Every quilt takes a minimal of 25 hours to make, a job one volunteer calls a “labor of affection.”
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From her southeast Calgary house, Pat Litke and a bunch of volunteers sew collectively colourful items of material and sizzling batting to make quilts for most cancers sufferers.
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The roughly six-by-four-foot quilts shall be given away totally free to supply some heat and luxury to Albertans battling the illness.
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Every quilt, produced by the Okotoks department of Victoria’s Quilts Canada, takes a minimal of 25 hours to make. For Litke, that “labor of affection” is price it to assist assist these present process most cancers therapy.
“What’s stored me going is with the ability to give to individuals who want a carry and are courageous sufficient to stroll the journey they’re on,” stated Litke.
“And the suggestions we obtain — the playing cards, the acknowledgments — it is so very, very shifting and so very, very humbling that such a easy factor can have such a strong impression on individuals.”
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Extra volunteers wanted for the Salvation Military kettle marketing campaign
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IMAGE Alberta volunteers make a distinction
Throughout its 24 branches throughout Canada, Victoria’s Quilts has delivered over 87,000 quilts since they have been based in 1999. The Okotoks department, which began in 2003, has 81 members who in 2021 have made and delivered 260 quilts within the foothills and southern Alberta.
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A Calgary department serves a lot of town and rural areas to the north, whereas an Edmonton group creates blankets for these within the capital.
The broader initiative started a 12 months earlier in reminiscence of Victoria Morrison of California, who started making blankets for individuals present process therapy along with her after she discovered she at all times felt chilly whereas present process chemotherapy.
The group exists on each monetary and materials donations, Litke stated, together with cotton from native quilt outlets in addition to provides present in basement cleanouts. Flannel backing and batting have to be bought for every quilt.
Jeanette Baumbach is presently present process most cancers therapy, and just lately obtained a quilt from the Okotoks arm of Victoria’s Quilts.
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“They introduced me a quilt and I beloved it. I exploit it day by day to snack and assist me really feel higher,” Baumbach stated.
Litke stated the quilt items are supposed to assist individuals really feel cared for and appreciated throughout an especially difficult time of their lives.
“Usually for somebody with most cancers there’s not a lot you are able to do. It provides a present of heat and luxury. It simply brings a little bit cheer to individuals,” she stated.
“To suppose that somebody would put a lot work into one thing is commonly unfathomable to individuals.”
Litke stated quilts will be requested by means of the nationwide Victoria’s Quilts group by means of its web site at victoriasquiltscanada.com. She added native teams are at all times accepting new volunteers.
jherring@postmedia.com
Twitter: @jasonfherring
