Annie's Star Quilt Guild

More on Community Service

Shortly after the organization of ASQG, the group began a distribution of children's quilts as a community service. Catalyst For Change was the first group to receive them. A few years later lap robes for seniors were added and given to nursing home residents through the Senior Christmas Project.

Through the years other agencies requested and received quilts for their worthy cause. Additional recipients include: The Shriner's Crippled Children's Hospital; Soroptomist Project for Homebound Seniors; Rotary International's cleft palate"Wrap-a-Smile" project; Esplanade House; Youth and Family Services' Independent Living Program (foster children as they leave the program at 17 or 18 years of age); Torres Homeless Shelter (for men) and Jesus Center's Sabbath Room (for women and children). In addition, special requests from guild members are filled, when possible, for victims of a personal tragedy and 'adopted' families at Christmas. Though not a specific action of the Community Service Committee, guild members (individually and small groups) have made and donated quilts to worthy causes to use as a fund raiser, The newest community service project is place mats for seniors distributed by Meals-on-Wheels.

The major contributors of fabric has always been members of the guild and their family and friends. Occasionally quilt shops donate fabric and requests to Walmart have resulted in several gift cards. These in turn are used to purchase fabric. Typically the purchased fabric consists of blenders and solids to compliment donations from guild members.

As the amount of donated fabric grew, it became necessary to find a way to distribute it to guild members. The present committee decided to package fabric in kits and call them "Great Beginnings". The name implies fabric for a top which may also contain additional pieces from the quilter's stash. As quilt tops were turned in, it became necessary to create "Finishing Touches" kits containing a quilt top with fabric for backing and binding. In this way a completed quilt was the product and served as a practice project for members learning to machine quilt. The most recent committee supply is batting ordered from Hobbs and made available to complete a project. Kits are available at most guild meetings. Batting and additional fabric (especially backing) are available by calling Sydney Dickson who stores the guild's "stash".