Friday, January 18, 2019

This is just one of the 39 quilts that have been sent out by amazing quilters from all over the United States and as far away as this one was from Alaska.

I have been so blessed to have so many quilters step up and get quilts out ASAP and I still have 14 quilts that are currently in a variety of stages of completeness.

I cannot tell you how thankful I am to each one of you have answered the call, sent the quilts out and have received or are patiently awaiting pictures from the recipients.

While the need seems to be waning in the area of the local police departments, we have received no requests oddly from any of the local fire fighters.

We have completed many quilts for the CHP, Paradise PD, Cal Trans and are now working on families from the University of Chico police department.

I was hoping to make the trip to the area in January or February, but as life gets in the way, my back has put me down and unable to drive since New Years Eve.. I will get down that way as soon as I can travel and drive myself once again.

It is the goal of Layers of Hope Quilting 911 that quilts go directly from the quilter to the family in need, but if you feel you want to send them to me directly, just send me an email and I will send you my address.

Also, please know we still need quilts for those in need that have not been affected by the fires, so if you want to send a quilt that I can keep on hand to mail out to a first responder going through chemo or another life altering event, please let me know~

Blessings to you all!

Saturday, December 22, 2018

More Quilts Needed

If you are reading this post, I pray that you will download and copy this flier and take into your local quilt and yarn shops and ask them to just post it so other people can contact me for how to get a quilt to a survivor.

Also, if you live along the I-5 corridor or know of a quilt shop along the I-5 corridor between Olympia, WA and Redding, CA. please have them post it and collect quilts for our first responders as I am planning a trip near the end of January or February.

While the Layers of Hope Quilting 911 logo is copyrighted in the state of Washington, I am granting people person to copy this to post where it will do the most good. Your quilt shops, your churches, etc..

At this time, we have completely covered 6 families with 26 quilts and still have many more to get quilts to. If you have freshly made quilts or quilts that have never been used sitting on a shelf and you keep saying you don't know what to do with them, open your heart and send it to a first responder who lost everything in the fires.

Just because the news and media are not covering these fires, the celebrities are not reaching out to these victims, does NOT mean we can't reach out and help them!

These people did NOT just lose their homes, they lost homes, vehicles, jobs, their towns, schools, hospital, try wrapping your mind around the total devastation and how many people are without.

Quilters have hearts and souls and we reach out. Please, help us get quilts to those in need.

Please understand these quilts go to first responders only..fire fighters, police officers, ambulance drivers, CHP, Cal Fire personnel and THEIR family members.  I do NOT accept quilts for anyone else.

If you know of quilt shops along I-5, they will need to contact me so I can stop by on my way to Paradise. They can email me or go to Layers of Hope Quilting 911 and leave a message!

God Bless!

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Quilters Still Needed Camp Fire First Responders

I cannot thank the quilters that have stepped up enough and sent quilts out to first responding families in need. The generosity has warmed my hearts and their lives!

So far, we have covered 4 complete families, have more quilts enroute to cover another 6 families and that totals up to about 25 quilts sent thus far.

 Here are just 2 of the several I have received pictures of. This family lost everything they owned, there is nothing left. They were blessed with a 5th wheel to call home at this time, but look at those 2 little babies so happy to have their own quilts, how can you not smile when you see such peace on a child's face?


This young lady loves Hawaii and wanted a quilt that reminded her of the ocean. The quilter that sent her this one happens to live in Honolulu and you cannot get any closer to Hawaii than receiving a quilt from a Hawaiian quilter, what a blessing!

I have a need for more quilts, because slowly but surely the word is getting around that first responders matter.  There was a quilt giveaway in Chico and sadly, those quilts went very quickly and that is why I do what I do.

I reach out to the departments in the area and I ask for names and contacts of people we can send quilts to...fire fighters, CHP, police officers, EMT's, 911 operators, we give and we give with our hearts.

Right now I am looking for a quilter who has made an animal print large quilt for a bed that may have it just on a shelf waiting for that someone special. Why? Because I have an animal control officer that has been working daily since the fires to feed, water and rescue animals left behind by families. I am told she LOVES animals, so it doesn't matter if the quilt has tigers or cows on it, show me what you have and lets bless her socks off!

 

Sunday, December 9, 2018

Please Quilt Generously for Paradise Fire Families

My moms home is the one at the top with the white door on the ground!

My moms garage
I have not been to this area as of yet, they are still keeping the residents out and I am NOT a resident. I am just the step daughter of an 84 year old wonderful man who lost his wife in 2010 and now everything else he has ever owned in his life is gone.

The truck near the middle of the bottom photo WAS a 1954 Ford that was going to my son, the mini van looking vehicle was actually a Class C RV he and my mom traveled around the USA in when she was still with us. We lost mom in 2010 and I do not believe 'Buttercup,' as my mom named her ever moved again.

This is why I quilt, this is why I ask you for quilts, it isn't just my step dad, it is thousands of elderly, families have nothing left and many watched their homes burn while they drove away that day.
Still, others I have spoken to stated they locked their doors and expected to come back to home. Now, home is gone!

I quilt for first responders and their families, our fire fighters who fought hard to safe homes and businesses while they watched their own homes burn to ashes. Police officers directing families out of the area that didn't know if their own families got out alive. Stories of fire fighter that went to rescue his dad and they both were trapped in the fire until 8 hours later when they could get out.
A mom who sobbed to me because for 2 days she did not know if her son a fire fighter had burned or was still alive.

These are the people we look up to that help us during a crisis, that stay the lines, that risk their lives saving others while unknown if their own families made it.

These are the heroes that would walk away from that word that need us, that need you, that need quilters, crochet and knitters, we need to cover these families with the love of a quilt.

Yesterday, I had a woman beg me to get 90 quilts to the linemen that were in the area and when I told her I could not do that, she broke down. We spoke for a bit, she understands, but daily people come to me with their stories and daily I tell them I cannot help them.

Right now, I have a list of 30 families in need a handful of quilters that have stepped up. I NEED YOU!!! THEY NEED YOU!!!

Please don't think these quilts sit in a warehouse, because they go directly to the recipient in need. Please do not think I have a hoard of quilts because I live in a 5th wheel and have no place to hoard anything. During times like these, I wish for a quilt hoard, I wish for that warehouse I can walk into and start loading quilts up and taking them to those in need, but sadly, I do not and that is why each one of you is important!

Step up, contact me and say you have a quilt or 2 or 10 or an afghan that is brand new and want to donate and I will assign you a family and an address to get them to.

If you can't quilt or knit or crochet...get on social media and shout it out, we have a need!!

There is a quilt shop in Chico accepting quilts for the elderly and other displaced families, but we are Layers of Hope Quilting 911 and our focus is on the first responders that put their lives on hold while saving thousands.

You DO make a difference and so do your quilts!

Saturday, December 8, 2018

A Finish for a Family

Mom and Sister holding baby brothers quilt under mom & dads

Beautiful little girl     




This is the final 2 quilts that Kathy and her amazing Tucson quilting guild blessed this family of Paradise, California with as they had lost all in the fires and just been blessed with a new place to live.

This is what I do. I reach out and you are all so many blessings for those in need who lost everything.

I am still needing more quilters, so please step up and ask what is needed.

Thank you!

Thursday, December 6, 2018

Mother and her child with a quilt from Layers of Hope- Quilting 911 and a guild in Tucson
I asked and many of you have stepped up and as usual, I am posting the pictures of quilts and their receivers as they come to me.

This mom, her little girl and husband as well as new baby on the way were blessed with an apartment and her husband a job so they could settle into a new normalcy after the Camp Fire in California.

So blessed that Kathy and her quilting guild in Tucson stepped right up and sent her 2 quilts.

While she is not a member of the first responder family, her story touched my heart and she was the first one that agreed to be helped.

God Bless you all!

Friday, November 30, 2018

Quilts For Camp Fire First Responders Paradise California

There is nothing more that I can say at this time, but please HELP!! 

Please consider reaching out to a first responder family with a quilt, it is such an act of love.

Right now I have an immediate need for quilts for 3 young people in a family of 9 all the others have been covered and I know I have quilters out there that can help.

NEEDS:

1 Lime Green Minecraft Theme (if possible) if NOT, the Lime Green is important for a 6 year old young man.

1 Yellow and Orange quilt for a 12 year old young man

1 Red, Gray and White quilt for a 16 year old young lady.

Come on quilters, I know you are out there as well as crocheters and I know you have enough stash to reach into your heart and put something together for one of these 3.

The quilts do NOT come to me, they would go directly to the family in need, it saves doubling up on the postage.

If you can do this, please send me an email with Paradise Quilts in the top line to:
compassionate quilter at rocketmail dot com

This family lost everything while there dad kept the plans and trucks going during the fire, I think they deserve something to call their own!