The history of quilting always has had a thread of kindness woven throughout its history. Whether it's to provide warmth for your family or as a way for people to get together and share. Whenever there is a need you will find quilters who step up to the plate. A fire that wipes out a whole town...quilters will sew and donate quilts as a way of saying you matter. Hospitals are given quilts for not only their NICU units, but hospice, ER, Pediatrics. Cancer wards usually have a stash of quilts for those going through chemo.

 

So it was no surprise to me that the quilting group in the community I call my Winter home base supports a service near and dear to their hearts, Aviva Children's Services. The Aviva has worked for over 40 years to improve the quality of life for children who are in the Arizona Foster Care system. The quilt group has been taking quilt fabric and making pillow cases for children, toiletry bags which they fill with a variety of toiletries and one member, Susan Thompson, has made 20 Turtles!!! Yes, I said turtles! She has been taking quilting fabric and creating wonderful stuffed turtles that are about the size of a child. These turtles occupy an examination/meeting room and she has made so many that now every room has a turtle! They provide a friendly welcome cozy friend for a child who may be confused and frightened.

 

 

 

 

I believe whenever you are feeling like the world is off-kilter...talk to a quilter...they have hearts of gold.