Volunteers sew 67 quilts

BELLE PLAINE — The Belle Plaine Project Group of Benton County Volunteer Center and Connie’s Quilters of Brandon created 67 lap quilts for distribution by Virginia Gay Hospital Home Health to clients over the holidays.

Afghans were donated by those that do not quilt.

United Way of East Central Iowa recently merged with Benton County Volunteer Program to create the Benton County Volunteer Center, UWECI.

The name is new, but the work isn’t, said Benton County Volunteer Center in a press release

The quilts created by the group are vibrant and meant to lift the spirits of the recipients. Most of the material in the quilts was donated by volunteers, leftover from a garage sales and the closing of a local store, the press release said.

The quilts took about three months to complete. The BP Project Group room was full of volunteers making the quilts.

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“These quilts are lovely and will make a difference for the individuals and families that Home Health serves,” Robin Martin, VGH foundation director, said.

“We are grateful for the dedication and love that was put into the making of these blankets that will warm the spirits of others,” Martin said.

The Project Group in Belle Plaine gets together at the Belle Plaine Community Center every Wednesday afternoon to work on projects. The 25 members complete projects that include lap quilts, May Day baskets for nursing home residents, heart pillows for patients at St. Lukes and underarm pillows for breast cancer patients.

Connie’s Quilters has contributed 470 lap, twin and full size quilts to local nonprofit services, including the Marshalltown Soldier Home, the VA Hospital, University Hospital and Clinics, local police, sheriff, and fire departments and area care facilities.

The Project Group and Connie’s Quilters would welcome new members, the press release said. To volunteer, call Roxanne at the Benton County Volunteer Center, 319-434-6078.

volunteering and making a difference in your community in other ways, call Roxanne at the Benton County Volunteer Center, 319-434-6078.