My heart has been aching over the current events in Texas. Especially when I read the poem First they came for....

California made Homeschooling illigal for about 6 weeks . Children are ripped away from their mamas who seem to be victims as well. and with all that going on I get tihs News Story from a dear friend who has family in San Angelo. This is news worth sharing. Sorry the pictures didn't come with the email so ignore refences to them. But rejoice in the kindness of others. And pray for this situation, and all involved. And if you and your homeschooling kids are in teh area, go pick up a needle.

Quilters sew comfort for FLDS children
By Rick Smith
Sunday, May 4, 2008


Standard-Times photo by Patrick Dove

Chris Hunter (left) and Miles Giese, 9, work on one of
the more than 400 quilts that are being made for the
children removed from the ranch near Eldorado owned by
the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
Day Saints. Several quilting groups in the area are
staging their volunteer effort at the Girl Scouts of
Central Texas El Camino Regional Program Center in San
Angelo. The goal is to make one quilt for each of the
464 sect children in state custody.


Standard-Times photo by Patrick Dove

Judith Lester stands along side a table with cloth
donations for making quilts at the Girl Scouts El
Camino Regional Program Center in San Angelo. Lester
and many local quilters are making quilts for FLDS
compound children.


Standard-Times photo by Patrick Dove

Darlene Good (right) sews together a quilt at the Girl
Scouts of Central Texas El Camino Regional Program
Center. Good and several other local volunteers are
making quilts for the more than 400 children removed
by the state from the FLDS compound near Eldroado.

Volunteers began the cutting and pinning and tying and
sewing a little more than three weeks ago.

Judith Lester, who organized the effort, first figured
they could make 100 quilts in about five days: One
quilt for each of the 100 children removed from the
YFZ Ranch. One piece of soft, fluffy comfort for each
child.

Then, the number of children taken from the compound
near Eldorado doubled. Then, it quadrupled.

Now, the number's well more than 400, but the
volunteers say they intend to meet their goal.

"We will keep making quilts," Judith told me as she
and others worked in the Girl Scouts council's "Little
House" near the downtown river.

The goal hasn't changed: one quilt for every child.

The quilt making has not been easy. Strained eyes,
cramped fingers and sore backs are risks of the job.

But the work also has come with unexpected benefits.

By making quilts for others, the volunteers discovered
they have made something for themselves as well.

"We have made new friends here," Judith said, "and
we've found some old ones.

"It's been a joy. If you could hear our conversations
and the laughter."

They're already talking about a reunion when the job's
finally done.

"Working here with these ladies has been such a
blessing for me," said Ginger Lewright.

"I love to sew, and I've been looking for a way to do
some service for the community.

"I didn't know how to quilt, but Judith has been
trying to show me. I'm doing some pretty basic work
here, but I love having the opportunity to help."

Several women told me they had felt powerless to help
when they first heard children were being removed from
the compound.

Then they learned about the quilts.

About 200 helpers, ranging in age from 2 to more than
90, have helped at times.

RVers have interrupted journeys through San Angelo to
join the quilters. Out-of-state visitors to the city
have stopped by to stitch and cut.

Recently, Judith, Ginger, Wilma Breen, Billie Wunderl,
Pat Wright, Tillie Dickison and Sally Wolfe worked
together in the bright, airy Girl Scout house.

Using an assembly line technique, they could put
together a quilt, start to finish, in about four
hours.

So far, they have completed (or collected from donors)
almost 300 quilts. Of those, 287 have been delivered
to officials for distribution to the children.

Their final goal is 464 quilts. Beginning Monday,
volunteers will gather once a week at Emmanuel
Episcopal Church to continue sewing quilts for the
children.

Even after they reach their goal, they will continue
to meet weekly to make quilts for other children in
need, Judith said.

Why quilts?

"Quilts are comforting," she told me.

"These children have needs we are not even aware of
yet. Maybe we can help make them more comfortable in
some way with our quilts."

Another quilter summed up her reason for the work.

The children have nothing, she told me. The quilts
will give them something they can hold on to.

If you go

What: Quilting group.
When: From 9 a.m. to noon every Monday.
Where: Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 3 S. Randolph St.
Cost: No cost.
What else: For information, leave a message at
944-8797.
Rick Smith is a local news and community affairs
columnist. Contact him at rsmith@sa standardtimes.com
or (325) 659-8248