Church
members make, donate
quilts
By
Nicole M. Robertson of the Oakland Press
Members
of the first Presbyterian Church of Pontiac
have spent months crafting more than 100 quilts for children to include
in food baskets prepared by the church for families this holiday
season.
Each child in the families getting baskets will
receive his or her own
quilt or tied fleece blanket, said Mary Reeves Nevarez, who coordinated
the effort.
"That's 85 children", she said. "We have around 40 families this year."
The quilting is a seasonal Presbyterian Women's Association project,
she said. The quilts were made by 40 women of the church who work with
church deacons to fill the Christmas baskets each year. Reeves Nevarez
said there are 120 quilts ready to go "because we never know how many
kids we're gona get."
"When I
told them I wanted 100 quilts, they looked at me like I was
nutso," she said. "But we put together kits, so people can take it home
and stitch together the top and bring them back. A team puts on the
backing and another team ties up the quilts."
The project
begins in march, she said, and the quilters try to finish
in November. Children in Sunday School tied together the fleece
blankets this year. "So we have the little tiny ones tying, all the way
up to the lady who does the most work for me is 96 years old."
Reeves Nevarez said. "She sewed 32 tops, and I don't know how many she tied.
Her name is Elaine Mc Cully. She's my angel on Earth, I call her."
Another young girl gave up her summer to work with Reeves Nevarez on
the project.
"People are just so generous," she said. "Your can't believe - you just
ask for help and you get it."
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