Each December for the last many years a small band of quilters laden with carloads of handmade quilts make their way from Grass Valley to the Sacramento Valley. The ladies are representatives from the Peacemakers quilt group – their destination is Shriners Children’s Hospital of Northern California.
Most people know that Shriners in Sacramento is a regional pediatric medical center providing highly specialized care and rehabilitation to children with congenital conditions and complex medical needs, regardless of the families’ ability to pay. Longtime Peace Lutheran Church member, Olga Thoreson, who passed in 2019, had chosen Shriners to be a recipient of Peacemaker quilts – giving generous funds to accomplish their making. The quilt group is continuing, in Olga’s giving spirit, to provide as many quilts as possible to comfort those children.
This year the quilts were accompanied by many teddy bears for hurting children and knit hats for young heads needing warmth, both made by Peace members. The Peacemakers were met by a new quilt coordinator at Shriners. They were told that each year Shriners admits 1200 children (this does not include those brought in for emergency care.) Now each child will be greeted with their own bed made up with their very own donated quilt to make them feel warm, welcome and safe. What an inspiration to make even more quilts!
In addition to Shriners, Peacemakers donated 55 baby quilts to local Western Sierra Women’s Health, lap quilts to a local convalescent hospital and participated with the local quilt guild in sending quilts and pillow cases to those devastated by Hurricane Helene and fire. Numerous other recipients were provided with beautiful, cheerful quilts. In all Peacemakers distributed 207 quilts in 2024 – not bad for a group of around 20 quilters.
As with everything these days, the cost of quiltmaking materials has gone up. Although generous donors drop off fabric which is sorted into the Peacemakers’ stash by color, theme and size – batting, thread and other items for quilt making of all those quilts must be purchased. The group provides several sewing machines for use during their meetings which must be maintained.
Membership at Peace Lutheran Church is not a requirement to join and belong to Peacemakers – all are welcome at any skill level. The group relies on donations of funds and fabric (especially 100% cotton children’s prints!) to keep up their good work. Contact the church if you would like to join or contribute.
Peacemakers can be found from 9am until noon on most Thursdays at Peace Lutheran Church,
828 W. Main St., Grass Valley. For more information call (530) 273- 9631