BURLINGTON, Ky. -- One local group is using its creative talents in quilt sewing to bring joy to those impacted by Hurricane Harvey.
The group "Comfort Quilts For Kids" at the R.C. Durr YMCA's senior center is sending 59 quilts down to Houston. The ladies in the group said it's a donation made with lots of love.
They've made more than 300 quilts so far this year, and they typically send them to the Ronald McDonald House in Cincinnati. The program is in its fourth year and has grown from 10 members to 40 regulars.
"We've sort of become a family," program coordinator Barbara Sandifer said. "We enjoy each other's company. We're relaxed. Some people sew, some people cut."
Regulars like Peg Wellbaum don't typically see who gets the quilt. But now they know the quilts will be sent to Texas, thanks to Fairfield West Baptist Church.
"It gets in your heart," Wellbaum said. "I worked 35 years in the corporate world, and I didn't do anything there that compares to the blessing I get for making quilts for those who are less fortunate."
The finished product is more than a quilt, according to Diana Trupp, the director for seniors at the R.C. Durr YMCA.
"To go through a trauma and have something tangible that's not only beautiful, but something you can feel and touch, and know it's made in love. It's comforting to the heart," she said.
Organizers said they'll spend the next several months making quilts for Hurricane Harvey victims.
The senior center at the R.C. Durr YMCA will also accept donations of other handmade quilts to send to Texas.
