Volunteers give comfort by sewing

October 5, 2009 
 
Every Thursday you’ll find a group of women huddled together talking, laughing and sewing. It’s a weekly meeting, which began with a purpose.

“We started gathering spring 2008,” said Dalene Bateman, St. Luke’s volunteer. “We’re a group of gals who really like to sew and wanted to do something meaningful with our time and talents. That’s how we got connected with St. Luke’s.”

The number of women who show up on any given Thursday from 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. is anywhere from two to 15. One of their first big projects was making lap quilts for St. Luke’s Hospice patients.

“It’s hard to express how much these lap quilts mean to our patients,” said Bruce Wlosinski, St. Luke’s Hospice social worker. “These are not ordinary blankets, but each has a theme that we match up with the person’s personality. The lap quilts have a soft fleece backing so when it touches the person’s skin, it is comforting. If you could see the reactions of the patients and families when this is presented to them, it would fill your heart with warmth.”

“It gives me great pleasure to know our work is making a difference in these people’s lives,” said Bateman. “Our work is truly a labor of love.”

Since January, Bateman and the other volunteers have made 165 lap quilts for St. Luke’s Hospice patients. The fabric used to make the quilts is mostly donated by St. Luke’s employees. Each quilt has a small pocket for a prayer card.

In addition to the lap quilts the volunteers also make white quilted envelopes, which are used to hold adoption papers. They recently started to tackle another project aimed at comforting patients.

“We just started making caps for children who have to have surgery,” said Bateman. “Going into surgery is stressful and frightening for an adult, just imagine how scary it can be for a child. We want these caps to turn tears into smiles. I looked hard to find just the right hat pattern and fabric for children of all ages.”

“We feel so fortunate to have these women volunteer their time and talents for these meaningful projects,” said Angela Berns, St. Luke’s Volunteer Services program manager. “Their work is beautiful and it touches so many lives. We can’t possibly thank them enough for their work.”

“I’m happy to do it – we really have a wonderful time doing the work,” said Bateman.

To learn more about volunteering or other ways to give -- contact St. Luke’s Volunteer Services at 319/369-7213.