Thanks to the Hearts and Hands Quilters’ Guild, the Stockings for Seniors program will be able to give out some high-quality hand-made stockings.
Darlene Vowk, the president of the guild, says the group has been in the community for around 25 years.
One of the guild’s goals is to use their skills to help those in need. Together, the members of the guild have built many quilts to be donated to those in need.
“Usually we have one day a year where we all get together and build charity quilts,” says Vowk. She says everybody brings their excess fabric and donates it for the quilt.
This year, the guild decided they would help out with Stockings for Seniors. The program, founded by Jenn Myslicki, ensures seniors in the area get a stocking for Christmas.
Myslicki says before Covid, they also had students from the schools bring in the stockings and put on concerts for the seniors. However, during the pandemic they had to restrict themselves to giving out the stockings themselves.
This year the guild put together more than 139 stockings. Myslicki says she will have around 375 seniors who will need stockings, and the donation will go a long way. Vowk says they had another workbee and members of the guild came together to build them.
The stockings are filled with items the hospital and senior facilities don’t supply. This includes things like shampoo, deodorant, nail clippers, and other smaller items.
In the past, the guild has brought in instructors to help teach different techniques.
Vowk says prior to the pandemic, there were about 40 members in the guild. Now, they are down to 25.
With that lowered number, they are unable to put on their annual quilt show this year. Instead, they are holding a raffle to give away three different quilts. In 2021, the guild was able to donate $836 to two different charities. In 2022, they were able to donate $658 to three separate causes.
This year, the plan is to donate their funds to STARS, the Drayton Valley Food Bank, and Warming Hearts.
Vowk says anyone is welcome to join the guild if they wish to. While most of the members are local, she says there are some members who have moved away and still come back occasionally.
“We’re not very picky,” says Vowk, “we’re very welcoming.” The only prerequisite is a sewing machine because they are unable to provide them.
If anyone is interested in joining the guild, they can contact Vowk at 780-542-1359. The quilts for the raffle will be on display at Material Matters and Stitches and Dreams.
