The Niagara Heritage Quilters’ Guild is proud of the work we do, not only in quilting but supporting our community in various ways. During the 2018 and2019 season we donated 91 quilts to individuals, refugee families, The Kristen French Advocacy Centre, Gillians Place to name a few.
We love “Making a Difference”.
Here are several ways we give back.
Community Outreach quilters work on piecing, quilting, and binding quilts for charity. We have sew days where we put together quilt tops, backing and binding, so that they can be distributed to other members of the guild for completion. We also receive donations of fabric and unfinished quilts or blocks, and our quilters are creative in sewing beautiful tops from these donations. We sponsor a guild challenge every year, with different themes and prizes.
Approximately 100 quilts per year are donated to local charitable organizations, including Hospice, Gillian’s Place, Kristen French Advocacy Centre, Niagara Region Mental Health, FACS for babies going into foster care, as well as refugee families, and families who have devastating losses, such as a fire. We’ve also recently accepted the challenge of making 40 quilts for the YWCA Transitional Housing facility that will open in January of 2021.
If you wish to get involved, contact Jennifer Dyck at jenniferk2p2@gmail.com or visit her during one of our guild meetings at the Community Outreach table.
This is also a great way to get to know your fellow quilters.
This photo was taken July 13, 2020 at the Kristen French Advocacy Centre were we presented them with the actual cheque for the proceeds from the quilt raffle. Mark Doyle is on the left and Frank Parkhouse is on the right. Janet Handy (from the Centre) is flanked by Gloria Meyer and Lynne Wilkinson with Sharree Eidt beside her. We are pleased that despite these unusual times, we were able to raise as much money as we did. We hope to do something like this again in the future. Needless to say, they were thrilled.
For more information on the Kristen French Advocacy Centre visit their social media pages:
@KristenFrnchCACN – Facebook;
@kristenfrenchcacn – Instagram;
@KFCACN – Twitter
Meals on Wheels is an organization which provides a hot and nutritious meal once a day from Monday to Friday to the area shut ins and seniors in their own homes. The Niagara Heritage Quilters’ Guild donates ‘Meals on Wheels” Placemats to this organization, to help brighten up even a simple meal. The placemats are distributed at Christmas time. The St. Catharines/Thorold chapter distributes around 350 meals. Quite often this is the only present the recipient receives.
The following are some suggestions for making the placemats:
Completed placemats can be handed in at any meeting from September to November.
Every Month we collect Neonatal Quilts on behalf of the Special Care Nursery at the St. Catharines General Hospital. We are proud to say in 2018 we delivered 193 quilts.
To make these Quilts here are the requirements:
Simply lay top of quilt and backing fabric right sides together stitch around the edge leaving an opening. Turn right side out. Top stitch around the edge.
If you’d like to make some, we would be very grateful.
RAFT – operated by the Niagara Resource Service for Youth contributes to the welfare of our community by helping at-risk youth, families and neighbourhoods become independent and self-sufficient.
Our services strengthen the emotional and social well-being of clients and act as a portal to community resources.
Services are based on the principles of Empowerment, Quality of Life, Dignity and Respect. Services are provided in a supportive and caring environment, which encourages independence and self-reliance.
We believe that helping clients take control of their lives builds self-esteem and confidence while empowering clients to become fuller more involved members of their community.
Every November the Niagara Heritage Quilters Guild collects donations of hats, scarves, socks, mitts and gloves. Personal Hygiene items (shampoo, soap, creams etc.) for both men and women are also collected.
The Niagara Heritage Quiters’ Guild has established a Scholarship Valued at $1,000.00 to promote an interest in Fine Arts, Art History, Visual Arts or Design, with an interest in textile/Fibre Arts as a career or lifeskill.
One of the founding members of the Niagara Heritage Quilters’ Guild, Nina Stahlschmidt, began the idea of the scholarship as a way of involving the guild in the Niagara community. Nina and a group of members organized a silent auction to raise funds during the NHQG Quilt Show at Niagara College
May 18-21, 2011. Members donated items for the auction and we received monetary donations by members of the community. The monies raised are invested in GIC’S. The interest and any additional funds raised each year are kept separate and used to fund the annual scholarship.
Above is a picture of our 2019 recipient, Hannah Robertson, being presented with the scholarship by Gloria Meyer. She is a graduate of Eden High School and is pursuing her further education at Carleton University for a Bachelor of Architectural Studies Majoring in design. Hannah is an exemplary student who while maintaining high scholastic marks, also found time to put in over 665 volunteer hours.
Qualification Requirements:
Conditions:
Applications must be postmarked by May 31st of each year.
Please send completed application with applicable attachments to:
Niagara Heritage Quilters’ Guild,
P.O. Box 284, Thorold, ON, L2V 3Y9
Attn: NHQG Scholarship Committee
OR
Subject: NHQG Scholarship
P.O. Box 284, Thorold ON L2V 3Y9
info@NiagaraQuiltersGuild.com
