|
NON-PROFIT
OF THE MONTH:
PEOPLE
COMFORTERS
4990
Hwy. 73, Evergreen, CO
303/697-9412
Walk into the Sheriff’s Sub-Station
next to the Evergreen Library and turn down a long, narrow hallway,
where the walls are thick with museum-quality, hanging quilts, one
more dazzling and intricate than the one before. Follow the quilts
to a small room at the end where six to eight people, ranging in
age from 2 to 92, create these works of art. The hum of sewing
machines and the quickness of creative hands are background for
the friendly banter about upcoming vacations, recent health challenges,
and the miscellaneous backyard bear visit.
Welcome to People Comforters,
a nonprofit group in Evergreen that crafts quilts/comforters for
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Victim Services. Each patrol car carries
three quilts, to be given to people who are suffering a stressful/traumatic
experience, accident, domestic violence, or other loss.
Each month, this incredible organization
provides 24 quilts to Victim Services, 10 toiletry bags to Women
In Crisis, five quilts and 26 stuffed toys to the Jefferson County
Child Advocacy Center (child abuse), and three quilts each to EChO
and the Mountain Resource Center. They create knitted booties and
baby quilts for Mountain Area Pregnancy Center. The victims/families
of the Columbine High School tragedy received 250 quilts. The group creates
500 quilts a year. Although the average quilt takes about 20 hours
to create, the more challenging ones can take up to 60 hours.
The all-volunteer group enjoys
about ten active members. They include a pastor and a flight attendant,
although many are closer to retirement age. Two of the women hail
from England; one young woman
who arrived six years ago from Ireland brings her children, ages 2 and 4, who help
lay out the designs when they’re not coloring or chomping on cheese
sandwiches. Participants come from Evergreen, Morrison, Conifer,
Littleton, Golden, Lakewood, Pine, and Kittridge.
Founded in 1989 by Minnie Schneider
and Margie Whitford, People Comforters is now led by Morrison resident
Mary Mick. The gracious Mrs. Mick has rarely missed a day since
she saw a small blurb about a quilting group in the local newspaper
nearly 13 years ago.
Although the quilting studio is
open every non-Holiday Monday and Wednesday between 10:30 and 2:30, many volunteers work at home, giving
them the freedom to work when convenient.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Volunteers are a critical part
of People Comforters’ operations. If you’d like to join an easy-going,
friendly group, want to develop your quilting skills or learn some
(they teach beginners), and put a smile on the face of a tearful
neighbor while exercising your left brain, please stop in.
Monetary donations are always
appropriate. The group receives a Victim Assistance Law Enforcement
(VALE) grant but needs additional money for supplies. In-kind donations
are also needed: Sewing supplies and notions, especially white
thread, rotary cutters and blades, scissors, needles, long beaded
pins, and cotton or cotton/polyester fabric/yardage. They could
also use books on quilting, clean stuffed toys, washcloths, new
toothbrushes and toothpaste, mouthwash, and shower caps.
#
|