Thursday, September 26, 2024
MENOMINEE, MICH. – Twice a month the basement of Bethel Lutheran Church in Menominee, Mich., fills with the sounds of chatter and laughter from the women who make up the Forget-Me-Knot Quilters. With a recent donation from the Thrivent Action Team, this quilting group will be able to continue their supportive mission with Lutheran World Relief for years to come.
The Forget-Me-Knot Quilters have been operating together for over 80 years in the Bethel Lutheran Church. These women gather during the first full week of each month on Monday and Tuesday to make quilts for Lutheran World Relief, an organization focused on disaster relief and recovery.
During their meetings the ladies operate as an assembly line, where two women assemble the layers and one pins them together while the rest focus on tying so that the final sewing member can complete the quilts. On the second day some members begin boxing the quilts so that each October they can be shipped to Minneapolis, Minn., for Lutheran World Relief to ship across the country and around the globe.
Cindy Baur, a member of the Forget-Me-Knot Quilters, explained the personal impact the group has had on her, “It’s really a selfless act. You don’t know who is going to receive the quilt, but you know whoever receives it is having a difficult time or [is in the midst of] a disaster. It’s good to know you are helping someone in one of their lowest points.”
Baur shared that one of the highlights of working with Lutheran World Relief is that they receive maps of where their quilts are being sent, which gives members an insight into what type of impact they are making. Recently, their quilts were sent as part of an aid package to the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse in Baltimore, Md., in March.
In order to produce so many quilts, the group uses savvy purchasing practices. Many of the materials they purchase come from garage and second-hand sales and thrift stores like Goodwill and St. Vincent de Paul. However, what truly keep the Forget-Me-Knot Quilters running are donations. Community members can drop off donations of materials at Quilter’s Haven in Menominee, Mich.
For many years the Forget-Me-Knot Quilters have been working with Thrivent to support their mission as a Thrivent Action Team. To commemorate Thrivent’s 10 years of working with these action groups, the company selected 10 honorees from across the country to receive a donation of $10,000. The Forget-Me-Knot quilters were among the accomplished service groups to receive such a donation, making a massive impact on their quilt-making efforts.
In their work with Thrivent, Thrivent Choice members can request Choice Dollars. Using these Choice Dollars, community members can pass the donation on to the Forget-Me-Knot Quilters.
Baur noted the importance and impact of donations from Thrivent and community members alike, “That’s really how we survive, through those donations. It’s been a godsend.”
The Forget-Me-Knot Quilters are always accepting donations as well as new members. Currently, the group is seeking fabric, flat sheets and quilt tops.
For more information about the Forget-Me-Knot Quilters, contact Cindy Baur at (715) 938-7994 or contact the Bethel Lutheran Church at 1309 14th Ave., Menominee, Mich. at (906) 863-2066.
