Church group makes, donates quilt for another year of world relief efforts

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

Members of Messiah Lutheran Church are joining other Lutherans from around the country in sending a gift of warmth and comfort to people around the world.

It’s part of an outreach that has been going on for many years.

Every Tuesday morning, members of the group gather at the Charles City church to work on quilts, said Leila Horn, one of the group members.

Over the past year the small group of mostly women made 78 quilts, each unique, in addition to school kits containing school supplies and personal kits including a bath towel, soap, toothbrush, nail clippers, etc.

They set the quilts out on the church pews last Tuesday, so members of the congregation got to see them and sit on them Wednesday night for midweek Lenten service, as well as during Sunday services, when the quilts were blessed.

The Rev. Norman Bauer, interim pastor at the church, noted during his sermon on Sunday that he had been in Mexico and had seen the quilts being used, including as coverings for doors and windows, Horn said.

Members of the group spent Tuesday morning boxing up everything to be sent by semi to a Lutheran World Relief warehouse in Minneapolis, where they will be joined with quilts and kits from other Lutheran churches, then sent to places where they are needed around the globe.

In 2018, almost 324,000 Lutheran World Relief quilts and hundreds of thousands of kits went to 25 counties and helped more than 601,000 people.

Quilts and kits from the Minneapolis warehouse went to Angola, Burkina Faso, Georgia, Honduras, India, Lebanon, Mali, Nicaragua, Peru, Senegal and Serbia.

Regular members of the Charles City group include Leila Horn, Becky Smith, Janice Matthews, Rosemary Fjelstul, Jane Hoppenworth and Betty Mohring. Rosemary’s husband, Les Fjelstul, helps cut out the squares for the quilts. Janice’s husband, Roy Matthews, was on hand Tuesday helping box the quilts and kits.

Members of the group said they encourage donations of old sheets or blankets to be used to make quilts. Anyone interested in donating is asked to call the Messiah Lutheran Church office at 228-6772.