The Finishing Stitches: Quilt Deliveries That Change Lives
Every quilt created for the Love Quilt Project begins with a simple act of kindness. Volunteers choose fabrics, carefully stitch each piece together, and pour hours of time and attention into creating something that is both beautiful and meaningful. But while the quilting process is where the journey begins, it is the moment of delivery that truly brings the quilt's purpose to life. For many of the children currently living in foster care, stability can be difficult to find. Frequent moves, uncertainty of the future, and feeling isolated can leave lasting emotional scars. In the midst of these challenges, receiving a quilt may seem like a small gesture, but for many children, it represents something much larger.
This past January, the Love Quilt Project was able to deliver 157 handmade quilts to two different foster homes across South Africa: “Rainbow of Hope” and the “Andrew Murray House”. In March, we delivered another 144 quilts to the “Durbanville Children’s Home”.
When a child unfolds their own quilt and learns that someone they have never met spent hours creating it specifically for them, they receive more than a blanket. They receive a tangible reminder that they matter. Every stitch carries a message of care, compassion, and hope.
Those who participate in deliveries often witness moments that are difficult to put into words. Sometimes it is a smile. Sometimes it is a child immediately wrapping themselves in their new quilt. Other times, it is a quiet expression of gratitude that speaks volumes. These moments serve as powerful reminders that kindness, even from far away, can have a profound impact.
Berna Hogan is one of the many volunteer quilters who help the Love Quilt Project accomplish its mission of providing children in foster care with feelings of warmth and resilience. With over 30 years of quilting experience, as well as experience in many other child-centric charities, the choice to become a volunteer quilter was an easy one. Berna was also lucky enough to join the LQP team in delivering the latest batch of quilts to foster homes in South Africa last January, a trip she described as “the most humbling experience of her life”.
Berna and her husband met with hundreds of kids throughout the delivery trip, each one with their own unique story and circumstances. However, with each child they met, it was easy to find common ground to bond over. “It was so easy to find things to talk about with all these different children. Some wanted to talk with my husband, who’s a professional chef, about cooking. Others loved soccer, which I learned from watching my grandkids play. It was surreal seeing the similarities between us even with the vast distances between us.” Even with her many years in helping and supporting youth in all corners of the world, Berna still claims that these are the kind of moments that keep her volunteering. “It’s the passion and my desire to help for sure, just to see how it's not like you have to be able to redo everything by yourself, just one little step, one little piece of the puzzle, and if there's a bunch of other people putting pieces together… I feel like I’m just one of those small little pieces of that puzzle, but yet we all fit together in the end to make this”.
The effect is also felt heavily by the people working with the children directly, as they get to see the changes in these children that receive the many love quilts that LQP constructs. Our partner organizations frequently share stories of children who continue to treasure their quilts for years, as what begins as a gift often becomes a source of comfort, security, and belonging.
Louise Coetzee is one of the many gracious employees of the Durbanville Children’s Home located on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa. She, along with many other employees, has witnessed firsthand how these quilts quickly become one of the first things their children turn to just about every day after receiving them. “Because it’s something that’s personal and we’ve given it to the child specifically, they do get attached to these items. They will wrap it around them when they go down to the living area to watch TV. It is something that’s really appreciated and needed.” Louise continues by saying that their children never truly outgrow their quilts, as it becomes one of the sole items that only belongs to them. “Even our teenagers are still attached to the quilts. It’s therapeutic; it’s a sense of comfort… I honestly believe that these were made with so much love and that energy will be felt from the child’s side.”
Many of these quilt deliveries are almost treated as a holiday by the children in foster care, not just because of what they receive but because of the great distances these quilts come from. “We try to prepare them, and the reaction from our children was absolutely amazing. It was so special for them to know that they received something all the way from America. They only know America from the movies and TV, so it was very unique for them to receive the quilts. Not just the fact that it came from America, but the fact that another child has helped make up this special quilt for them.”
As the quilts from this delivery connect with their new owners, they leave behind far more than warmth and comfort. They carry with them the collective compassion of volunteers, donors, partner organizations, and supporters who believe every child deserves to feel seen, valued, and loved. While the miles between the quilters and the children who receive their creations may be vast, the connections formed through these quilts are remarkably close. For many children, a Love Quilt becomes a reminder that they are not alone, that someone, somewhere, took the time to create something just for them.