Members of the Blue Ridge Mountain Quilt Guild in Canton stopped by the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office recently to drop off some unique gifts from the heart—with the goal of helping kids caught in tough situations.
Traci Hoglen and Lisa Mundy Bell with the non- profit group presented the Sheriff’s Office with 26 machine-quilted, hand- bound quilts Friday, December 16.
It took 22 women eight months to finish the quilts, which vary in design.
Deputies will carry these quilts in their cars, so in the event they are called to a scene where children might need comfort, the quilt can make them feel a little more at ease.
“These quilts will be wrapped around a child–maybe a child who was in a car accident or whose house has burned. The idea these will help children and maybe give them comfort is what really motivated us,” said Hoglen.
Hoglen said although the Guild is all about giving back, she also has some personal reasons for being a part of it—companionship. She said the opportunity to learn from each member’s talent is a joy.
“Learning different techniques and styles and just being together as a group is such a joy. Every woman in the Guild has a very big heart of giving. It’s hard to fully explain,” said Hoglen.
Throughout the eight months of working on the quilts, Hoglen was even able to turn a personal tragedy into something greater than she imagined.
One of the quilts donated was made in part by Hoglen’s late 82- year- old mother in law, Joyce Hoglen, who passed away from cancer in November 2014.
“We actually worked on the quilt together and before she passed away, she asked me to finish it,” said Hoglen. “Only, every time I pulled it out to work on it, I couldn’t stop crying. But her heart was all about giving and I felt compelled to take the quilt and give it to the guild and do something positive with it. We decided to split the quilt in half then finish them.”
Hoglen said she decided to split the quilt in two because she knew it could help even more people that way.
“We are beyond blessed to have people in our community who live a life of giving back. No matter how much work it takes, or how hard the task may be, they dedicate their time and effort to something greater than themselves,” said Sheriff Greg Christopher. “Our deputies will now have something made with love and care to share with those who need it most.”