated to all of these charities, so I know they will welcome your help and generosity.)

I have made the small quilts and had them on hand when I heard of someone in need. Then I always have some small quilts done and ready. I recommend you contact before taking them to the places you find. Some have too many and no place to store additional one. They also can suggest other locations.

Charity Quilts for kids
 

We do quilts from 6" squares for Ronald McDonald House. Not only a great charity, but a fun way to try out some new quilting stitches. see http://www.rmhcincinnati.org/sites/d.../Quilts(5).pdf for mor information.

Check with local nursing homes, veteran's hospitals, children's hospitals. I also make 'fidget quilts' for Alzeheimer's patients. Also women's and children's shelters.

We give to a Children's advocacy group, Veteran's hospital, nursing home, woman's shelter.. I have heard that the state and local police departments in some locations will take small quilts for children.