Make a Difference Day-Firehouse Quilts of Colorado, Inc.
Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011

Project 1-Douglas County Women’s Crisis Center

10 Firehouse Quilts volunteers met the Women’s Crisis Center representative at the Eastridge Rec Center in Highlands Ranch CO on Saturday, Oct 22, 2011 for their quilt delivery.  She was presented with a donation of 1 lap quilt (10 volunteer hours & $40 in supplies), 3 twin sized quilts (90 volunteer hours & $357 in supplies) and 4 full sized quilts (200 volunteer hours & $572 in supplies) for their new woman’s shelter. 

Each twin quilt takes approximately 30 hours and about $119 each in supplies, a full sized quilt uses $143 in supplies and takes 50 hours each to complete.  A lap quilt can be finished in 10 hours for approximately $40.  Including the time for delivery with 10 volunteers, the total contribution in time is 310 hours and in-kind amount is $969.  Including this delivery, they have received over 30 beautiful bed-sized quilts from Firehouse Quilts volunteers this year. 

Closer photos of the quilts and FHQ volunteers.

Two more beautiful quilts for the women’s shelter.

Three very colorful and cheerful quilts.

Project 2-Denver Health Medical Center, Denver CO (Newborns in Need)

10 Firehouse Quilts volunteers drove to the low income hospital in downtown Denver from Littleton, Highlands Ranch and Aurora Saturday, Oct 22, 2011 to make a huge delivery of 59 snuggle quilts,

84 fleece blankies, 31 flannel receiving blankets, 5 crocheted Afghans, a matching set of crocheted baby afghan, cap/booties and a handmade teddy bear.

These items are used in the Baby Bags given to new mothers as they leave the hospital with their newborns.  The hospital provides bright blue tote bag for little boys and bright pink tote bag for little girls.  Each bag is filled by volunteers with baby items the mom will need when she gets home with her new baby.  (diapers, bottles, pacifier, clothing, wash cloths, blankie, lotion, baby oil, baby shampoo, booties, caps, etc. and one of our quilts tucked in the very top of the bag.)

Nurses from Denver Health and volunteers of Firehouse Quilts.

As a special treat from the hospital, we got to visit one of the new mothers with her infant daughter and other family members.  It was great to hear how much she appreciated the Baby Bag she received from the hospital as she was getting ready to be discharged.  She told us it brought her to tears when she saw one of our beautiful quilts in the top of the bag of baby supplies she’ll need in the next few weeks.  She was very appreciative and thanked us for donating such nice quilts for new babies at Denver Health. 

Later in the year, a group of FHQ volunteers will return to the hospital to donate even more time

in the Baby Bag room, assembling and filling the Baby Bags with donated items for the new moms.  They will, of course, have one of our own FHQ quilts on the very top as a special surprise.

Between our 2 Make a Difference Day projects, volunteers of Firehouse Quilts of Colorado, Inc. have contributed a lot to our community: 

• In-Kind donations:     $6,150
• Volunteer hours:         1504

During several Sew Days prior to Make a Difference Day, over 35 Firehouse Quilts volunteers met to cut & prepare fabric, sew quilt tops and quilt the quilts and fleece blankies that were part of the donations made on Oct 22, 2011.

# of items                                Approx cost                      Approx time involved

59                Snuggles              $3,599      ($  61 ea)          708 hrs (12 hrs ea)

84                Fleece                  $1,260      ($  15 ea)          336 hrs (  4 hrs ea)

31                Flannel                $   310      ($  10 ea)          124 hrs (  4 hrs ea)

3                  Twin                    $   357      ($119 ea)            90 hrs (30 hrs ea)

4                  Full                      $   572      ($143 ea)          200 hrs (50 hrs ea)

1                  Lap quilt             $     40                                  10 hrs

1 handmade teddy bear         $     15                                  10 hrs

5 crocheted Afghans              $     60 ($12 ea)                 100 hrs

1 set of matching                   $     12                                  36 hrs

(baby Afghan, booties/cap)

TOTALS

191 total items             $6,210 in supplies                    1644 volunteer hours

(just in these two projects!)

Oct. 22^nd, 2011

Thank you card from Denver Health:

Congratulations on a beautiful article and photo in today’s paper!  Great work.  We appreciate the partnership between Firehouse Quilts and our Newborns in Need program very much.  You are wonderful to support our Denver Health babies and it means the world to us.  Many thanks, Robin

Robin Engleberg

Denver Health Foundation, Program Manager

FHQ volunteers, Barbara C & Sara VH,

were interviewed by Denise Plante about our quilt show

on Monday, July 11th, 2011 advertising our quilt show. 

It will soon be displayed on their website.  Keep checking!

http://coloradoandco.com/default.aspx

Thanks for your support!

Volunteers of Firehouse Quilts

About  Firehouse Quilts

We make 45" square snuggle quilts and donate them to fire departments

all over the state of Colorado. We also make twin/full sized quilts

for Douglas County Women's Crisis Center. 

Any style or patterns can be used in the donated quilts.

Our Sew Days are 'work' days;

you must bring your own sewing machine and

be familiar enough with it to sew on your own.

If you have sewn before but are new to quilting,

practice sewing a straight line using 1/4" seam allowance.

Accuracy is important in quilting.

Volunteers from Firehouse Quilts meet for 2 working Sew Days a month

in Highlands Ranch, CO. at the

Highlands Ranch Rec Center (Northridge)

8801 S Broadway in Highlands Ranch CO.

1st Wednesdays, (4:30p-8p) &

3rd Thursdays, (12:30p-4:30p)

Bring your machine & start making a difference!

(see the list of Sew Days near the bottom of the page for updates.)

Our snuggle quilts are available to any fire department in Colorado. 

To request quilts for your fire department, info about donating your time,

money or fabric, contact Dusty Darrah.

2012

Sew Days are Work Days

at

Highlands Ranch Rec Center @ Northridge

8801 S Broadway, Highlands Ranch, CO

      Always double check the days and

info for Sew Days each month before traveling to them.

2012 Sew Day Schedule

Always check firehousequilts@q.com before traveling to a Sew Day,

just to be sure it's still as posted here.

Can't Come to a Sew Day?  Help from home!

You don't have to come to Sew Days in order to help Firehouse Quilts. 
Feel free to use your own stash and try new patterns you've
wanted to test & make a small (approx. 45" square) snuggle quilt for us. 

When you're finished, you can drop it off at a Sew Day or

email Dusty for a different drop-off location. 

If you live out of town and just want to mail

a finished top or quilt or even a monetary donation,

just use this address.  Please notify us via email when you're

mailing something to our post office box.

Make a difference in a child's life today.

We appreciate all donations.

Thank you!