Quilted with Love

Recently a unique quilt made by eight sisters from the Cypress Texas Stake in Houston, Texas, strengthened the bonds of friendship between the Church and the local community.

The story of the quilt actually began eight years ago, when the stake became a member of a local charitable organization, Northwest Assistance Ministries (NAM). NAM, whose membership consists of 47 local congregations and civic organizations, espouses the same principles of dignity, self-reliance, and provident living found in the Church’s welfare program. Over the years, ward and stake auxiliaries have taken on special service projects with NAM, including providing shelter for homeless families and delivering food to homebound senior citizens. Two Latter-day Saints have served on NAM’s executive board.

In May 1999 Anais Watsky, NAM director, turned to the stake Relief Society with a special request. NAM was planning a fund-raising dinner that would raise money to help the poor in northwest Houston, and talented quilters were needed to make a quilt to be auctioned at the event. NAM would provide the materials if the stake would provide the labor.

The stake Relief Society agreed to take on the project. Sister Gail Bigelow produced an original design, and seven other sisters participated in putting the quilt together. Four sisters at a time worked on the quilt almost every weekday from 9:30 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. In October, after more than 1,700 hours of work, the quilt was completed.

More than 600 people were able to view the quilt at the dinner, and it was purchased for a substantial sum. The funds from the sale of the quilt will help provide food, medical care, and clothing for needy families in northwest Houston.—Chris Fults, Lakewood Ward, Cypress Texas Stake