Mayor Annise Parker recently recognized ten recipients of the Mayor’s Volunteer Houston Awards, chosen for contributing to the welfare of Houston citizens through volunteerism. One of the recipients was Rima Blanc, Chairperson of the Common Thread Circle of the United Methodist Women at Memorial Drive United Methodist Church, which was nominated by St. Luke’s Hospital and was selected from over 400 nominees citywide. The group sews, stitches, and knits items such as blankets, caps, and dolls, and contributes them to patients in over twenty hospitals in the Houston area. Rima is a Special Exhibits docent and a contributor to The Dashing Diplodocus. Congratulations, Rima!

After a long day of cutting fabric, knitting skeins, stuffing pillows, stitching seams and plumping dolls, it’s wonderful to find this kind of positive feedback and support. We couldn’t do it without our volunteers, but we are also indebted to the volunteers at hospitals who have helped us get fabricworks to patients in need. We saved a sampler so you could share the joy.

Receiving your email reminded me to take a few minutes to say “thank you”! Your pillows are fantastic and so greatly appreciated by our patients and staff. Thank you all so very much for your time and dedication! Kudos to all!!

Sincerely,
Cathy Clark
Volunteer Services
Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital

Members of the Common Thread Circle –

You outdid yourselves this time!

The holiday heart pillows are especially lovely, and our patients at Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital are thrilled with this festive touch.

Thank you so very much!

We wish you a blessed Christmas and a New year filled with love and peace.
The Memorial Hermann Katy Volunteer Auxiliary

Dear Common Thread Circle volunteers -

Wanted to let you know how very appreciated your pillows are to our patients. Every single person gives a big “sigh” when they get a pillow put on.

The colors and patterns are beautiful and they are a real treat — especially when they find out they can take them home!

For all a true blessing.

Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital Volunteers

To the Volunteers of the Common Thread Circle,

Thanks for all the wonderful items you so generously donate to our new moms and babies!

Sincerely,
Maureen Brunetti, RN
Spring Branch Medical Center

We couldn’t do it without you.

Thank you for the pillow. I was seeing my hematologist for the first time this week. One of the volunteers was in passing out pillows. I don’t even know what to expect as an outcome from seeing this doctor.

It sure did make me smile when the volunteer handed me a pillow. Thank you for making it.

Thank you for the work you do. Keeping the pillow with me as I sleep is good. :)
– D.M.C., Houston

Knowing that what we do makes people feel better is what keeps us going. And going, and going. We’re giving more than ever before because we know that it makes patients more comfortable.

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.

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.

Dear Marilyn,

We are so happy at Spring Branch Medical Center that you have chosen us to benefit from your wonderful talents.

I can’t tell you how excited the nurses and patients get when I bring up a new supply of the beautiful pillows and blankets made by the ladies of the Common Thread Circle.

They are so soft, colorful, fun, bright and cheerful, that one can’t help but feel better just to see them. The new moms up on post-partum LOVE them since they are the perfect size, shape and softness to support the newborns at feeding time.

Thank you for all you do. We are your very grateful beneficiaries. It feels like Christmas or my birthday whenever you stop by with new goodies!

Sincerely,

Maureen Brunetti, RSN, BSN
Volunteer, H2U and Marketing Coordinator
Spring Branch Medical Center

Did you catch the bit about Christmas and birthdays? I am thinking of gingerbread cookies, cider, cake, espresso and not fruitcakes (ick). I think it’s people like Maureen, who take the time to remind us that each fabricwork our fingers touch reaches a real person with a real need and comforts them, who make this world go around.

The L&D nurses loved the latest goodie bag. The knitted, stuffed animals were adorable and the caps so cute and tiny. The receiving blankets are always a huge hit. Your work is greatly appreciated here at Spring Branch.

We’re thankful to Maureen and others like her in hospitals who make sure that patients get these fabricworks when they are in times of need.

June 3, 2009

Dr. Charles Simmons
Memorial Drive United Methodist Church
12955 Memorial Drive
Houston, Texas 77079

Dear Dr. Simmons:

On behalf of The Methodist Hospital I would like to acknowledge the hard work, commitment and generosity of The Common Thread Circle at Memorial Drive United Methodist Church. We are so touched by the hundreds of beautiful hand-made heart pillows. Not only do our patients appreciate them, but the hospital appreciates the time and effort involved in making these items available for us.

We wish you could be here to hear the thanks from our patients and greatly appreciate the thoughtfulness that started this group’s project.

Sincerely,

Donna Field
Program Development Specialist
Volunteer Services
The Methodist Hospital

We have a vision here at The Common Thread Circle: each patient facing a hospital stay gets a custom fabric work so they have something to hold, to comfort them and keep them warm, that will help them face what’s ahead with bravery, dignity and hope.

We thank all who share this vision.

We are so pleased to be a recipient of your wonderful heart pillows. The patients really appreciate the love you share with them. Keep up the good work of bringing comfort to our patients.

Becki Baird, RN
MHSWH Volunteer Manager

Becki, and all others who’ve written in with words of support and gratitude, we’re grateful to you. You’re the ones who keep us going, even when the coffee gets cold and the cookies dwindle in the tupperware.

On behalf of Hermann Memorial SW Auxiliary, thank you and all who helped make the heart pillows and baby caps for our patients.  They are much appreciated by all.

“Little” things like this can make a big difference to both patients and family members.

Sincerely,
Marie Raymond
Corresponding Secretary

And another kind note from a patient:

We want to thank you for the wonderful and thoughtful gift you lovingly made for St. Luke’s Hospital heart patients. My husband had heart valve replacement in April and received one of your handmade heart pillows. The pillow was a great comfort to him as he healed. He is now completely well. Bless you for hours of stitching.

Jeanne and Mike Drosjack

Stories like these are the reason we keep getting handcrafts to patients.