Just Serve

This year, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints created a new program called "Just Serve", which is an amazing resource! Anyone can go to the website JustServe.org and type in their zip code to find service opportunities in their area. If you only have time to serve during a specific time slot each week, or if you have a specific skill set, you'll find something for you at Just Serve. If you are running a non-profit or a church group and need volunteers or donations, you can post on Just Serve and anyone can sign up to come and help. It's such a fabulous way to connect churches, communities, non-profits, and neighbors in collaborating to help a greater cause, to "Love thy neighbor as thyself". 



2 of our biggest projects at Sew Much Love are up and posted so we can try to get more community involvement in our humanitarian aid! Within hours of the posts being up, we had a couple of emails asking questions about how to get involved! 

It's really a fantastic website--go check it out, type in your zip code, and see what pops up! It's wonderful to see the needs in your area and see how you can be better involved.  Also, every couple of days, they post a "Success Story" about how this program is already functioning so effectively to increase service opportunities. https://www.justserve.org/stories/ They are super uplifting and fun to read! 

Hopefully, we'll have a Success Story of our own very soon!

What 90 Minutes Can Be

There are a lot of things you can accomplish 90 minutes. You can watch a Disney movie, read a book, make cookies, or possibly even get a toddler ready to go out the door, although that can often take quite a bit longer.

But when you gather women together, there is so much more you can accomplish in just 90 minutes.

In March when we had our Stake Women's Humanitarian event, we had a lot of preparation, but during just 90 minutes together, we:

• Got 6 quilts tied, ready for donation
• Decorated a couple dozen greeting cards and tray liners for Canterbury House
• Made 30 headbands for the Days for Girls project, along with drawstring bags and 60 liners
• Cut 100 washcloths from donated old towels for hygiene kits
• Donated a barrel of food, along with several boxes of diapers for the Auburn Food Bank

Whenever possible, we invite you to spend the morning with us, Tuesdays from 10-12!

I Was A Stranger

Charlie and I were reading our nightly General Conference talk last night, and I kept thinking how well it relates to our Stake Humanitarian efforts. We were reading the talk from April 2016 conference "I Was a Stranger" by Linda K. Burton, about how we can serve in our communities, especially helping refugees.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the talk: (I underlined my favorite parts!)

On the day Relief Society was organized, Emma Smith declared: “We are going to do something extraordinary. … We expect extraordinary occasions and pressing calls.”

Sister Rosemary M. Wixom has taught, “The divine nature within us ignites our desire to reach out to others and prompts us to act.”9

Recognizing our divine nature, President Russell M. Nelson urged:

“We need women who know how to make important things happen by their faith and who are courageous defenders of morality and families in a sin-sick world … ; women who know how to call upon the powers of heaven to protect and strengthen children and families. …

“… Married or single, you sisters possess distinctive capabilities and special intuition you have received as gifts from God. We brethren cannot duplicate your unique influence.”10

The Savior lovingly acknowledged the widow whose contribution was only two mites because she did what she could.17 He also told the parable of the good Samaritan, which He concluded saying, “Go, and do thou likewise.”18 Sometimes reaching out is inconvenient. But when we work together in love and unity, we can expect heaven’s help.

At the funeral services for a remarkable daughter of God, someone shared that this sister, as stake Relief Society president, worked with others in her stake to contribute quilts to give warmth to suffering people in Kosovo during the 1990s. And like the good Samaritan, she went out of her way to do more as she and her daughter drove a truck filled with those quilts from London to Kosovo. On her journey home she received an unmistakable spiritual impression that sank deep into her heart. The impression was this: “What you have done is a very good thing. Now go home, walk across the street, and serve your neighbor!”19

President Henry B. Eyring bore this powerful testimony to the women of the Church:

“Heavenly Father hears and answers your prayers of faith for guidance and for help to endure in your service for Him.

“The Holy Ghost is sent to you and to those you care for. You will be strengthened and yet inspired to know the limits and extent of your ability to serve. The Spirit will comfort you when you may wonder, ‘Did I do enough?’”20

As we consider the “pressing calls” of those who need our help, let’s ask ourselves, “What if their story were my story?” May we then seek inspiration, act on impressions we receive, and reach out in unity to help those in need as we are able and inspired to do so. Perhaps then it might be said of us, as the Savior said of a loving sister who ministered to Him: “She hath wrought a good work. … She hath done what she could.”21 I call that extraordinary!

Back to Juli: What a great talk! Whether you come to our Stake Humanitarian projects to quilt and sew, serve your neighbor, or do something with the "I Was a Stranger" initiative, the Lord will help strengthen you, comfort you, and make your efforts something extraordinary. 

A Sweet Story

We heard a sweet story from one of the women who helps coordinate everything with our quilt donations. 

There was a sweet 6 year old boy who had new onset seizures and it turned out that he had a non-operable brain tumor. He had a twin brother, so we put both of their hand prints on the quilt. The twin asked if he got to keep his brother's blanket. The family was so thankful for the quilt. They told everyone who came in to say goodbye to their son that a beautiful group of church ladies made it, so they were wrapping him up tight in it. They'd say, "You can't go wrong in a blanket made by church ladies" and smile :)

We are so blessed to be making these quilts that bring comfort and joy to these grieving families.

Join us any Tuesday morning at the church and use your time to spread smiles.

LifeCenter Northwest 2015 Report

The 2015 LifeCenter Northwest Annual Report was recently posted online with their statistics, projects, updates, and news. 

https://issuu.com/lifecenternorthwest/docs/ar2015_final_mech

 On page 14, it says that they were able to give more than 200 honor quilts to donor families in 2015. This was a new high record; in 2014, they gave out 157 quilts and we provided 50 of those through our humanitarian service! 

The annual report states:

 "It is a profound and humbling experience to stand with families in the moment of their greatest grief and greatest generosity. We see the very best in humanity--strength, courage, and hope, all in the face of loss.

We're always looking to find new ways to honor and comfort these families through an extremely challenging time. Our family service staff are all professionally trained in grief counseling and bereavement support, and they're present at the hospital for nearly every donation in our large geographic region.

Sometimes families will want to play the donor's favorite music, bring their favorite toys to accompany them, or stay with the donor through the procedure. We also help with 'memory-making' activities, such as hand and footprints, and every organ donor family receives a handmade memorial quilt."

We feel so blessed to be able to be a part of the honor quilt making with this wonderful organization. What a great way to fulfill our baptismal covenant to be "willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort". (Mosiah 18:9)

How to Donate Money

There has been some confusion in the past about how to donate money to our Stake Humanitarian projects, so here's the quick info for those who were wondering!

Donating money to our stake specifically must be done with the form, not online. In the section labeled "Other (Specify)", write "Auburn Stake Sew Much Love" and the amount of money in the column to the right. If you put money in the Humanitarian Aid section, that's wonderful, but it goes to the headquarters in Salt Lake City, not for our Stake's use. 

Thanks!

Interview: Cindy Phelan

I thought it'd be fun to interview a few of the people who participate in the humanitarian events about what they do! Then you can learn more about the projects, the people, and the miracles.

This month I interviewed Cindy Phelan, a wonderful woman who has been piecing quilts for 20 years. She took an informal quilting class from a few friends, and after being released as Relief Society President, she signed up for a class at a quilting store to fill some of her free time. She took another class at another store, joined a "block a month" club being held at 3 different stores, learning more, and followed patterns in magazines and quilt books. As she had questions, she would ask those in the stores and they were willing to help.

 Cindy started using her skills with us 5 years ago when Sew Much Love was started here in Auburn. She makes traditional quilts called "Sampler" quilts with different pattered blocks to make the design simple, yet interesting. One of her favorite parts is the creativity of looking at the fabric she has to work with and figuring out a way to make something hopefully special. Cindy wrote: "I saw a special  about Pioneer quilt makers on PBS.  They read from the diary of a woman who was homesteading in Kansas or Nebraska.  I'll never forget what she said. 'I make quilts as fast as I can to keep my family warm and as beautiful as I can to keep my heart from breaking.'  That's what I hope our quilts do for the people who receive them.  I hope they keep them warm, but I hope too that they can feel the love and encouragement that we put into them and glean some comfort from that."

Her quilts are usually sent to Harborview for Pediatric Trauma patients. Some of her quilts also go to the homeless and battered women shelters, and some quilts are kept on hand for when there's a need in the church or in the community. Cindy said that one year, they sent a bunch of quilts over to Japan to an orphanage of kids who'd lost their families in a big earthquake and tsunami. Plus there are the quilts made for LifeCenter Northwest, which you can read about in past posts on the blog. 

When I asked what her favorite part was about Sew Much Love, she joked that the potlucks were the best part, but did say that she loves the friendships she's made. Her real answer: She got to go to LifeCenter Northwest to tour their facility and see firsthand how the donors quilts are being used. She said it was an amazing experience.

Cindy's favorite scripture about service is Moroni 7:13- "But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually, wherefore, everything which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God." Cindy certainly exemplifies those qualities as she spends so much time making these quilts!

Come get to know Cindy and more friends by coming to our Tuesday meetings 10-12 at the Stake Center. Thanks for the interview, Cindy!