Comfort quilt with help from my friends!
01-28-2020, 09:27 AM
#14
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Waterford Michigan
Posts: 7,241
What happens to charity quilts
At our last guild meeting the charity program coordinator was talking with me and expressed her shock at what happened to many of the quilts made by guild members. When she went to deliver a number of quilts to one charity we support she was informed that many of the homeless people that get a quilt will throw it away after only a short while as they have not way to wash it and if they are sleeping on the ground, under a bridge or in the woods they become soiled beyond recognition or any hope of getting clean or repaired so they are discarded and trashed. The good news is that there is usually another quilt to replace what was discarded to keep them warm.
Her concern was with all the work that goes into many of these quilts, and money,that they are just discarded. She is putting serious though into not supporting this charity again. She also expressed that this was not disclosed when we were asked to support this charity. I told her that no matter what happens to the quilts after we give the gift should not be important because even it for only a short time that quilt keeps someone warm in zero weather then it saved a life. I don't think she thought that to be the case as she fixed on the beautiful quilts that were not treasured as we the quilter would treasure them. What do others think?
Her concern was with all the work that goes into many of these quilts, and money,that they are just discarded. She is putting serious though into not supporting this charity again. She also expressed that this was not disclosed when we were asked to support this charity. I told her that no matter what happens to the quilts after we give the gift should not be important because even it for only a short time that quilt keeps someone warm in zero weather then it saved a life. I don't think she thought that to be the case as she fixed on the beautiful quilts that were not treasured as we the quilter would treasure them. What do others think?
01-28-2020, 09:46 AM
#15
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Upstate NY, north of Syracuse Area
Posts: 6,003
Juliasb, There is a lot of discussion about those issues but for me, the bottom line is giving something that brings comfort to others.
Personally, I don't support larger charities with my quilting because I want to keep my efforts directed to those in my own community. To be clear, I define my community as anyone I have some connection to, whether directly or indirectly. I don't usually know the recipient personally, but someone I know knows them, or someone who knows them... lol.
I have also donated quilts for kids to our local children's hospital cancer units, where the quilts are given directly to a child.
I am also thinking about talking to our volunteer fire dept. to see if they would use some quilts for people during emergencies.
Mainly tho, I am kept busy making comfort quilts. Sadly there always seems to be a need, even in my small rural community. What happens to the quilts after I gift them is not something I think or worry about.
Personally, I don't support larger charities with my quilting because I want to keep my efforts directed to those in my own community. To be clear, I define my community as anyone I have some connection to, whether directly or indirectly. I don't usually know the recipient personally, but someone I know knows them, or someone who knows them... lol.
I have also donated quilts for kids to our local children's hospital cancer units, where the quilts are given directly to a child.
I am also thinking about talking to our volunteer fire dept. to see if they would use some quilts for people during emergencies.
Mainly tho, I am kept busy making comfort quilts. Sadly there always seems to be a need, even in my small rural community. What happens to the quilts after I gift them is not something I think or worry about.
