The Common Thread Circle

Dear Common Threaders,

The week of February 12, 2009, was another success story. Our Monday Starbucks group heard testimony from a lady who had been very thankful to receive a heart pillow at M.D. Anderson when she was treated for breast cancer last year.

Duly inspired, our fingers cheerfully stuffed many pillows. On Tuesday, at Memorial Drive Methodist Church, we welcomed Liz Tice from the volunteer office at Ben Taub. She was surprised to see 27 women and two babies (as observers only) seated around eight tables diligently working to sew and stuff pillows. Our size and enterprise led her to exclaim, “Oh wow!”

We then heard about the needs of Ben Taub and how the Harris County Hospital District works. Liz took lots of pictures and invited us to attend the Annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon on February 27. We also added four new enthusiastic members to The Common Thread Circle.

DATES TO REMEMBER

Monday, February 23: Starbucks at Town and Country from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Friday, February 27: Harris County Hospital District Annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon. All of us are invited. We will carpool from the east side of the church at 10:20 a.m. Rima’s cell phone number is 713-614-3008 if you are running late.

March 2,9 and 16: No meeting at Starbucks.

March 17 at Memorial Drive United Methodist Church: 9:30 a.m. regular Circle meeting and a party and shower for Henry James, our newest auxiliary member. If you make things for babies in hospitals, bring an extra for our very own baby.

March 23: Monday regular meetings at Starbucks will resume.

DONATIONS FOR THE WEEK

=M.D.Anderson=

16 Blankets
78 Heart Pillows
16 Bone Headrests
8 Stoma Covers
1 Hat
3 Totes

=St. Luke’s=

28 Heart Pillows

=Memorial Hermann=

81 Heart Pillows

=Ben Taub=

7 Flannel Blankets
10 Catch-alls with matching laundry bags
9 Laundry Bags
27 Heart Pillows

Our grand total of donated hand-made items to Houston-area hospitals since May 20, 2008: 3,836.

Common Thread Circle aims to put smiles on patients’ faces

Every Monday, members of The Common Thread Circle gather at the local Town and Country Starbucks — not only to drink coffee but with the intent of putting a smile on a hospital patient’s face.

The Common Thread Circle is a nonprofit organization affiliated with United Methodist Church and its affiliate organizations.

Its mission is to furnish patients in Houston-area hospitals with comforting handcrafted items during one of the most stressful times of life.

“Every Monday, we meet at the local Town and Country Starbucks in the afternoon and on Tuesdays we meet at a location on Memorial Drive,” said volunteer Rima Blanc, one of the group’s leaders.

“We all have a lot of fun and we feel good about what we do. We all drink coffee and we have snacks while making handcrafted items for hospital patients.”

The organization makes pillows in shapes of hearts and rectangles in cheerful prints, therapy dolls, cotton bears, rabbits, lambs, knitted bears, blankets, hats, tote bags and stoma covers.

The materials used are 100-percent hypoallergenic and irritant-free.

“The pillows can be used for surgical patients who are recovering. It eases heir movement,” Blanc said.

“It also helps if they have to cough, or if they had a mastectomy, they can wear it under their arm to protect their incision. It can be used as a head rest or simply as a comfort pillow.”

Blanc said that the efforts are appreciated by the hospitals and patients, and demand for the handcrafted items is rapidly growing.

Memorial Hermann, Ben Taub, Children’s Memorial Hermann, St. Luke’s and M.D. Anderson are just a few of the area hospitals the group serves.

“We started with an outreach circle at Memorial Drive United Methodist Church. We simply wanted to do things for other people,” Blanc said.

“For about eight years, we just supplied M.D. Anderson but since May 20, 2008, we’ve increased the amount of hospitals we serve.”

Blanc said the group, which is open to the public, is about eight years old.

“But it’s only been in the last year that we really began to increase the amount of hospitals that we serve and the amount of things we make,” Blanc said.

“Since May 20, 2008, we have made and donated over 3,300 handmade items.”

Blanc said the community, their church and their minister, Rev. Chuck Simmons, encouraged them, as well as the Town and Country Starbucks’ manager Charles Peirsol, to continue with their organization.

She said Peirsol invited the volunteers to stop by the coffeeshop, 12850 Memorial Drive, Suite 440, anytime they like and “make themselves at home.”

As long as they get the wonderful encouragement, Blanc said, the group will continue its work.

“I’d love to see more people in the community getting involved. We highly encourage community participants,” said Blanc.

“We have around 45 volunteers but we would really like to increase the amount of hospitals we serve.”

Those interested in joining The Common Thread Circle of volunteers, have materials you would like to donate, or “would just like to comment or make a suggestion,” Blanc said, may visit the Web site www.thecommonthreadcircle.org.

Houston Chronicle, Feb. 15, 2009, 9:28AM

Thanks to Maribel Cervantes, the Houston Chronicle, and UMW for their support.

2/2/09

Memorial City Memorial Hermann

18 Heart Pillows to the surgical unit

2/10/09

BEN TAUB

5 Knitted Bears

103 Heart Pillows

MEMORIAL HERMANN HOSPITAL

38 Heart Pillows

ST. LUKE’S HOSPITAL

15 Heart Pillows

CHILDREN’S MEMORIAL HERMANN

6 Catch-alls for isolette beds in NICU

14 Therapy dolls

15 Heart Pillows

4 Hats

M.D.ANDERSON

4 Bon- Shaped Headrests

50 Heart Pillows

Since May 20, 2008 we have donated 3555 handmade items to Houston area hospitals.