The Common Thread Circle

Great news!

Since May 29, 2008, we have donated 20,435 handcrafted fabricworks to patients in Houston area hospitals. This incredible achievement says a great deal about our members. You cut, sew, stuff, knit, crochet, buy material and make patterns. You come as often as you can to help at meetings. You work at home. You are cheerful and hard-working. You know what we do matters. Thank you seems unequal to your efforts.

Testimonial

But maybe the following note we received will help you realize how very important YOU are:

I just wanted to send a quick note to let you know how much we appreciate the heart pillow we received from your organization. My mother is currently hospitalized in Katy Hermann Memorial and the pillow that was delivered to her has brought her quite a bit of comfort. She had surgery a week ago today and that was the only pillow she wanted under her head. She took a rough turn yesterday and is now in the ICU, but that pillow remains with her and is the most comfortable pillow to cradle her neck. Many thanks to all of you who volunteer to make these items. They do bring joy and comfort to patients and I’m sure that is what you all intended. God Bless you all and I hope you continue this wonderful ministry. - Melissa Smith

Thank you for letting us know, Melissa, and we hope your mother encounters some turns for the better. We’re thinking of her as she faces this difficult time.

Calendar

It’s the peak of summer. Many of you are visiting nice cold places like Norway, Canada, Missouri, Maine and Colorado. We envy you. But in the meantime, those of us staying here are enjoying getting together to make patients’ lives easier in Houston area hospitals.

Since the May Newsletter, we have donated fabricworks to:

• Ben Taub
• M. D. Anderson
• Memorial Hermann
• Methodist Sugar Land
• St. Luke’s Sugar Land
• St. Luke’s
• Children’s Memorial Hermann
• Texas Childrens
• St. Luke’s Woodland
• Katy Memorial Hermann
• Southwest Memorial Hermann
• Shriners Hospital

Join us for the following meetings.

Each fabricwork we make is a gift to a patient and comfort in a dark time. You have joined us here, whether as a volunteer or a reader, to help us in gifting patients with this hope.

Last year, Common Thread made and donated 12,000 handcrafted fabricworks to Houston area hospitals. Over the last two years, we have donated 17,157 items! This is an incredible achievement of our growing, talented group.

Since our last newsletter, we have donated to: Memorial Hermann, Harris County, Katy Memorial Hermann, M. D. Anderson, St. Luke’s, Children’s Memorial Hermann, Methodist, Shriners, and Southwest Memorial Hermann Hospitals. Our new year is beginning in style.

We will be meeting every Monday (including Memorial Day weekend) at the Starbucks Town and Country from 2-4 p.m.

In addition, we will be meeting at Memorial Drive United Methodist Church on June 15 at 9:30 a.m. in Room D220 and Spring Branch Presbyterian Church on June 30 at 9:30 a.m. We have had to cancel the meeting on June 10 at Kendall Branch Library of the knit/crochet group because of the Volunteer Houston Award that Common Thread is accepting that day.

There can be no higher praise than hearing that our work benefits others. Every testimonial, every happy patient, and every time we meet with hospital staffs we learn that patients and professionals alike are singing the praises of what we do. What we do is friendship, it is fellowship, it is work and it is joy.

Thank you for your part in making this possible.

Our efforts are being appreciated by more than the patients, nurses, doctors, and hospitals.

The folks at Volunteer Houston have selected Common Thread Circle as one of the recipients of the 2010 Mayor’s Volunteer Houston Awards. How very exciting for our group!

Stay tuned to find out more as we learn more. We’re thankful to St. Luke’s Hospital for nominating us, and to Charles Peirsol and Starbucks for supporting us in the very big way they do. And none of this would have happened without you, our volunteers.

Hospitals

Since our last newsletter, we have donated handcrafted fabricworks to the following hospitals:

• M. D. Anderson
• St. Luke’s
• Methodist
• Texas Children’s
• Memorial Hermann
• Memorial City Memorial Hermann
• Harris County Hospital System
• Children’s Memorial Hermann
• Katy Memorial Hermann
• Sugarland Memorial Hermann
• St. Luke’s Woodlands
• Shriners Hospitals

Calendar

Meetings for you to note on your busy calendars:

We’re a busy group. But no matter how high the numbers go, or how many awards we get, what keeps me going is the good that we’re doing. Look at what showed up in our mailbox:

April 4, 2010

I have witnessed how much the pillows Common Thread makes mean to the patients. I am spending quite a lot of time with a terminally ill patient at The Vosswood and when a church member (actually a Pastor) delivered her pillow to her she grabbed hold of it and wrapped her arms around it — and hasn’t let it get far from her ever since.

We also have another member at The Vosswood and I can’t help but see that her pillow stays close to her all the time. The pillows seem to be security blankets for the patients… and how wonderful that is when your life is controlled by the sterile world around you!

- H.H.
Spring Branch Presbyterian Church

Hospitals

We had an incredibly busy and successful month creating and donating our fabricworks to the following hospitals:

• M. D. Anderson
• Memorial Hermann
• Shriners
• Ben Taub
• Methodist
• Katy Memorial Hermann
• St. Luke’s
• Children’s Memorial Hermann
• Spring Branch
• Sugarland Memorial Hermann
• Southwest Memorial Hermann

Schedule

Meetings for you to note on your busy calendars:

Honor Roll

An extra thank you to several of you who have worked especially hard this month:

• Garrett and Dory Graham for delivering at least 20 bags of fabricworks to hospitals all over Houston
• Susan Dunten for creating such lovely pillows
• Marilyn MacRill for getting lost with me in the basement of St. Luke’s, cutting and organizing
• Jeanie Krantz for cutting and matching so many pillow sides

and last but not least

• Margaret Atmar for doing so many things so very well!

…and to every one of you who attend meetings and cheerfully stuff, carry, sew, knit and crochet.

See you very soon.

Since our January newsletter, we have donated approximately 1,000 items to the following hospitals:

• Memorial Hermann General and Breast Cancer Center
• M. D. Anderson
• Childrens’ Memorial Hermann
• St. Luke’s, Northwest Memorial Hermann
• Sugarland Memorial Hermann
• Katy Memorial Hermann
• Harris County Hospital System
• Methodist Hospital
• Spring Branch Medical Center
• Memorial City Memorial Hermann

None of this would be possible without you. You come out each week to stuff. You volunteer to sew and knit and crochet. You cut out hearts and match fronts and backs of pillows. You buy the material. You help deliver the fabricworks to hospitals. You even donate money to keep our coffers full.

Bravo to each and every one of you.

The upcoming calendar:

See every one of you soon.

We’re on a roll, and it’s all thanks to your hard work and friendship.

Over three dozen brave volunteers met over the Christmas vacation. We had some good food, lots of fiberfil, and produced a mountain of pillows.

We donated fabricworks at high volume through November and December. This continues our rate of about 1,000 items a month. The Common Thread Circle is on a wonderful path to success for Houston area patients and hospitals. Each fabricwork we produce means another patient gets unexpected comfort.

Special thanks go to the following indispensable people:

• All members of the circle and friends who faithfully and cheerfully show up and help sew, stuff, knit, crochet and cut.
• Charles Piersol, manager of Town and Country Starbucks, and the Starbucks Corporation for its continuing support of our group.
• Garrett and Dory Graham for delivering pillows to hospitals all over Houston.
• Marilyn McRill and Beverly Davidson for going beyond the call of duty and the limits of human endurance.

Dates to remember

I look forward to every one of these seven meetings. We keep growing and helping more people than ever before!

Further thoughts

Condolences to Charles and his family on the loss of his uncle.

Do you know of anyone who might enjoy receiving this newsletter? Email his or her email address to me.

See you soon.

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.

In the last two weeks, we have donated to: Northwest Memorial Herman (new addition), Memorial Hermann Katy, Texas Children’s, Southwest Memorial Hermann, Ben Taub, L.B.J., and M. D. Anderson Hospitals.

Upcoming Meetings

• Oct. 19, Monday [ map ]
  Starbucks Town and Country 2-4 p.m.
• Oct. 20, Tuesday [ map ]
  Memorial Drive United Methodist Church ROOM D126 9:30-12 p.m.
• Oct. 21, Wednesday [ map ]
  Spring Branch Presbyterian Church, Crafts Room 9:30-12 p.m.
• Oct. 26, Monday [ map ]
  Starbucks Town and Country 2-4 p.m.

Volunteers

Many of you have stepped forward recently to help with our extra work. Our pace of donations has not faltered because of you. It is heartwarming to see your love of our group and its mission. Many thanks to the following in no particular order.

• Marilyn MacRill has graciously accepted the position of Grants Coordinator.
• Margaret Atmar: buying material, cutting pillows and sewing
• Marilyn MacRill: labels, cutting, taking over meetings
• Dory and Garrett Graham: sewing, deliveries to hospitals
• Jeanne Krantz: cutting pillows
• Beverly Davidson: labels, quilts, cutting and sewing
• Sarah Dikeman: buying material, cutting
• Lenore Alfredson: buying material and sewing
• Joyce Wolf: cutting pillows
• Mary Hirscher: cutting pillows

Thanks to every member of our group for your help and continued support.

I am delighted to give you an update on our achievements. We are four months into our new year and can happily report continued growth in our mission and our group. We have added the following hospitals to our growing list: Michael Debakey V. A., Katy Memorial Hermann, Spring Branch Medical Center, Shriners and Texas Childrens hospitals. We donate almost 1,000 handcrafted fabricworks each month. We meet six times a month, and many of our Members sew, cut, quilt, knit and crochet at home. We feel great about what we do, and we hear regularly from patients and hospitals that our efforts are both appreciated and helpful.

Check out this report from Jennifer Barnes at the Harris County Hospital System.

Distribution:
Once we receive your donation we divide up the items according to the areas/units listed below for both Ben Taub and LBJ. Those items that are set aside for LBJ are delivered within two days by our District Transportation team who deliver to Rich Arenschieldt, my coordinator at LBJ. He then delivers to the units as listed below. The Nurse Managers take receipt of the items and distribute to the patients either before or after their procedures as is appropriate. The patients just light up when they receive these gifts and it makes their day! It makes our day too! Thank you for you gift of love.

Pediatric Emergency – receives heart pillows and knitted bears
Infusion Center – receives heart pillows
Cardiac Nursing Unit – receives heart pillows
Child Life – receives therapy dolls, knitted bears, sweater sets, and hats
Nursery – both Newborn and Level II – receives frogs, bears, bunnies, sweater sets, and hats
Breastfeeding clinic – receives heart pillows, bears

October Meeting Dates