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Comfort Quilt Committee
2011 Report
The Mukilteo Lighthouse Quilters is a small group of about 40 dedicated quilters. One of our missions is to make and donate  quilts to deserving children and adults in our community. The comfort quilt committee currently has 12 members. The committee works together to coordinate the donations of fabric for comfort quilts. For the last two years we have held a “fabric store” at a Fall MLQ meeting, to allow members to “shop” at the free fabric store. Members are allowed to pick out just the fabric that inspires them for their individual charity projects.
Making a comfort quilt is sometimes completely done by one member, but we do have members who like to just piece, and some of our members who are long arm quilters will volunteer to machine quilt for us, and sometimes a third member may offer to bind the quilt. It does take a village!! The committee arranges work sessions, called Sew-In’s, so that we can come together, share our work, learn new techniques and of course, socialize. Sew-in’s are for working on comfort quilts or for personal quilting projects.
In May comes the Comfort Quilt Show, where finished comfort quilts are put on display at the monthly MLQ meeting. In 2011, members made 40 quilts for distribution to the community.
We are always on the lookout for good homes for our comfort quilts, and guild members are encouraged to suggest organizations as new prospective charities. It is the Comfort Quilt Committee’s job to investigate and make sure each charity will dis
tribute quilts effectively to appropriate recipients.
 In 2011 we gave quilts to KidsDream of Snohomish County, which serves the needs of foster children. In Snohomish County, just 30% of foster children graduate from high school. At an annual celebration each June, graduating seniors are provided with a hope chest from KidsDream that contains some essentials for starting life independently: some basic linens, towels and kitchen supplies, and a comfort quilt made by our MLQ Quilters. In 2011, we donated 10 “Grad Quilts.” We are told that often these teenagers must move out from their foster homes upon graduation, as that is when the state-provided support ends. The hope chest likely contains the only belongings the young adults have to start independent lives.
After investigating several charities for our young children’s quilts we decided Safe Place would be a very worthwhile recipient. Safe Place is a sanctuary for children from infancy to 12 years who have been removed from their homes during a time of family crisis. The facility is currently open on the weekends and children can stay there while social workers are looking for more permanent homes for them. Safe Place gives children medical help if needed, warm meals, showers and lots of TLC. We donated 14 quilts to them this year. MLQ Comfort Quilt Committee members also encouraged a donation drive among MLQ Members at Christmas which resulted in a very large donation of socks, underwear, diapers, stuffed animals and books.
In December 2011, we again donated quilts to Senior Services of Snohomish County. Since the drivers know their client
s best we feel they are the ones to give out our quilts. We presented drivers with 16 quilts for distribution to seniors who were most in need. This is our third year donating to Senior Services and the thank you letters we have received from the recipients are heartwarming. We know these quilts are well-appreciated.
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