East End Quilters give back to community
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“I wasn’t exactly willing,” said Simons about the first time she picked up a needle and thread and began quilting. “I was more kicking and screaming. But it’s something I’ve come to enjoy.”
Simons is one of seven members of a club called the East End Quilters. The group meets every Tuesday morning for about three hours to assemble around a giant quilt and pass the time sewing.
“Anybody who is willing to quilt, or who wants to learn, is welcome to come,” said Simons.
What exactly does the group do with all the quilts it makes? They are given away to house fire victims and newly married couples at the church. It’s for this reason Simons and the East End Quilters are being honored by RSVP, the Retired Seniors Volunteer Program, as its Volunteers of the Month.
“They donate so much of their time to the community by making these quilts and giving them to needy families,” said RSVP director Sue Jones. “And they are in need of new members. Quilting is one of those things that could become a dying art. The younger generation doesn’t seem too interested in it.”
The Tuesday morning meetings give the ladies time to socialize. Sitting around and talking about the hot topics around town are a pleasant diversion from the labor-intensive chore of quilting. But the ladies all agree it’s worth their time.
“When a family has had everything burn and you give them a quilt, you can see they really appreciate it,” said group member Lorena Hillis. “We always give them a quilt and a Bible because we figure their Bible has burned too.”
The origins of East End Church of Christ date back to the 1930s when local residents would gather at the corner of Sparta and Edison streets and worship in a pasture. The first service at the current church building was held Nov. 8, 1964.
Other members of the East End Quilters are Evelyn Travis, Vivian Ferrell, Josie Boyd, Frances Prater and Edna Curtis. The group also wanted to mention the work of Thelma Sullens, who pieces the quilts together.