Both Humboldt funeral homes received a well made gift from the Prairie Patchworker’s Quilt Guild during their meeting on Jan. 4.
The group, thanks to a donation from Saskatchewan Lotteries Foundation, made and donated a quilt to both Schuler-Lefebvre Funeral Chapel and Malinoski and Danyluik Funeral Home to be used when transferring a deceased from their place of death.
Co-president of the guild, Glenda Pidlisny, says all 31 members of the guild had a hand in making the two quilts with much work to be done to finish the project.
As a group, the guild gives back to the community by making quilts and other sewing projects for fundraisers as well as for use by the organization.
“We’re always looking for some way for some organization to make money and we feel very good about giving. As a group, we love to make quilts.”
The dignity quilts offers more to both the deceased and their family than just a body bag, says Connie Danyluik with Malinoski and Danyluik Funeral Home who has made it a long term practice to cover their stretcher with a quilt.
They will be using their new quilt, says Danyluik.
“It looks a little nicer when we’re leaving a hospital or nursing home and there’s a nice blanket over top of the stretcher rather than just the bag.”
Danyluik says they are honoured that the guild thought of making the quilt for that purpose.
With the quilts being used by the funeral homes, they can use the quilt at any facility they go to, says Danyluik.
Derek Meszaros with Schuler-Lefebvre Funeral Chapel was happy to hear about the guild plans to make them a quilt which was a way for the guild to give back to the community.
Each of the ladies in the guild are from the area and had a hand in making the quilt and Meszaros says that that means that the same quilt will be used with the ladies families and loved ones as well.
The design of the quilt was important as well, says Pidlisny since they wanted to make sure the design encompassed everyone in the community no matter their religion or gender.
“You’re dealing with male and female and people from different worship groups,” says Pidlisny, so the guild discussed throughout numerous meetings how the quilt would look.
Thanks to a custom designed wheat sheaf fabric thanks to Monico Cresting, they had their design.
Since the Prairie Patchworker’s Quilt Guild started in 1998 they have been looking for organizations who can benefit from quilt donations. Previous donations made to the North East Outreach and Support Services, Habitat for Humanity, the RCMP, Ronald McDonald House, and the St. Mary’s Villa.
