ST. MARY PARISH — In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which wreaked havoc in parts of North Carolina, many residents have been left displaced and in need of assistance which is why Franklin based quilting group ,The Saint Mary Quilters, stepped up to offer support by creating quilts to help keep the victims warm this winter.
Debbie Guess, a volunteer with the group since its inception last fall, states, “After the hurricane came through, we started hearing about the victims in North Carolina, and we decided to start making quilts for them.”
Guess emphasized the urgency of the situation, noting, “I can’t imagine the people in North Carolina who’ll have to be dealing with the snow when it gets cold and some of them are in tents and gymnasiums, so hopefully some of them will receive a quilt to keep warm.”
Volunteer Pam Caroline explains, the project involves much more than just sewing,“We have a few ladies sewing on their machines, quilting layers together. They have the equipment to do that, but some of us come to iron, some of us come to cut out. It’s a process of everyone coming together to make the finished product,” Caroline says.
The group has already donated over 30 quilts and is currently working on their second shipment of donations.
Volunteer Nancy Vanhook says that while she’s aware the quilts won’t fix everything, she hopes the gesture will demonstrate the care the group has for those victims.
“I don’t even know that they’re gonna be like ‘wow, this fixes everything’ because it's not, but it’s going to give them something to let them know that people are thinking about them” Vanhook says.
Guess encourages community involvement, stating, “We’ve had people donate fabric and materials, but the biggest thing is to have people come and sew—that’s what we need the most.”
Caroline highlighted the emotional aspect of the project, sharing, “We all wanna do something for the people who lost, and this is one way of showing that we care and trying to provide something for people who may have lost everything. So this is like a work from the heart.”
Those interested in donating can visit the Saint Mary Parish Library in Franklin. The group meets on Mondays from 1 to 4 PM and Tuesdays from 9 AM to noon. They are accepting any fabric or materials that may be useful and are looking for more volunteers to help with sewing. Donations will be accepted until early November.
