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Outreach Projects 2009
Great Lakes Region
IL, IN, MI, OH, WI
Embroiderers' Guild
of America
What is your EGA chapter doing
for outreach in 2011?
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1. Marshall MI Chapter
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18 of our active members and some community members have made over 300
Soldier's Kissing Pillows. We invited the community to attend 3 stitch-ins
during the summer of 2008 to work on the pillows. Our purpose was to make
as many pillows as we could, to put our name out into the community and to
recruit new members. Five new members have joined our Chapter. We have
distributed most of the pillows through the Family Advocacy Program at the
Federal Center in Battle Creek, Michigan. Family Advocacy prepares packets
for families who have a member who is being deployed overseas. Back row:
Kathy Thornton, Andrea Bailey, Kay Owens, Kelly Keating. Front row: Bette
Lee Serbantez, Outreach Chairman, Delia Vela, Vida Ziegler, Brittany Owens,
Suzanne Knox.
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2. Wadsworth,
OH The
chapter made and sent 200 Kissing Pillows to military personnel and their
families.
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3.
Marshall MI
Chapter made
(10) bookmarks for their local library (Sept). Also made and sent (130) kissing
pillows (Sept). Participated in Handmade afghan project for soldiers at the
Naval hospital. Sent 12 squares.
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The Coordinator is Chris Retseck (cretseck at gmail.com)
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5. Dayton OH Chapter made sewing
kits for distribution by county Extension Agents to families in need.
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6.
Columbus
OH Chapter
collected
and delivered to the Ronald Mc Donald house, needle art projects and craft
materials for family members of patients at the Children’s Hospital.
Also made things and donated for the preemie babies using the project
Touching Little Lives.
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7.
White Pine MI Chapter
Made
and sent 79 kissing pillows (Sept). Made and sent 28 stitching kits for
soldiers.
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9.
Illinois Fox Valley
Chapter
made and donated
bookmarks for a neighborhood school. Made and sent kissing pillows.
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10.
Wadsworth OH
Chapter
participated in
Threads of Healing for fire victims in Australia. Made and sent 108 kits,
113 patterns, 18 pieces of fabric, 15 bags of floss/threads, 5 hoops and
needles – sent to Greater Pacific region (spearheaded project). (May). Had a
fundraiser for the local Ronald Mc Donald House – grilled and sold hot dogs,
etc., donated by a local grocery store. We collected (for food and tips)
$177.67
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11. Monguagon
MI Chapter
collected and donated
food to local food pantry. |
12.
Youngstown Area OH Chapter In 2009, Youngstown Area
Chapter members were busy fulfilling their commitment to a number of
Outreach projects. As we generously shared our stitching talents and time,
we built friendships that will last a lifetime. We have found that not only
do we share a love of needlework but also help each other in times of need.
We offer support during personal crises and in times of joy and loss. One of
our Outreach commitments is framed samplers for the Habitat for Humanity
houses dedicated in Youngstown. Ruth Ebert chairs this very important and
much appreciated program. Our members stitch the samplers as needed, Ruth
obtains the frames, and Ken Alcorn of Photographically Yours, Columbiana,
Ohio, mounts the samplers. Ruth ensures that the samplers are personally
presented by chapter members to the new Habitat home owners.
In April, we added to our list of Outreach commitments the Kissing Pillow
Project for deploying armed service personnel and their families. From
April to September, members stitched more than 200 pillows. Todd Murdock
finished the stitched designs into pillows using donated fabric and
polyester filling. In September, she proudly presented more than 200
pillows to Colonel Karl McGregor, 910th Airlift Wing commander, Air Force
Reserve Base, Vienna, Ohio.
In 2007 we started the chapter developed and sponsored “Totes for Tots” as
another Outreach project. In 2009, Lue Bukovinsky, Carole DeWitt, and
Charlotte Gengler sewed 65 quilted totes with chapter-purchased fabric, and
Lue put chapter-member donated materials of a coloring book, construction
paper, crayons, a pair of scissors, and a stuffed animal in each tote.
Akron Children’s Hospital of Mahoning Valley and St. Elizabeth’s Medical
Center, both in Youngstown, Ohio, give the totes to young patients in hopes
that the art materials would help relieve some of the boredom that comes
with extended hospitalization.
Each year since 1996 our members taught classes in cross stitch to boys and
girls at local schools. We have taught Easter, Mother’s Day, and Christmas
designs using kits donated by needlework suppliers and materials donated by
chapter members. In October, Ruth Ebert, Judy Power, and Sally Svoboda
taught a DMC-donated cross stitch design to ten girls in a Holy Family
School after-school class.
Every year since 1998, our members stitched over 100 ornaments for the
Ireland Cancer Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The Center is an outpatient
oncology unit that enables children to receive prolonged chemotherapy
treatment without being admitted to the Rainbow Babies and Children’s
Hospital. Sue Moore, an area former needlework shop owner who is dedicated
to this effort, provides the copyright-free design, finishes the stitched
designs into ornaments, and decorates trees that are displayed at the
Center. A child who has received a cancer treatment may select one of the
ornaments from the tree. This year we gave Sue 111 ornaments and a monetary
donation for the Center’s toy chest. |
What is your EGA chapter doing
for outreach in 2011?
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