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Group gives lap quilts to nursing home residents
LEXINGTON, Miss. -- A new Mississippi Homemaker Volunteer Club spread some holiday cheer with a set of quilts they made throughout the summer and fall.
On Nov. 24, residents at Lexington Manor Senior Care facility received 67 lap quilts made by the recently formed Holmes County club.
Mississippi Homemaker Volunteer Clubs, called MHV clubs, are supported by the Mississippi State University Extension Service and provide a variety of educational opportunities and services to their communities.
“This is wonderful,” said Toni Lawshe, activities director at the senior care facility. “Our residents are so excited. Other individuals and groups give items to our residents that are useful throughout the year and especially during the holidays -- but not usually of this magnitude. This has really elevated their spirits. They will talk about this for weeks. We appreciate it so much.”
Lap quilts are a quick project and are very useful for people who use wheelchairs or need a little warmth while watching TV, said Tara Howell, club sponsor and agent with the MSU Extension Service in Holmes County.
“These ladies have worked steadily to make these quilts,” Howell said. “They just started meeting together this summer, and we began with a home canning training. We talked about what they wanted to do next, and they were interested in quilting.”
Club members and a local business donated material for the quilts. They use one sewing machine that belongs to the Extension Service, and a few members bring their personal sewing machines. They also do some sewing by hand with a needle and thread.
The group is comprised of women who participate in the community-based services of the Area Agency on Aging program offered through the North Central Planning and Development District. They come to the Lexington Multipurpose Building daily for lunch, where they also work on their quilts. They meet formally as a club once a month.
Some of them were experienced quilters, and others are learning. But that’s what MHV is all about -- sharing skills so members teach, learn and grow.
“MHV clubs offer members an opportunity to learn new things and give them a platform from which to reach out to other leaders to meet the needs of individuals, families and communities within their counties,” said Sylvia Clark, an MSU Extension associate who coordinates the MHV program.
