A quilt is generally made from fabric pieces that are sewn together. Perhaps there is no better fitting illustration of broken lives being put together, as happens with clients of the Missouri Baptist Children’s Home, foster children and unwed mothers.
“Pat’s Saturday Sew Day” is the Grover Park Baptist Church quilt ministry in Warrensburg, Missouri, and in less than two years, it has given away 277 quilts and counting.
In about 2015, a monthly sewing club was started for those who wanted to learn how to quilt and those who were already quilting. There were about 20 “girls,” as they call themselves, involved.
About two years ago, leaders Pat Breon and Shirley Moore felt led by God to turn the sewing into a ministry.
“I prayed about it and talked to the other girls. One girl, Rhonda McGee, who teaches the college and career class, had a brochure on the Missouri Baptist Children’s Home. I felt like God was answering our prayers. There are so many orphans around the state,” Pat said.
“Our first year – a year ago in August – we took 80 quilts to the (Strawberry Festival) in Springfield for the Missouri Baptist Children’s Home including one girl’s mother in Arkansas who wanted to make a quilt too. We found the director of Kansas City’s Light House (of MBCH), and we gave him all our quilts,” Shirley said.
Since then, most of the quilts made and donated by other quilters to Grover Park are taken to MBCH facilities in Kansas City.
Ben King, Northwest Regional representative to the MBCH Foundation said they take maternity and baby quilts, twin and full-size quilts for the Pregnancy Resource Center and maternity units. Most of the current quilts have come from Pat’s Saturday Sew Day, but other groups are meeting some of the needs.
The Grover Park women make full size quilts, baby quilts and burp cloths. Pat’s Saturday Sew Day meets the fourth Saturday in the church fellowship hall with a a carry-in/order-in luncheon. They collect money to help with things like diapers and wipes for the Children’s Home.
“We teach how different piecing projects are done,” Pat said.
“There is a home for unwed mothers. When a child comes to the orphanage, they get a quilt and may keep it for their life. One child received one at age four and still has it 12 years later,” Shirley said.
‘God smiling’
Recently a load was taken to Independence, cleaning out all the women had on hand, and days later there were 10 more quilts donated.
“It’s been amazing. One lady that didn’t sew donated $100 for this. I sew every day. God has done this. He has shown us the way.” Shirley said.
A group in nearby Holden, some 20 miles away, started providing quilts too.
“That group there made great quilt contributions. They had been making them for first responders to give away, but the responders had enough quilts, so we accepted all from the Holden group. We told them not to quit,” Pat said.
Sometimes, the Sew Day fosters cross-generational bonding.
“One of the girls and her grandmother have made some and we’ve invited them to our group,” Pat said.
Some quilts are made by long arm sewing machines, some by domestic sewing and some have sections tied off.
At one quilt auction, six of the quilts provided by the Grover Park group brought a total of $935. The total raised at that auction was $24,000. At the Springfield auction, one quilt sold for $3,000. Baby quilts might go for $100 or more.
Participating quilters buy their own fabric, thread, batting and muslin for backing for the blankets they make and give away.
“Quilting is not a cheap hobby,” Shirley said.
The Warrensburg group decides which to put in an auction for the MBCH and which ones the girls give away.
“We are now making quilts for eight (unwed) mother’s bedrooms, but we have more than eight quilts turned in. Most quilts are given to children of all ages. People are not aware how many kids are in need. There are 2,000 kids in orphanages.
“We get emotional and cry about God bringing other quilts and quilters. We get as many quilts out to the children as we can. We’re getting a higher number of quilts than we ever thought we’d reach. “We have such caring ladies.
“It (the blessing) goes around in a circle. Sometimes, I feel God is smiling at this,” Pat said.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Dan Steinbeck and originally published by the Pathway.
