Community Quilts
The Community Quilts Group is comprised of friendly, energetic and generous members who graciously give their time and talents to provide quilts for those in need in our community.
Community Quilts workdays are the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm. We invite everyone to join in the fun all or part of the day. If you are unable to join us at the guild, there are lots of ways to help provide comfort to people in need, including
- Take home a kit and stitch up a quilt top
- Take home a quilt to bind
- Take a quilt top to quilt (batting and backing are provided/included)
In 2022, our Community Quilts group made and distributed 1,317 quilts!
• 522 quilts were made and donated to community organizations, including Sleep in Heavenly Peace, the Greene County Sheriff’s Department, Springfield Police Department, Foster Adopt Connect, Ambassadors for Children, Foster Adopt Connect, the Child Advocacy Center, Empower Abilities, Ronald McDonald House, Ashley House, Harmony House, the Springfield chapter of the Soroptimist Club, Rare Breed (part of The Kitchen), Rogersville Mission for Ukraine Refugees and a local family that lost their belongings in a house fire.
• 420 baby quilts were made and donated to the Springfield chapter of Newborns in Need. These are part of a collection of items given to underserved mothers by Mercy and CoxHealth nurses in the maternity departments.
• 305 doll quilts were made and donated to Crosslines, Council of Churches of the Ozarks. These were paired with a doll or plush toy as part of the Christmas toy drive for local underserved children in the area.
• 70 specialty quilts were made and donated to local veterans during Quilts of Valor presentation ceremonies.
Annually, OPQG members make and give away between 1,000 to 1,500 quilted items each year. Would you like to sew for our community nonprofit organizations? Joining OPQG is a great way to get involved in the quilting community. Sewing in our Community Quilts group makes a positive, lasting impact to members of our community who need it most.
Operation Squad Car
We partner with the Greene County Sheriff’s Department and the Springfield Police Department by making child-size quilts for children who are taken into protective custody. This squad car quilt program provides officers with a quilt that’s made with loving care that they can give a child to keep for their own. Officers keep these quilts in the trunk of their squad car until needed. This program has provided a wonderful way to build trust between children and police officers.
Baby Quilts
Donation quilts are a huge part of what we do at OPQG. Quilts are made and donated to the Springfield chapter of
Newborns in Need and other local children’s charities. The quilts are baby-themed and approximately 36″ square. They are a fast, fun project for anyone who has some time to sew. Our baby quilt volunteers work tirelessly to keep kits handy for anyone to sew but will also welcome your own completed quilt or receiving blanket.
Raffle Quilts
We also give to other nonprofit organizations to use for their fundraising efforts. Raffle quilts have been sewn and donated to groups including but not limited to the Soroptimist Club of Springfield, Festival of Sharing, Autism Speaks, Christian County Family Crisis Center and many others.
Shown here is Laura C., the co-director of our Community Quilts Group, with a fantastic collection of completed quilts ready for pickup by area relief organizations.
We received this photo and thank you note on January 13, 2023.
The girls in this picture are nieces of Ashley J. Ashley sent us the photo and the following story. “Yesterday, we spent hours upon hours at the Child Advocacy Center and they were courageous and strong in a way that they didn’t think they were capable of. When we were finally ready to go, our advocate told us we could pick a blanket and the comfort I could see on their faces as they snuggled their quilts is a moment I will never forget. They were in the darkest of dark places and their new quilts gave them a reprieve that no amount of money can buy. And then I cried when I saw the tag on my quilt that said Ozark Peacemakers Quilt Guild. I’m sure you don’t often get to hear the stories of the way your quilts offer hope and comfort to the kids who walk through those doors, but I want you to know the incredible impact they had on us. The love and care that you put into your quilts and the kindness that you showed in donating them blessed us more than you can ever know. Thank you so much; I am forever grateful.”
Examples of Squad Car and Baby Quilts Made for the OPQG Community Quilts Initiative are Below.
