Sue Bart

On Friday, May 14, 2021, Community Service Chair Jody Edwards and President Diana Jones delivered 15 quilts to U.S. Vets. They also delivered 31 kids’ quilts, nine adult quilts, and two knitted afghans to United Methodist Outreach Ministries (UMOM) in Phoenix. What was amazing about this delivery was that all of the quilts delivered had been finished between January and May. The afghans were donated by a community member. Last November and December, we delivered eight quilts to U.S. Vets, 18 quilts to My Sister’s Place, and 55 quilted placemats to Neighbors Who Care. Now we have started all over again with collecting more finished quilts.

What is UMOM? UMOM operates shelters that provide families, single women, military veteran families, and youth with a chance to turn their lives around. This organization started in 1964 and was incorporated in 1985 as UMOM. Today it is far more than the Methodist Church outreach. The 32 board of directors are businesses and corporations from across the state. UMOM provides crisis shelter, supportive services, and affordable housing. There are five separate shelters: New Day Center for families, including families of military veterans. Halle Women’s Center for single women without children opened in June 2017 and is the first Arizona shelter designed specifically for single women. Open Hands Emergency Crisis Shelter for Youth, ages 12 to 17, is a six-bed residential emergency shelter in Phoenix serving approximately 200 youth each year. Youth Shelters: The Transitional Independent Living Program for teens and young adults ages 16 to 21 serves teens who experience homelessness for a variety of reasons, including aging out of the foster care system. Street Outreach and Youth Engagement Team, for youth ages 18 to 24, provides free supportive services for young adults who are experiencing homelessness. Services include food, water, and hygiene and personal care items, case management, housing navigation, as well as the coordinated entry point for HUD housing programs.

Desert Threads quilters welcome any donations (money, time, and fabric donations are always appreciated) to help with ongoing support of our chosen organizations, whether you are a quilter or not. You can join our members to make quilts or just to appreciate quilts. We also welcome guests.

Meetings are held on the second Wednesday morning every month. Some meetings are virtual, some in person. Summer meetings will be via Zoom. We have several in-person Sew Days each month. Desert Threads is a chapter of the Arizona Quilters Guild, which has very informative virtual lectures and classes each month (see a list of events at www.arizonaquiltersguild.org). To learn more and how to participate, send an email with contact information to [email protected]. Someone will email or call you. Ask for a digital copy of our newsletter.