another way to donate...LONG! but worth it

This message was sent out from Karey Bresenhan of Quilts, Inc. The director
of the Houston Festival quilt show. It's another way to use our quilting
ties to donate to the hurricane relief efforts.



Dear friends,

Only today did I discover the ghastly scope of the Hurricane

Katrina aftermath, and I immediately started trying to decide what

we could do to help muster aid for the victims. Here is what we

have come up with. This will be posted on our website

(www.quilts.com) in the morning. I am terribly concerned about

the urgency of the short-term needs of these poor souls--25,000 of

them are being bussed to Houston for shelter and perhaps long-term

living arrangements. Most of them left New Orleans with nothing

but the clothes on their backs. I know there are other projects

that are being started for quilts for long-term needs, but right

now, folks, these people have NOTHING and most of them have

NOTHING to go home to. They need help NOW! I hope you'll want to

help us provide some of that help.

Karey Bresenhan

Houston

------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------



QUILTERS COMFORT AMERICA

A Cooperative Project

To Comfort Victims of Hurricane Katrina





To quilters everywhe

The devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast is

beyond belief. Here in Houston our hearts are heavy with sorrow

for all the horrible losses, and we are preparing to welcome the

thousands of refugees that are being bussed to us because they

have lost their homes or have no access to whatever is left of

their homes. Like so many other people, we want to help. Knowing

quilters, we think you want to help, too, because there are no

more generous, giving, open-hearted people than quilters.



Therefore, we are launching a two-part drive for Hurricane Katrina

relief, and we urge you to join us in this project. We're calling

it QUILTERS COMFORT AMERICA.



PART 1: Urgent Donations to the American Red Cross Disaster

Relief Fund.

We will match EVERY donation made by quilters to the American Red

Cross, up to a maximum of $10,000, on a dollar for dollar basis.

In other words, if you make a $25 donation, we'll match that with

another $25 donation. If you make a $100 donation, we'll match

that with another $100 donation, right up to the maximum. To avoid

delays in your donations reaching the Red Cross, and because we

have trusted quilters for more than 30 years now, just email us

with the amount of your donation that you sent to the American Red

Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Every penny of every donation--up to

$10,000--will be matched by International Quilt Festival. You have

my word on that. Please use this email address:

and use the subject line: RED CROSS DONATION.



PART 2: QUILTS FOR COMFORT

Many thousands of the Katrina refugees are being sent to Houston

RIGHT NOW, and no one knows how long they will have to be here.

Most of them escaped the hurricane's fury with only the clothes on

their backs--nothing more--and they may have absolutely nothing to

go home to. They don't even know. The Astrodome is ready as

temporary housing, but there is a serious shortage of bedding.

Part 2 of QUILTERS COMFORT AMERICA is the collection of quilts of

all kinds to be distributed to the refugees here in Houston so

that they have something soft to sleep on instead of the hard

concrete floors of the temporary shelters and something warm to

cover up with against the chill of otherwise welcome

air-conditioning (we've been in the 90s and 100s for weeks now).



Many of us have unfinished projects filling our closets and

cupboards. Get out one of those projects--twin size preferred but

no smaller than baby quilt size, please--and finish it up for

this. Use lightweight batting--do whatever binding is the

quickest, even a close zigzag stitch. You don't have to quilt

it--tie it! If you have only small projects, add borders. Think

about a mother lying on the floor cradling her baby--that's the

size quilt we need to provide. These quilts are not meant to be

heirlooms, although they will probably be treasured for many years

as a symbol of the caring of strangers. Tie them, machine quilt

them, work in a group with your friends and finish several on an

assembly line, do whatever it takes to get these finished quickly.

THE NEED FOR THESE QUILTS IS RIGHT NOW! If you already have some

finished pieces that you don't have plans for, send them too, as

long as they are no smaller than baby quilt size. If you are a

professional, you may have sample quilts that have become

shop-worn or faded but are still clean and very usable in an

emergency--send them!--we are IN an emergency! Be sure to put a

label on the back of your quilt or sign it with a kind thought and

your name and date. Every piece will go to a refugee family driven

from their homes by the hurricane.



To participate in QUILTERS COMFORT AMERICA, send an email to

(subject line: COMFORT AMERICA) to let us know

how many quilts you are sending. That will help us help the Red

Cross in its planning. Please do not expect a confirmation that

your quilt has been received or any kind of nice thank-you.

Sometimes we just have to do things because they are the RIGHT

things to do--this is one of those times. People need help...the

kind of help WE can give.



Use this address to send your quilt/s:

COMFORT AMERICA PROJECT

c/o International Festival

7660 Woodway, Suite 550

Houston, TX 77063

Please note: for security, do NOT use the word 'quilt' ANYWHERE

in your address label!



Many of us have also amassed linen closets full of old but

completely usable sheets--perhaps a size you no longer use, or

juvenile prints that your college age kids don't like anymore.

Clean sheets and blankets are also most welcome to QUILTERS

COMFORT AMERICA. Naturally, everything should be clean and fresh.

These folks have lived with enough mud and dirt to last them the

rest of their lives--let's give them a clean bed to rest in.

Please note that we cannot use fabric, patterns, scraps, etc.



Quilt Festival will serve as the collection point for these

quilts, and we will deliver them DAILY to the American Red Cross

staffing the refugee centers in Houston, where they will be

distributed by the Red Cross volunteers. Because we are right here

in Houston where more than 10,000 of the refugees will be, we can

make a difference RIGHT NOW...if you'll help.



Time is critical--the need is NOW! People are arriving by the

hour, children are bedding down on the cold concrete, bedding is

needed by people of all ages who have lost everything in this

horrible storm. Please help if you can. If you live in or around

Houston, you are welcome to hand deliver your donations to us.

Our address is 7660 Woodway, Suite 550, Houston 77063. You can

find it on Mapquest. Please note that this is one block of Woodway

that runs perpendicular to all the rest of Woodway.



Thanks to everyone!



QUILTERS COMFORT AMERICA.

Karey Patterson Bresenhan

Director, International Quilt Festival--Houston and Chicago

This sounds like the quickest way to get quilts to people that need them.

--
Mary
http://community.webshots.com/user/mardor1948

"KJ" wrote in message
news:V1ERe.80377$084.63275@attbi_s22...
: This message was sent out from Karey Bresenhan of Quilts, Inc. The
director
: of the Houston Festival quilt show. It's another way to use our quilting
: ties to donate to the hurricane relief efforts.
:
:
:

Thanks for the post. Mine will be in the mail today. I will also take
the post to the new quilt shop which is opening today. Many quilters
will be visiting the new shop this week end so we will be able to
spread the word.

Susan

On Thu, 01 Sep 2005 14:15:17 GMT, "KJ" wrote:

This message was sent out from Karey Bresenhan of Quilts, Inc. The director
of the Houston Festival quilt show. It's another way to use our quilting
ties to donate to the hurricane relief efforts.



Dear friends,

Only today did I discover the ghastly scope of the Hurricane

Katrina aftermath, and I immediately started trying to decide what

we could do to help muster aid for the victims. Here is what we

have come up with. This will be posted on our website

(www.quilts.com) in the morning. I am terribly concerned about

the urgency of the short-term needs of these poor souls--25,000 of

them are being bussed to Houston for shelter and perhaps long-term

living arrangements. Most of them left New Orleans with nothing

but the clothes on their backs. I know there are other projects

that are being started for quilts for long-term needs, but right

now, folks, these people have NOTHING and most of them have

NOTHING to go home to. They need help NOW! I hope you'll want to

help us provide some of that help.

Karey Bresenhan

Houston

------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------



QUILTERS COMFORT AMERICA

A Cooperative Project

To Comfort Victims of Hurricane Katrina





To quilters everywhe

The devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast is

beyond belief. Here in Houston our hearts are heavy with sorrow

for all the horrible losses, and we are preparing to welcome the

thousands of refugees that are being bussed to us because they

have lost their homes or have no access to whatever is left of

their homes. Like so many other people, we want to help. Knowing

quilters, we think you want to help, too, because there are no

more generous, giving, open-hearted people than quilters.



Therefore, we are launching a two-part drive for Hurricane Katrina

relief, and we urge you to join us in this project. We're calling

it QUILTERS COMFORT AMERICA.



PART 1: Urgent Donations to the American Red Cross Disaster

Relief Fund.

We will match EVERY donation made by quilters to the American Red

Cross, up to a maximum of $10,000, on a dollar for dollar basis.

In other words, if you make a $25 donation, we'll match that with

another $25 donation. If you make a $100 donation, we'll match

that with another $100 donation, right up to the maximum. To avoid

delays in your donations reaching the Red Cross, and because we

have trusted quilters for more than 30 years now, just email us

with the amount of your donation that you sent to the American Red

Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Every penny of every donation--up to

$10,000--will be matched by International Quilt Festival. You have

my word on that. Please use this email address:

and use the subject line: RED CROSS DONATION.



PART 2: QUILTS FOR COMFORT

Many thousands of the Katrina refugees are being sent to Houston

RIGHT NOW, and no one knows how long they will have to be here.

Most of them escaped the hurricane's fury with only the clothes on

their backs--nothing more--and they may have absolutely nothing to

go home to. They don't even know. The Astrodome is ready as

temporary housing, but there is a serious shortage of bedding.

Part 2 of QUILTERS COMFORT AMERICA is the collection of quilts of

all kinds to be distributed to the refugees here in Houston so

that they have something soft to sleep on instead of the hard

concrete floors of the temporary shelters and something warm to

cover up with against the chill of otherwise welcome

air-conditioning (we've been in the 90s and 100s for weeks now).



Many of us have unfinished projects filling our closets and

cupboards. Get out one of those projects--twin size preferred but

no smaller than baby quilt size, please--and finish it up for

this. Use lightweight batting--do whatever binding is the

quickest, even a close zigzag stitch. You don't have to quilt

it--tie it! If you have only small projects, add borders. Think

about a mother lying on the floor cradling her baby--that's the

size quilt we need to provide. These quilts are not meant to be

heirlooms, although they will probably be treasured for many years

as a symbol of the caring of strangers. Tie them, machine quilt

them, work in a group with your friends and finish several on an

assembly line, do whatever it takes to get these finished quickly.

THE NEED FOR THESE QUILTS IS RIGHT NOW! If you already have some

finished pieces that you don't have plans for, send them too, as

long as they are no smaller than baby quilt size. If you are a

professional, you may have sample quilts that have become

shop-worn or faded but are still clean and very usable in an

emergency--send them!--we are IN an emergency! Be sure to put a

label on the back of your quilt or sign it with a kind thought and

your name and date. Every piece will go to a refugee family driven

from their homes by the hurricane.



To participate in QUILTERS COMFORT AMERICA, send an email to

(subject line: COMFORT AMERICA) to let us know

how many quilts you are sending. That will help us help the Red

Cross in its planning. Please do not expect a confirmation that

your quilt has been received or any kind of nice thank-you.

Sometimes we just have to do things because they are the RIGHT

things to do--this is one of those times. People need help...the

kind of help WE can give.



Use this address to send your quilt/s:

COMFORT AMERICA PROJECT

c/o International Festival

7660 Woodway, Suite 550

Houston, TX 77063

Please note: for security, do NOT use the word 'quilt' ANYWHERE

in your address label!



Many of us have also amassed linen closets full of old but

completely usable sheets--perhaps a size you no longer use, or

juvenile prints that your college age kids don't like anymore.

Clean sheets and blankets are also most welcome to QUILTERS

COMFORT AMERICA. Naturally, everything should be clean and fresh.

These folks have lived with enough mud and dirt to last them the

rest of their lives--let's give them a clean bed to rest in.

Please note that we cannot use fabric, patterns, scraps, etc.



Quilt Festival will serve as the collection point for these

quilts, and we will deliver them DAILY to the American Red Cross

staffing the refugee centers in Houston, where they will be

distributed by the Red Cross volunteers. Because we are right here

in Houston where more than 10,000 of the refugees will be, we can

make a difference RIGHT NOW...if you'll help.



Time is critical--the need is NOW! People are arriving by the

hour, children are bedding down on the cold concrete, bedding is

needed by people of all ages who have lost everything in this

horrible storm. Please help if you can. If you live in or around

Houston, you are welcome to hand deliver your donations to us.

Our address is 7660 Woodway, Suite 550, Houston 77063. You can

find it on Mapquest. Please note that this is one block of Woodway

that runs perpendicular to all the rest of Woodway.



Thanks to everyone!



QUILTERS COMFORT AMERICA.

Karey Patterson Bresenhan

Director, International Quilt Festival--Houston and Chicago