GH church group makes quilts for Honduras

Sat, Jul 31, 2010    to del.icio.us

BY KAREN CARPENTER

Special to the Tribune

A quilt can be cozy and comforting to resting or sleeping under. All of us probably have at least one at home.

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If the quilt was made by a relative, there may be a sentimental attachment, but basically a quilt is a buffer against the chill of winter evenings.

That is not the case in some less affluent parts of the world. A quilt can be used as a sunshade from the squelching heat of the afternoon. It may be a tent under which a family sleeps. There may be times when the family quilt is spread on the ground and used as a table for the family meal.

To people in those countries, a quilt is more than a blanket; it is shelter, warmth and protection.

Several members of St. Paul's United Church of Christ in Grand Haven have, for the last two years, been making plans for a mission trip to Honduras. A 13-member work team, sponsored through Hands in Service, will be traveling to Honduras this month.

About 15 months ago, an idea began to form in the mind of one member of St. Paul's: Judy Johnson. She is an avid quilter and decided to use her sewing talent to help others.

Judy asked Wayne and Char Merz, who operate Hands In Service, whether the people of Honduras would appreciate a few quilts. Char was delighted and agreed to distribute to the poor any quilts Judy made.

As with many ideas, the desire to make quilts for others spread until there were 66 quilts completed. Six people contributed time and talent to sewing the quilt tops. Judy and her sister, Mary Rose, sewed on the backing and binding. Judy machine-quilted the blankets as the tops were completed.

"I thought there would be a couple of dozen or so," Char said. "This is so great to have 66 quilts to pass out. I am not sure how we will get them all there, but we will find a way."

Quilters stitched and cut many hours in their homes during the last few months. Judy held a quilting retreat at her home with nine quilt tops being completed. Five ladies spent three days quilting so those less fortunate might receive serviceable and pretty blankets.

It seems but a small thing that can be done for others, but the Honduran people will likely view the quilts as a huge gift of love.

Several other members and friends of St. Paul's donated material and thread. Every bit of the material used in the making of the quilts was donated and all of the labor was volunteer — it was truly a labor of love.

Quilts will be handed out at a nursing home and will be given to children in a home for AIDS patients. Some will be taken up into the mountains and handed out to the poor and elderly.

The mission trip to Honduras is scheduled for Aug. 6-16. The work team consists of five teens and eight adults, and most are members of St. Paul's UCC.

The work team's major project will be construction of additional bathrooms at a day care center in Comayagua, and also providing a Vacation Bible School program for children who live in the area of the day care center.