Sewing Group Donates 2,000th Handmade Quilt

A Woodbury, Minn. sewing circle reached a milestone last month: 2,000 quilts sewn for people served by West 7th Salvation Army in St. Paul.

The group’s effort began in January 1997 when Delores Fitzgerald and Lavonne Buchanan from Woodbury Lutheran Church started the Eager Hands Quilters ministry. Today Eager Hands includes about a dozen women who quilt in Fitzgerald’s basement every Tuesday morning.

Completed quilts are later dropped off at the West 7th Salvation Army, one of the Twin Cities’ most widely used centers for homeless outreach.

“Clients come here for a hot meal, then come into our social services office requesting emergency services such as hygiene products, socks, employment referrals – and, of course, quilts,” said Yvonne Dobler, social services team leader at West 7th. “(Eager Hands) is a huge blessing. It allows us to give people dignity and comfort, as well as keep people alive when sleeping outside in extreme Minnesota temperatures.”

Dobbler is not exaggerating. Last winter, she gave a quilt to a homeless man in a wheelchair whose legs were freezing cold.

“He used one of the quilts to drape over his legs so they wouldn’t freeze as he wheeled himself around St. Paul,” she said.

The Eager Hands group dropped off their 2,000th quilt on May 12 (to view photos, click here). Just like quilts
1 through 1,999, number 2,000 was adorned with the phrase “Jesus Loves You” and included a pocket containing a devotional booklet.

“Delivering the 2,000th quilt was such a blessing, I can’t tell you,” said Fitzgerald, 77. “Who would have thought our group could accomplish this? If the Lord leaves me around long enough, someday we will celebrate 3,000 quilts.”

In addition to quilts, Eager Hands volunteers have made and donated hundreds of sleeping mats, scarves, mittens and other winter clothing items.