In the past two weeks, so much has happened with our quilt project for victims of Hurricane Helene. For the distribution of the quilts received I have concentrated on the areas hardest hit that have not been the focus of other groups. Boxes of quilts arrived over the course of a couple of weeks and I sorted some into categories to take to those who needed support. On a cold and overcast day, My Sweet Babboo and I drove down to Columbus, NC to meet Diane Nelson at Steps to Hope. Below on the left are Scott and Gay Pleune, my car club buddies who put me in touch with Diane on the right next to me. Diane is the Executive Director for this women’s shelter with 12 beds so I took 12 twin size quilts to them. It is hard to imagine having to flee your home as an abuser becomes worse with the stress of the hurricane damage.

We carried the quilts inside and the staff were marveling at the size and quality of the quilts. Each one unique and beautiful, noting the special labels and fabulous piecework or applique. Diane sent a letter for everyone who donated saying “Thank you for your thoughtful donation of the beautiful quilts. Gifts like yours bring a sense of comfort and home to our clients during a difficult time in their lives…. It is because of people like. you that we can do all that we do for our survivors in their time of need. Thank you for helping us make that happen.”

Remember this stunning work of art? Pam B of Delaware had graciously allowed it to be used as a fundraiser. But I was surprised at how difficult it was to find someone to want it for that purpose. It was turned down by 3 different entities, but when I broached the subject with Diane, her eyes lit up. She told me that her mailing list both postal and email exceeds 5000 people, and she would love to have it as a fundraiser. So, it will be put up for an online raffle early next year. She expects it to raise several thousand dollars to help the shelter residents get back on their feet.

Delivery complete, we drove back up the mountain to home. Low fog on the mountain tops is such an interesting thing to see.

Stopping by the post office, more boxes were waiting.

The next day, I eagerly tore into them making notes of who sent which ones. None of them had an email address for me to let the shippers know the boxes were received. So, I made notes on the addresses and mailed thank you cards. The first box was from Rene M of Mars, PA, containing two quilts, one strip pieced twin and one lap size tumbler block.

Next, Julie C of Rush, NY sent two twin quilts, one brown and one pink in a squares and frames design.

Joan P of Newport NC sent a pinwheel quilt, baby quilt, crocheted afghan, along with some small knitted hats and socks. I wasn’t sure what I could do with the socks and hats, but thought I’d offer them to the next recipients as it was only a few things.

But then, I opened the largest two boxes expecting quilts but was surprised to find the boxes full of sweatshirts and coats. I had no idea what I was going to do with these. Sue E of Sanford, Florida sent a note to say she and her group hoped these would help keep people warm in the winter. I appreciated her compassion, and got on the phone to try to find someplace that could use them.

I found that at least 2 of our local relief charities have stopped taking clothing as they have overflowed with donations from locals who emptied out their own closets after the hurricane. I found that Safelight was beginning their plan for a coat drive in January in conjunction with United Way, and they were willing to take them now. First stop last Thursday was to leave all the coats, sweatshirts, crocheted blankets, hats, gloves and socks with Lauren at Safelight. Going forward, though, I cannot take clothing with this project, only quilts please.

Later that day, I drove to the Bearwallow Baptist Church in the hard hit, tiny community of Gerton. The road to get there winds around the mountains for miles of switchbacks and broken pavement, with downed trees and debris littering the sides of the road. The normally 30 minute drive took about 45 minutes, not too bad considering the damage. I had to go past a checkpoint, convincing the officer there that I really did need to go into Gerton. Luckily, the church was less than a mile past the checkpoint. The little church sits on a hill, with a small sanctuary, and a couple of tiny classrooms. The bridge to get across the creek had washed out in the flood, but has been repaired and I was able to get up to park next to the church. The parking lot was small and not paved, but I could work around the muddy part.

Reverend Don Freeman, Pastor of the church, met me and we carried two large boxes into a classroom. Then he said, ‘why don’t we put these in the sanctuary?’ I thought that was a marvelous idea.

We got all the quilts out of the boxes and spread them out over the pews. As parishioners came into the church on Sunday, they would see the quilt gifts and be able to choose one. He thought there were enough for every household to have one. I told him I could possibly bring more later to make sure everyone had one. He said only about 25 people attend Sunday services.

Rev. Don told me that two of his parishioners had their homes completely washed away. Not only are their homes gone along everything that was in them, but so is the land they were built on. There is no way to rebuild them in the same place. There isn’t even enough of the land left to put a trailer on as the river shifted its course. He doesn’t know what they will do, but the church is trying to support them as best they can. I left with mixed feelings of both sadness and hope. But I had to laugh when I spoke to him on the phone on Monday, and he said that the parishioners were on the quilts like “chickens on corn” when he announced that they were to be taken home by anyone that wanted one. Luckily, there were no squabbles, and all were claimed.

He sent photos of a few of the happy people. One man was able to take a quilt for himself and couple to share with family. Rev. Freeman said “Thank you so much for the quilts you brought to Bearwallow Baptist Church in Gerton. I am sending a few pictures of people who took quilts to share or to use.” We chatted for just a bit about the need still in the parish and in the town. If you or your guild is wondering if we can use more, the answer is yes.

The last delivery was to a Gerton resident. It was the brown log cabin quilt in this photo. It is very rare for me to be able to directly give a donation quilt to a hurricane victim. Most of the time I leave them with others to distribute. But this resident is the brother in law of a fellow blogger, so I really wanted him to have one.

Michael and I did not get to actually meet, but I had given him my cell number so we could coordinate the delivery. I left his quilt in the care of a store manager where he works. He texted me on Saturday when he went to work and found his quilt. He wrote “Oh my goodness, this quilt is so beautiful! So many people told me they had been admiring it and wanted to know where it came from. Thank you so much! This is an amazing work of art! And thank you for coming out to our little community. I know there will be a lot of happy people tomorrow morning. This is such a blessing for us. We are very touched by this.” There are more in his community that he knows have had significant damage, and he is now on the team to distribute any additional quilts that come my way to people who could use the support.

In the meantime, for everyone who has participated in this project, know that your compassion has made a difference in many lives. Whether the quilt is used for warmth or is more a show of support, the recipients are all grateful. They know they are not forgotten, that someone cares. That is the miracle of kindness in this Christmas season and all through the year. On behalf of everyone involved, thank you!

Merry Christmas
and enjoy the holidays!