P.E.I. women stitch together quilts for foster children
Marjorie Gallant shows off her handiwork inside St. Mark's Anglican Church in Kensington, P.E.I.
Hers is one of 19 quilts she and others stitched together over the past two months.
"I really enjoy doing this," Gallant said. "Using up my scraps for a good cause."
That good cause is children in foster care. The quilts will be given to children in care of the province and will be theirs to keep for as long as they're in foster care, and beyond.
"It started as a two-day blitz and ended in a two-month frenzy," said quilter Doris Moase.
About 200 children are in the protective care of the province at any given time, according to the Department of Family and Human Services. The quilts will be distributed by staff to children most in need. Older children may be a priority, so they have the quilts to keep as they turn 18 and "age out" of foster care, according to a spokesperson for the province.
"It represents a lot because kids cuddle up with quilts and they feel warm and snug and safe," said Rev. Margie Fagan. "The quilts have been made with a lot of care and compassion and the love of God. A lot of prayer goes into those and kids can receive that and know that they're not alone."
The Kensington quilters meet for weekly sewing sessions they call Yarns and Tea. For the past two years, they've been meeting at St. Thomas' Anglican Church in nearby Spring Brook, one of four churches in the Parish of New London.
The idea to donate to foster kids came from one of the quilters, after her adult son retired from a career in social work.
"It's kept pretty quiet, but we know there's a lot of need," said Isabelle Picketts. "I contacted my son and he contacted social services."
Virtually all recycled material
Quilting is all about recycling. The women had to buy only one spool of thread and some batting to make the 19 quilts. Everything else was reused material.
"We believe in recycling, reusing and it all turned out good," Moase said.
The Yarns and Tea group is open to everyone in the Kensington area, not just church members. The activities also include knitting and other craftwork.
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