Quilt made by Marsha Webster for St. Mary’s End of Life Ministry.
Linda Eisenhart, Publicity Chair and Kathryn Von Bargen, President
Service has always been at the core of the SaddleBrooke Friday Quilters’ group activities and they currently have eight projects that benefit 10 different local groups! This month we are featuring our medical facility beneficiaries.
When the call went out in SaddleBrooke for masks, Quilt Club members stepped up and did their part. In polling just a dozen of our members, over almost 2,000 masks were contributed to friends and family members throughout the 50 states, the New Mexico Navajo reservation and as far away as Germany and Austria, as well as our local area! Most masks made by Quilt Club members are often colorful and “one-of-a-kind,” tempting wearers to “make lemonade from lemons” by making “fashion statements” matching their mask to the outfit they are wearing!
Members are also in the process of making cardiac heart pillows for the VA Hospital that help patients when they need to cough more comfortably after heart surgery. They are also making kits for catheter bag covers and members have recently assembled and delivered 35 masks, 40 wheelchair totes, 58 walker totes, 15 wheelchair lap quilts, as well as 13 prayer blankets and lap quilts for veteran patients in the VA Hospital and Fisher House, and patients in St. Mary’s Hospital’s End of Life Ministry. The Ronald McDonald House was also the recipient of 24 pillowcases and 20 masks for the families they are serving. Quilt Club members also support Project Linus, which has delivered over 7,000 quilts in the Tucson area to hospitals and medical facilities that serve pediatric patients, offering quilts to infants through teens.
Members have used leftover fabrics and supplies that the Quilt Club had, as well as supplies from their personal “stash” to do these community projects. As these stocks are being rapidly depleted, the Quilt Club is happy to accept cash donations to replenish the supplies for these charity projects. Checks can be made payable to SaddleBrooke Quilt Club and mailed to Kathy Von Bargen at 61648 Ironwood Ln, Tucson, AZ 85739.
Melinda Gates said, “Philanthropy is about using whatever resources you have at your fingertips and applying them to improve the world.” SaddleBrooke Quilters have been doing just that for years and, in today’s challenging circumstances, have shown us all how productive we can be in serving our neighbors in the greater Tucson community.
To support these organizations, go to www.carondelet.org/location/detail/st-marys-hospital, www.projectlinustucson.org, www.tucson.va.gov, www.rmhctucson.org, or www.fisherhouse.org.