The Common Thread Circle

Texas Children’s Hospital included us in their end of year celebration of volunteers. We got the sweetest note:

The patients and their families join The Auxiliary to Texas Children’s Hospital in thanking you for your generosity and thoughtfulness. Your gift is very much appreciated.

Thanks so much for the therapy dolls, small blankets, hats, bears and heart pillows!

Jody Ryan
Corresponding Secretary

It really helps to know that our fabricworks are connecting with patients in the gentle care of such thoughtful people.

In the last three weeks, we have donated to the following hospitals: St. Luke’s (twice), Methodist (twice), Memorial Hermann (twice), Northwest Memorial Hermann, M. D. Anderson (twice), Harris County, Texas Children’s (twice), Memorial City Memorial Hermann, Sugarland Memorial Hermann, Spring Branch Medical, and Children’s Memorial Hermann. Thanks to your consistent hard work, we have donated 5,159 handcrafted fabricworks since last May 25, and we have another 200 ready to be donated as Christmas gets nearer. Your faithfulness to our mission has made all of this possible.

Today, we need to highlight Charles Peirsol, the manager of the Memorial Town and Country Starbucks. Every Monday afternoon, he opens to us his Starbucks store lounge for stuffing and closing pillows and other items. And we have grown. We typically have 15-20 women stuffing, chatting, picking up supplies, knitting, sharing patterns and generally having a great time. We use about 30 pounds of fiberfill on average. Last Monday, we got a sneak preview of the new Starbucks Christmas Blend and the Cranberry Cheesecake bars. Yum! Without Charles’ support, we would not be able to make and donate as many items as we do. We all thank you, Charles, for your unwavering support and patience.

Upcoming opportunities to meet:

• Monday, Nov. 16, 2-4 p.m. Starbucks Memorial Town and Country
• Tuesday, Nov. 17, 9:30-noon Memorial Drive United Methodist Church Room D220
• Monday, Nov. 23, 2-4 p.m. Starbucks
• Monday, Nov. 30, 2-4 p.m. Starbucks
• Tuesday, Dec.1, 9:30-noon CHRISTMAS PARTY at Memorial Drive United Methodist Church Room D220. Celebrate the season and our many successes.
• Monday, Dec. 7, 2-4 p.m. Starbucks
• Tuesday, Dec. 8 , General Meeting of UMW at 9:30, Memorial Drive Methodist Church, Wesley Hall. Come hear the singing group “The Lyrics”, followed by a Christmas Luncheon.

Finally, Santa is coming to town and checking on us. Read our earlier posts to see our latest pictures and get a check by your name on Santa’s list.

Lisa Davis at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital wrote in with some kind words about how our fabricworks are used:

Thank you so much for these beautiful pillows. We are currently using the pillows in our Emergency Department in order to provide comfort to patients in trauma situations. The patterns are beautiful and the ER Patients really appreciate this special gift.

The pillows give them something to hold on to when they are under stress and help to ease the long wait. I gave one out to a little girl this weekend and she commented that blue was her favorite color and it seemed to distract her from the stressful environment of the ER.

Please keep them coming. I also gave one out to a wheelchair patient who was experiencing back pain and she was very relieved and thankful. This is just such a special act of kindness that you can not imagine the impact it has on the patients that receive your touching works of art.

We have a special cart now in the ER with the pillows, magazines, color, coloring books, puzzle books and snacks. We hope to continue to provide this service through our helpful staff and volunteers such as The Common Thread Circle.

This restores my faith also and tells me that people do really care about each other in this world today.

Thanks again from the staff and patients at Memorial Hermann Northwest.

We’re committed to caring about other people and it’s people like you, Lisa, who take the time to notice that really keep us going.