The Common Thread Circle

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

Many thanks to Lenore, Marilyn and Charles for enabling us to meet on August 31. We have lots of fabricworks ready to donate in the upcoming week. Our recent donations have gone to M.D. Anderson, Shriners, Children’s Memorial Hermann, Ben Taub, Texas Children’s, Methodist and Memorial Hermann Hospitals. Good work team!

September will be a busy month. Here are our upcoming meetings:

• Every Monday
  2:00 – 4:00 PM at Starbucks at Memorial City, 12850 Memorial Dr #440 [ map ]
  September 14, 21, and 28
  Bring friends and family to help stuff pillows!
• September 15

  9:30 AM – 12:00 PM at Memorial Drive United Methodist Church, Room D220 [ map ]

• September 23 [ map ]

  9:30 AM – 12:00 PM at Spring Branch Presbyterian Church

I look forward to seeing all of you. Even though I was enjoying a most excellent visit with a grandchild between bites of fab chocolate, I still missed you and our shared mission to help out in Houston hospitals.

This week we have donated handcrafted fabricworks to Methodist, Spring Branch, St. Luke’s, Triumph Memorial Hermann and the Michael DeBakey V.A. Hospitals. All of the hospital contacts to whom I have spoken have congratulated us on our picture and article in the Texas Medical Center Newsletter. All are excited about our expanding coverage of their hospitals. Bravo to each and every one of you for your efforts. We are making a difference in patients’ lives.

We received this note from Jimmie Jones:

I was in the Blood Center of M.D.Anderson last week and saw pillows donated by Memorial Drive Church’s own Common Thread organization. Those patients were receiving Plasmapheresis, Stem Cell donation, Red Cell donation, Bone Marrow, Sickle Cell and many other procedures and tests. As one person said, ‘Someone made this pillow to love me, so I feel God loves me;’ The patients are comforted by the warm love of the pillows. These pillows can be taken home and used when they drive or when they sleep. The patients in the Blood Center feel ‘loved’.

Upcoming Meeting Dates – NOTA BENE

August 10,17, 24 & 31: Starbucks Town and Country 2-4pm, No Meeting Sept 7 Labor Day

August 12: Knitters/Crocheters and Machine Sewers of flannel baby blankets. Come to my home to pick up supplies. I have lots of yarn and flannel I would love to give you to complete your projects. Stay awhile to knit/crochet, chat about patterns and have some iced tea and dessert. No meeting in September.

August 18: Meeting at Memorial Drive United Methodist Church, Room D220 at 9:30 a.m.

August 26: Meeting at Spring Branch Presbyterian Church, Activity Room, at 9:30 a.m.

Join us at any or all of the above. You will be very welcome.

Please check out the archive for August, 2009 to see some new pictures of our fabricworks.

Here’s our news for the first half of August:

We are now donating a handcraft to a patient every hour, instead of once every two hours as we were a few months ago. This is a giant leap forward for us.

Our accounting year starts on May 22. For the first two months of this year, we donated 1915 items to area hospitals. Partially because of this success, we have been able to add the VA hospital to our list of local hospitals we service.

Your hard work has made all of this happen. Keep up the good work!

This coming week will be a busy one for our group: Lots of meetings, lots of opportunities to make fabricworks for patients in Houston area hospitals. As Charles Peirsol, Manager of the Town and Country Starbucks says: “It’s all about the patients.”

Please join us at one or all of the following meetings. I can guarantee you will be well fed, surrounded by wonderful people, and feel good about what you do.

Monday, July 20: Meet at Starbucks from 2-4 p.m.

Tuesday, July 21: Meet at Memorial Drive United Methodist Church at 9:30 a.m. in Room 220.

Wednesday, July 22: Meet at Spring Branch Presbyterian Church, 1215 Campbell Rd., at 9:30 a.m.

In the last two weeks, we have donated handcrafted fabricworks to Methodist, Spring Branch, TIRR, M.D.Anderson, Ben Taub , Memorial Hermann and St. Luke’s Hospitals. They look forward to our contributions to patient health and write us appreciative notes. Look for some of their comments on this website.