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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (July 10, 2019)
C0MMUNITY MyEagleNews.com Wednesday, July 10, 2019 A3 Quilters, bed builders join forces to serve kids New guild donates seven quilts to Sleep in Heavenly Peace By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle Local quilters have been busy stitching, and bed builders have been hammer- ing away, all to help children have a comfortable spot to rest. The nonprofit Straw- berry Mountain Quilt Guild, formed in February, has joined forces with the John Day chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a nonprofit group that makes single and bunk beds for children in need. The guild recently donated seven twin-sized quilts to SHP. They are sew- ing four more quilts, which are near completion, with another six in the planning stages. Samni Bell, guild presi- dent, said they intend to cre- ate 30-35 quilts this year to donate to SHP. Lending their energy with Bell to the guild are vice president Heather Swank, secretary/treasurer Bon- nie Watt and board mem- ber/advisor Pat Amling, who also helps design the SHP quilts. Starting in April, a total of 13 guild members worked together in “sit and sew” ses- sions to complete the seven quilts, including Bonnie Zick, Carolyn Wall, Cindy Jackson, Alexandria Acoff (Bell’s niece from Texas), Bonnie Watt, Trace Andrew and others. Bell said they gather monthly for a “multitude” of reasons, including support- ing each other and the com- munity through continuing education and philanthropic efforts with Sleep in Heav- enly Peace “to provide quilts for every bed made for a child.” The quilters meet the first Wednesday of each month at the John Day Church of the Nazarene or Bell’s quilting studio at BellyAcres Twisted Stitchery in Mt. Vernon. Bell said the ladies cre- ate the quilt tops and bot- toms, and she does all the finishing work, including using her long arm quilting machine. The machine can stitch heart designs, butter- flies, four-wheelers, trucks and more. She said they receive spe- cial requests on occasion for certain themes or characters. The guild’s purpose includes fostering an appre- ciation of quilts and the art of quilting, Bell said, with members gathering to learn, teach and exchange ideas and information, all to help develop and improve their quilting skills. They also work to increase knowledge of tra- ditional and contemporary quilting techniques with the general public, promot- ing it as a valuable art form by increasing awareness of quilt history, design and preservation through teach- Contributed photo Members of the Strawberry Mountain Quilt Guild gather around Susie Brown, who is the John Day chapter president of Sleep in Heavenly Peace. From left: Cindy Jackson, Samni Bell, Susie Brown, Carolyn Wall, Alexandria Acoff (back) and Bonnie Zick. Contributed photo Contributed photo Strawberry Mountain Quilt Guild president Samni Bell, back right, looks through bolts of fabric with guild members at her Mt. Vernon quilt studio. Alexandria Acoff of the Strawberry Mountain Quilt Guild, right, hands a stack of newly made quilts to Susie Brown, the John Day chapter president for Sleep in Heavenly Peace, during the chapter’s most recent build day June 15. The guild is joining forces with Sleep in Heavenly Peace, which gives handmade beds, complete with new mattress and bedding, to children in need. Contributed photo Soni Guttu volunteers with the nonprofit John Day chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace on June 15. Builders made 31 beds in one day that will be given to local children in need. The build day was in honor of Guttu’s late husband, Les, and the late Kylee Bruce, who is the daughter of Gaylene Moyers. ing, publicity and exhibits. A big part of their pur- pose is the charitable giv- ing of quilts, encouraging fellow artists and promoting good will. Bell said she and four guild members not only delivered seven quilts on June 15, but also partici- pated in the SHP build day. The Sleep in Heavenly Peace group, led by chap- ter president Susie Brown of John Day, took part in a June 15 nationwide build day, “Bunks Across Amer- ica,” and the local group created 31 single beds in one day. “It was a wonder- ful experience, and Susie Brown was so gracious, and she teared up,” Bell said. “We displayed them through the build.” Brown said the local build was held in honor of the late Les Guttu and the late Kylee Bruce, who is the daughter of Gaylene Moyers. A total of 31 single beds were made, and a few were delivered on Sunday to families in Baker City. “We have beds available for those who need them,” Brown said, noting that cur- rently they don’t have any requests from Grant County families for beds. Brown said she was pleased to have the Straw- berry Mountain Quilt Guild partnering with them to pro- vide quilts for each bed. “They are wonderful,” Brown said of the guild members. “It means that we don’t have to come up with the funds to cover that — it’s phenomenal.” Since the chapter’s inau- gural build in August 2018, four more builds were held and a total of 78 beds have been made with more than 200 volunteers involved in the process. Volunteer work with SHP includes everything from fundraising, picking up donations and supplies, cutting, sanding and stain- ing boards. Other helpers deliver the beds, assem- bling them in the recipients’ bedrooms. The beds, all in twin size, come with a new mattress and all-new bed- ding, including a quilt. Brown said she knows the good feeling this ser- vice brings to her, but she also recently learned what it means to other volunteers. She said there was much said at Guttu’s funeral ser- vice about his time volun- teering for Sleep in Heav- enly Peace. “SHP was talked about a lot,” Brown said. “It was something he enjoyed being involved in.” “I realized it doesn’t just help me,” she said. “It helps those volunteers that help even just a little bit.” For more information or to volunteer or make a donation, email susie. brown@shpbeds.org. The main website, where bed requests can be made, is shpbeds.org. To learn more about the Strawberry Mountain Quilt Guild, call 541-932-4422. gon! For the first time in Eastern Ore VETERAN BENEFIT EXPO19 9 A.M. TO 3 P.M. SATURDAY, JULY 27TH PENDLETON CONVENTION CENTER Learn about all of your Federal and State benefits Under one roof! NEW THIS YEAR: Veterans town hall meeting with odva director kelly fitzpatrick 6 p.m. july 26 same location WZ^Ed/EWZdEZ^,/Wz W W W. E X P O.O R E G O N D VA .C O M We’re hiring for the 2019- 2020 School Year! Join our team of teachers! We are looking for fun, creative, and passionate early childhood educators. Teacher Assistants and substitute positions are available. 24 hrs -30 hrs per week, $12.50 an hour. Holidays are paid as well. A teaching license or certifications is not required. Contact Us Today for an application! Our Summer Office Hours are Tues-Thurs 9:00 am-1:00 pm Or call 541-575-1895, 541-968-9867 send your resume to: office@johndaynazarene.com Include a short paragraph about yourself, and why you want to teach with us. T H A N K Y O U The Seneca Oyster Feed Committee would like to give a big “THANK YOU” to everyone who helped make the 29th Annual Seneca Oyster Feed such a Big Success. All the donations, hard work and donated time were greatly appreciated. This year was wonderful because of you. We would especially like to thank Ace Hardware, Ed Staub and Son’s, Silvie’s Retreat and Links, John Day Golf Course, Bear Valley Meadows, and Dale Duby for their generous donations every year. A last big thank you to Pete and George Walker for always being willing to go pick up oysters and Zach DeRosier for all your time and effort with the softball tournament! Thank you, City of Seneca 129394
