Faith, Hope, Love Quilters donate to Tunnell Cancer Center

As they have been doing for more than 20 years, the Faith, Hope, Love Quilters of Fenwick Island recently stopped by Tunnell Cancer Center to donate handmade quilts to patients.

When Shirley Loveland founded the quilting group in 1997, she wanted to share her love of quilting while giving back to the community. At first, the group was focused on babies and children. However, her group of 50 quilters was soon producing more quilts than were needed by children's groups. So Loveland turned her attention to cancer patients.

"I had many loved ones who had cancer, and I realized that they can get cold while having infusions, so I talked to Tunnell Cancer Center and started donating our quilts here," said Loveland. Her husband also had cancer and passed away several years ago.

"The quilts have been so well received. I just enjoy seeing people receive them. When I give a quilt, I cover the person up in it and their eyes light up. They can take it home and bring it with them for infusions," she said. "Most of our materials are donated by the community."

Over the years, Loveland estimates the group has donated about 16,000 quilts. "It makes me happy to give back to the community and provide warmth and love to people," she said.

During a recent visit to Tunnell Cancer Center, Loveland met with Executive Director of Oncology Services Barry Hamp. "I just think what these women and this group are doing is incredible," said Hamp. "I fully support it and hope to visit with Shirley each time she stops by with her quilts."

As Beebe Healthcare plans for the future, a second cancer center is planned for a new South Coastal Health Campus near Millville. For more information about expansion plans, go to www.nextgenerationofcare.org.

“Once we get the new campus up and running, it will be much closer for your group to drop off quilts,” said Hamp to Loveland.

“Oh yes, I’m glad you are building it so it is more convenient for us,” said Loveland.

To watch a video about the quilt donation, go to www.beebehealthcare.org/stories/quilting-group-brings-warmth-tunnell-can....

When Loveland recalls more than 20 years that Faith, Hope, Love Quilters have been making quilts for cancer patients, she has a lot of memories. She remembers seeing her husband and the other chemo patients enduring a treatment that would make them feel worse before they got better. She wanted to do something that made them feel comforted and loved, something that would buoy their faith and give them hope, so she started a quilting group in her church’s community hall.

Most of the people who work on the hand-tied quilts have firsthand experience with Tunnell Cancer Center through a loved one who was treated. During a recent visit to Tunnell, Beebe Medical Foundation representatives met with several members of Faith, Hope, Love Quilters to recognize the group for the thousands of quilts given to patients at Tunnell.

The quilters shared their stories of loved ones treated at the center. Some, like Loveland, have lost that loved one and feel a special connection to each quilt. One woman described how she prays as she works for the quilt to be given to the right person and for that special someone to feel the comfort of healing. The stories of hope, faith and love are woven like threads through each quilt.

Loveland describes the reward of personally giving the quilts to patients. The tears and thanks from patients are just the icing on the cake, she said.

The real reward is fighting back at the disease that affected their loved ones. It has been a great 20 years, and although Loveland will continue to be with the community group, her eyesight is failing, so she can’t do the close work required to create each quilt.

Jean Higgins will be leading the group and overseeing the quilting process. She has been making quilts with the group since she moved to the area last summer and has been quilting on her own for longer. Faith, Hope, Love Quilters plans to continue for another 20 years.

During the summer vacation and school holidays, young girls and boys join their grandmothers setting up the tables, ironing the fabric, measuring the backing and hand-tying the quilts.

“It’s quite a family tradition,” said Diane Barlow of Beebe Medical Foundation, who spent a morning with the group. “Some of the women arrive carrying heavy bags of the quilting squares they have cut at home or of quilts they have knotted at home. Three or four women carry in their sewing machines and get to work stitching the squares together or binding the quilts. Others set out the backing and batting, and prepare tables at waist height for the tying process.”

No quilting or sewing skills are needed to cut the fabric blocks or tie the quilts.

“The camaraderie of the group is evident; however, chatting is minimal as the work requires concentration,” said Barlow. “At lunchtime, the quiet beehive of activity changes to a time of prayer and friendship as all quilters stop to share a potluck meal.”

Faith, Hope, Love Quilters rely on donations to complete their mission. For more information, to donate fabric or quilt supplies, or to make a monetary donation, contact Shirley Loveland at faithhopelovequilters@gmail.com. Fabric donations should be 100 percent cotton.

Everyone from the community is welcome to participate by joining the group at 10 a.m., the third and fifth Monday of every month in Clendaniel Community Hall at St. Matthews By-the-Sea United Methodist Church in Fenwick Island.

Find out more about Tunnell Cancer Center and Oncology Services at Beebe: www.beebehealthcare.org/tunnell-cancer-center.