By Lynette Norris
Greene Publishing, Inc.
The Quilt Project began as a mission effort to provide quilts and comforters to individuals in need, who live in Madison County nursing facilities – those who are alone, without family nearby to look after them and see to their needs, or friends to check on them regularly.
United Methodist Cooperative Ministries provided start-up funding for the Quilt Project and local Methodist churches as well as individual church and community members have been contributing funds, material and many hours, all spent on a labor of love.
The Pine Tree Quilters and several individual quilters have been busy making quilts for yet another round of UMCM Quilt Project deliveries, this time to the residents of Lake Park of Madison, Friday, March 23. Each quilt is personalized for the resident who will receive the quilt, embroidered with his or her initials and emblazoned with a verse of Scripture selected and printed on the fabric by Annelle Bishop. Members of the UMCM Board have prayed for each resident receiving a quilt and for the volunteers who will be delivering those quilts to them.
Lake Park of Madison staff member Christina Brooks, along with fellow staff members Karen Kocan, Ashley Sevor and help others with the quilting project for Lake Park of Madison by identifying the residents there who are most in need of one of the quilts and letting the quilters know who they are. The staff members also help with the distribution effort when the volunteers arrive, locating the residents and making introductions as the volunteers present the quilts.
Lacey and Ralph Hudson of Hickory Grove United Methodist, Pat Warren of Lee United Methodist (Vice Chair, UMCM) and Margaret Throgmorton of Rocky Springs United Methodist (Board member, UMCM) were at Lake Park to greet the residents and present the quilts.
Lake Park of Madison isn’t the only facility served by the Quilt Project; earlier this year, the Quilt Project volunteers delivered several personalized quilts to residents of Madison Nursing Center, located on Highway 90 across from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office in the old Florida Highway Patrol Station. Mattie Hackle and other staff members of the facility helped with identifying residents most in need. Paul and Irene Rowell coordinated the delivery effort and Mae Irby and Margaret Throgmorton were the volunteers who signed up to help with the individual deliveries.
UMCM’s Quilt Project makes deliveries about once a month throughout the late fall, winter and early spring months to the various nursing homes in the county.
The Quilt Project is only one of several outreach/ministry efforts of UMCM, which strives to serve seniors and others in need through their Thrift Shop, Brown Bag Food Ministry, Food Voucher Program, Benevolence Funds and other acts of service/ministry. UMCM’s stated mission is to “provide evangelical witness to the community, and to be obedient to the commandments of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in serving others.”
For more information, or to find out how you can donate to or be a part of one of the UMCM ministries, contact Deborah Brown at (850) 929-4938.
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