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
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EXPO19
9 A.M. TO 3 P.M.
SATURDAY, JULY 27TH
PENDLETON CONVENTION CENTER
Learn about all of your Federal and State benefits
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NEW THIS YEAR:
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6 p.m. july 26
same
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W W W. E X P O.O R E G O N D VA .C O M
We’re hiring for the
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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