COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Quilting is not just a hobby – it is a heartfelt way to make a difference in our local communities.  Calico Capers Quilt Guild is dedicated to utilizing our quilting talents to serve others with compassion, love and warmth.

CCQG Community Outreach is tasked with identifying ways in which we can positively impact local communities and provide comfort to those in need. 

Over the years CCQG has donated to: Preemie Quilt St. Mary, Madison; Project Linus; River Haven, Portage; QOV [VFW of Portage & Westfield and AL of Neshkoro & Pardeeville]; ABC Aids Baby Crib Quilts; Foster Children Columbia & Marquette Counties; Hurricane Katrina; Placemats for MOW [Adams; Columbia & Marquette Counties]; Hope House, Baraboo pillowcases; Salvation Army; Budda Box; Big Brothers/Big Sisters Marquette County; Marquette Park Mont ‘Leau River; Comfort Quilts DSHC, Portage; Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Columbia County Branch; Honor Flight Fundraisers; Pet Beds for Animal for local shelters;  J&J Fireball Lanes, Portage Annual Pin Down Cancer Event for Carbone Center, UW Madison; Wisconsin Veterans Home, King and the list goes on and on.

Our CCQG Quilt Bank continues to be replenished with quilted projects created by our organization and its members.  So when a request comes in from an organization or a fund-raiser or any other that reaches out into the community – we have projects readily available for donation.

COMFORT QUILTS

One way is to “spread a little love” is with Comfort Quilts... 

In February 2016, Calico Capers Quilt Guild member, AN, shared with members a note in her church bulletin.  “Divine Savior Healthcare, Portage is implementing a new program on the MSF and the ICU through a group called TCAB [Transforming Care at Bedside].  Comfort Care Bags will be distributed to the patient & patient’s families that are at the end-of-life and receiving comfort care.

On behalf of DSHC, we offer a sincere thank you for the generous donation of your time, resources and talents to help make this program a success.  The lives of the patient’s and their families will be touched, bringing comfort to them as they are going through the difficult phases of the death and dying process.” Melissa Sommers  [CCQG Newsletter Volume 16 Issue 2]

So thus began our Comfort Quilt Journey that continues on yet today.  The CCQG Community Outreach Committee designated their 2016 Monthly Sew Days to working on Comfort Quilts with sizes 36x48-inches (ideal for covering individuals in wheelchairs) and no larger than 44x52-inches.  Kits were made from guild stash and members created using their own fabrics.

The Committee coordinator shared [CCQG Newsletter Volume 16 Issue 3], “Outreach is so blessed to have such wonderful members in this guild that support our efforts to help the community!  Whether you came to a workday, donated fabric, quilted, did binding, gave wonderful ideas, donated blocks or quilt tops, we could not do what we do to help the community!  The members of Calico Capers make it a pleasure to serve on the Outreach Community!  Thank you.”

With the first Comfort Quilts donated to DSHC, Portage in September of 2016 to the most recent donated to the Wisconsin Veterans Home, King in September 2024 – CCQG continues making comfort quilts which actually ‘warms two people – the quilter and the recipient’.

QUILTS OF VALOR —

In 2023, Calico Capers Quilt Guild implemented the newly formed QOV Sub-committee.  This Committee worked closely with the Community Outreach Committee and sharing Sew Days monthly.

BOM from 2022 were put together into quilt tops with the goal of having them ready for future QOV presentations. This committee saw all necessary plans/preparations were made for these events—June 2023 recipients were seven (7) veterans from the Oxford VFW Post 6003; July 2024 recipients were seven (7) veterans from the Pardeeville American Legion Post 215 and September 2024 recipients will see seven (7) more veterans from the Neshkoro American Legion Post 423 wrapped and honored. 

Thanks to the Adams Columbia Operation Roundup Grant; member patriotic fabrics acquisition; guild patriotic stash & 2022 BOMs, CCQG had a great inventory of fabrics to choose from.  The Committee worked from this inventory to make up kits with pattern included which were available for members to take to ‘stitch & sew’ at their convenience.

Gracious donations from the Westfield VFW Post 8718 & the Oxford VFW Post 6003 with the encouragement to continue on with these QOV activities helped as well with this outreach.  The recommended size of a Quilt of Valor is 60-inches x 80-inches.(a minimum of 55-inches x 65-inches and maximum of 72-inches x 90-inches)

A B-I-G thank you to all members who graciously donated time to stitch tops together; long-arm quilts; bind & label.  Without your participation, these twenty-one (21) quilts, to wrap our local veterans, would not have been a reality. 

Note: That the Calico Capers Quilt Guild will continue to make tops for the QOVF and donate them directly to the Wisconsin Dells QOVF Chapter.

SLEEP IN HEAVENLY PEACE —

November 2022, the Calico Capers Quilt Guild (CCQG) held a Sew Day to work on quilts for Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP).  A Thrivent Action Team hosted the event which took place at the Endeavor Community Center.  This was to become one of many Sew Days dedicated to this Outreach.

The CCQG works with the Portage Chapter of SHP and continues to provide quilts to be presented along with the bunk beds to children in need in our immediate communities.

“SHP fully believes that a bed is a basic need for the proper physical, emotional, and mental support that a child needs. When it was brought to our attention that the need for beds went far beyond our own neighborhoods, we stepped up and took initiative. We’re a National Organization answering the call to a national problem.

All children deserve a safe, comfortable place to lay their heads. Across the United States, too many boys and girls go without a bed – or even a pillow – to sleep on. These children end up sleeping on couches, blankets, and even floors. This can affect their happiness and health.

That’s where Sleep in Heavenly Peace comes in. We’re a group of volunteers dedicated to building, assembling and delivering top-notch bunk beds to children and families in need. Our organization has grown steadily over time, and we’re working on opening more chapters in different states to serve more people.  No kid sleeps on the floor in our town!®.”  -shpbeds.org-

For more information on how to apply for a SHP bunk bed – check out their website (shpbeds.org).  On the home page, you will find the link ‘how to apply for a bed’.   Sleep in Heavenly Peace is helping children in need sleep better.