Berniece Kelley is doing double-duty for the Christmas Quilts for Foster Children project begun this month by the South Central Region of the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services.
She will help sew quilts as a member of two groups, the Flint Hills Regional Quilt Guild and a small quilters group at the Grace United Methodist Church.
Making quilts is something that Kelley and others in the community enjoy doing, and they’re committing their efforts to help the project succeed.
“Well, at quilt guild, we’ve pledged 75 and I think we’ll make that because we’re working really hard on them,” Kelley said. “Then at church, we decided we could make six.”
The goal for the South Central Region is 800 quilts. They will range from baby to twin-bed sized for youngsters from birth to 18 years of age.
The project is intended to provide keepsake quilts for Christmas to children in foster care and is a cooperative effort between SRS and three of its service providers, including TFI Family Services Inc., which has headquarters in Emporia, and Saint Francis Community Services and DCCCA, which also serves this area.
The western SRS region, which covers 46 counties, has promoted the project successfully for two or three years, according to SRS director of communications Michelle Ponce of Emporia.
This year will be the first drive for the southcentral region, which includes Lyon and 16 other counties.
Children who come into foster care often have few, if any, possessions with them at a time of uncertainty and fear.
“The quilt project is really about not only being able to provide them a gift over the holiday season, but to get them an item that’s theirs and something they can keep,” Ponce said.
The foster children will take the quilts with them, whether they remain in foster care, are adopted, or are able to return to their homes.
“It’s really great for the kids to know there are people out there that care,” Ponce said.
Kelley first became aware of the need for quilts through an e-mail to Grace Methodist.
“They gave it to us for our group,” she said. “Then I took it to my quilt guild and got them interested. Everybody who hears about it wants to help.”
A group of about six quilters from Neosho Rapids already has joined the effort.
“There’s only about six of them and they want to make some,” Kelley said. “I think they want to make three.”
The quilters get together not only to sew, but to show the quilts already pieced together at home and to give others ideas of “how the different ones can be put together with a little bit of this and a little of that,” she said. “Most of them turn out cute if you put some thought into it.”
A Burlington fabric store has donated a significant amount of fabric to the quilters, who are likely to have both new and leftover fabric from other projects.
“Most of us have a stash of fabric at home,” Kelley said.
Any group or individual is welcome to make a quilt or more for the project. Quilts can be donated at any time to the local SRS Service Center, 1701 Wheeler St.
Quilts need to be made from pre-washed fabric, either pre-printed, cut, or appliquéd. If markers or fabric paints are used, they need to be indelible and non-toxic. “Puff” paints cannot be allowed because they can be picked off and swallowed, Hadicke said.
Other guidelines and suggestions also need to be followed to ensure consistency in the safety and durability of the quilts.
For guidelines, call Becky Hadicke at the Emporia SRS office, 342-2505, extension 268.