A group of local women who have all been touched by cancer are giving back, one quilt at a time.
They are part of a national group called Victoria’s Quilts Canada that provides free, hand-made quilts to people with cancer and those going through cancer treatments.
“Often patients complain of being cold and these quilts help comfort them,” said Stephanie Szymczak, who has lost her sister, her best friend and her father, among others, to cancer.
The group started in January of this year with three people and now have 27 members. The volunteers get together once a month at Nanoose Place (which they’ve been allowed to use free of charge) and then finish their projects at home. So far, they’ve delivered eight quilts to Oceanside residents, and other quilts get distributed to those identified by their mother group in the province. But the group needs donations of material and money to continue making the quilts. Most of the fabric they’ve used to date has been donated by members.
Donations of 100 per cent cotton are needed as well as money to buy backing and batting. The group is registered with Thrifty Foods’ Smile Card Program where people can purchase and use the cards to buy their groceries and then the group receives five per cent of that back as a donation from Thrifty’s. The group is also registered with the Canada Revenue Agency and can provide receipts for donations of $10 or more.
Group member Colette Bright said a quilt made a difference in her life and she is paying it forward.
“I just recently went through cancer treatment, my quilt group made me a beautiful quilt, and I just wanted to do the same thing for someone else because it made me feel good to have one,” she said.
Member Lynn Foreman recently lost her father to cancer.
“I think if he’d had a quilt to keep him warm during the day that would have been nice,” she said.
Many of the other members have had or currently have friends or family members battling cancer and said making the quilts make them feel like they’re making a difference and doing something good.
“They’ve all got such big hearts,” Szymczak said about her group members, “that’s the first thing you know about them all.”
Victoria’s Quilts is run solely by volunteers and its headquarters is in Ottawa. The Oceanside group is only the second of its kind in B.C., the other is in Victoria.
To make a donation or join the group contact Stephanie Szymczak at 250-248-0110 or by email at stephanieszymczak@shaw.ca. Alternatively contact Joan Kool at 250-244-3523 or email koolpjay@hotmail.com.
