Thank you for all the suggestions and perspectives expressed!
I think (being new) that I will start small... by buying several packs of new needles for the ladies to use to tie through the quilts.
Several folks object to the double-knits, because they are too hard to sew through. Well, if you look at their stash of needles, a good portion of them have corrosion on the sides. Not being smooth, of course they won't go through the fabric well! And some of the other ones are more for working with yarn, as they have blunt tips instead of sharp. Of course, those won't go through the knits!