It’s the season for giving, with Hope Clinic recently blessed with more than 150 items from the Creative Quilters Guild of Ellis County.
The bounty was gathered at the guild’s annual Christmas party, with members bringing in donations in lieu of a gift exchange. The gift items ranged from small quilts to crocheted afghans, receiving blankets, diapers, wipes, baby clothing items and more. All will be used in the clinic’s “new mom” gift bags presented to expectant patients.
“Some members make really amazing diaper bags (also included amongst the gifts),” guild board member Diana Buckley said, noting how the partnership with Hope Clinic stems back more than decade now.
It’s not just the annual Christmas party where the guild makes donations to the federally qualified community health center. It’s a year-round effort on members’ part that sees items created and gathered every month so as to keep the new mom gift bags in ample supply.
Hope Clinic CEO Barbara Clark expressed her gratitude for the long-term initiative.
“It means so much,” she said. “When the new mothers come in, they get a bag full of goodies that they can take home. They just react so happily to the bags and they’re so proud of them. One of them told me how it meant so much to her that someone had made those things for her and her baby.
“We’re just so grateful to the guild,” Clark said. “They volunteer their time and their supplies.”
Giving back is important to guild members, Buckley said, noting the group also provides support to Meals on Wheels, the veterans hospital and Quilts of Valor.
“Quilters are big on community service,” she said. “We love to make things for others.”
She invites people interested in checking out the guild and the art of quilting to do so.
The guild meets the fourth Monday of every month at Waxahachie Bible Church. Guests are welcome to attend and are asked to join after attending three meetings for an annual membership of $24.
Sign-in is at 6 p.m., with the meeting starting at 6:30 p.m.
“We always have a program where members learn something,” Buckley said.
The guild hosts a quilt show each year, with both members and non-members invited to participate. The 2022 show will be held July 15-16 at Sokol Hall in Ennis.
“The show is open to the public,” Buckley said. “We usually have about 120 judged quilts. We also have quilting vendors on hand.”