Holiday Reflections 2019
A message from the President of the Love Quilt Project at the Holidays and the start of 2020
Dear Friends,
As the holiday season begins and the end of 2019 approaches, I want to reflect on the past year, thank all of you who have made The Love Quilt Project a success and share some uplifting news.
From the Stitches of Love reception in New York City (l to r): Enrico Colzani, President of KnollTextiles; Li Edelkoort, Trend Forecaster; Gretchen Ginnerty, President of The Love Quilt Project; Patrick Wilson, Actor & LQP Sponsor; Jennifer K. Harmon, Vice President of Milliken Specialty Interiors.
Patrick Wilson and his father, retired TV newscaster John Wilson share emcee duties.
The Brooklyn Harmonics Teens perform “Cry”
Another Successful Fundraiser
The big event this year was our “Stitches of Love” fundraiser in New York City this past September hosted by our corporate sponsors Milliken & Company and KnollTextiles. Our keynote speaker was Li Edelkoort who brought a depth of knowledge about the power of textiles and their effect on the human condition. Patrick Wilson entertained us with two beautiful Broadway songs and we finished the evening with a special performance by Brooklyn Harmonics Teens singing “Cry”, written and directed by Jeffery Klitz from the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music.
This event could not have been successful without the professional event planning skills provided by Maria Mastorakos. Maria spent a huge amount of time and effort to help us reach our fundraising goals. Of course, the success of this event was also achieved by the many volunteers who gave their time and by all of us coming together to work for the common good.
Welcome our Newest Partner
We are excited to announce our newest partnership with Children’s National Hospital (CNH) in Washington, DC, who have the highest number of pediatric HIV/AIDS patients in the United States. Each patient attending the CNH programs will be receiving a lap quilt filled with messages of support and love from both South African and American children. As we grow, CNH can connect us with more hospitals across the country to deliver Love Quilts to their patients.
New Opportunities in South Africa
We have several plans for 2020 including increasing our goal to raise funds to donate to the education of the foster children in South Africa who receive Love Quilts. We want to expand this effort to cover school fees along with educational supplies. We are also exploring the idea of introducing a skill training workshop during our next visit to South Africa where we can teach sewing skills along with offering the opportunity to make Love Quilts there. Currently, we are researching programs with the help from the U.S. Department of State to see if we qualify for funding or can connect with an organization who can support this effort.
Upcoming Quilt Delivery
Our next quilt delivery to South Africa will be in September 2020. We are developing a travel package through Dream Vacations that will offer the ability for volunteers to participate in the delivery and include a beautiful South African travel experience. More information will be available in the new year.
Hard-Working Board Members and Volunteers
Our board members have each taken a larger responsibility this year by assuming Committee Chair positions for Art Squares (Sue Bentley), Quilt Kits (Jennifer Thorp), Financial Coordination & Management (Bill Montgomery) and Marketing & Fundraising (Gretchen Ginnerty). We were thrilled to have Deborah Droke join our board this past fall as well. Along with our board members, we could not survive without our many volunteers, especially Ed Cousineau who has poured himself into our publicity and fundraising efforts as our Marketing Director.
As you know, there are a number of ways to participate in this worthwhile endeavor and I am extremely grateful and appreciative for all of those who have stepped in with their time, talents, and gifts. Over the last eight years, nearly 200 volunteer quilters throughout the U.S. have crafted over 300 beautiful quilts. Organizations such as KnollTextiles and Milliken & Company have provided funding and in-kind support for LQP’s vital projects. The Campbell Family Foundation made it possible for us to develop several films that we are using for our education lesson and marketing strategies. These films were produced by Christian Montalbano’s film company, LiftMedia 360. Christian has also joined our team to help with our social media posts. And we rely on many other generous donors to provide ongoing support to the LQP mission. Continual efforts are required to find and sustain the necessary funding through a variety of fundraising approaches. I am humbled by the generosity we have experienced, given by so many. Please visit our website to meet the extensive list of partners and volunteers to learn more about their valuable efforts to support LQP.
I wish each of you a very Happy Holiday Season and a Happy New Year filled with Hope, Kindness, and Love!
Peace,
Gretchen