Members of the Capital Quilters Guild are known for their ability to sew.
And this time of year, they use it to do some good in the community.
It all started in the summer when guild members got together for their annual Christmas in July sit and sew. It’s where they pick out festive holiday fabric and begin to sew Christmas stockings for those in need.
Over the ensuing months, they finish their stocking or maybe a few of them, and wait to get a list of items to fill it with.
This is the ninth year the guild has created and filled Christmas stockings for adults staying at the McKenna House and families using the Friends Program Family Shelter.
The two programs send over a list of stocking needs for those staying in the shelters and guild members fill them.
“We usually do about 60 stockings each year,” said guild President Evelyn Johnson. “They just tell us what they need and we fill them.”
They buy personal care items such as full-sized shampoo and conditioner, razors, shaving cream, a warm hat and gloves, candy, notebooks, pens, pencils, small puzzle books, and really just about anything that fits in a stocking and would help brighten someone’s Christmas. For the children, members will add small toys and games.
“People do whatever they can, but our members are very generous,” said member Beverley MacGown.
And last Friday, during the guild’s annual Christmas party, they rounded up all the stockings for delivery – which they’ll drop off next week in time for Christmas.
“It’s a wonderful program and the gals all have fun with it,” Johnson said. “Giving back to the community is what we like to do.”
And while 60 or so stockings is a lot for a volunteer organization to do out of the goodness of their hearts, that isn’t the only thing the guild does this time of year.
They will donate 16 finished quilts to the Friends shelter, 48 placemats for Meals on Wheels and more than 150 pillow cases to Concord Hospital.
“Our goal was 100,” Johnson said.
And in another six or so months, the process will start again – toward making someone’s Christmas a little brighter.
