January 2023

In 2022 United with Grace Quilting sent down the following to a Relay point in the Lake Country (Coast Distributors) to be forwarded to Victoria. They also had one shipment sent down by the local Rosineau Trucking Co.

18 large quilts from the United with Grace Ladies Quilting Group
5 baby quilts
33 baby blankets
21 receiving blankets
173 baby bibs
108 baby tops
36 pillowcases
90 dresses
44 pairs boys shorts
84 knitted or crocheted hats
81 cloth bags for teddies, medical supplies or women’s hygiene kits
48 knitted teddy bears
33 knitted or crocheted slippers 2 scarves
4 pairs booties/socks
37 wash cloths 20 packages of little girls panties,
1 sweater

Thank you to their team: Gloria Millsap, Grace Prior, Margaret Keith, Mary Beaulne, Shirley Grayston, Ede Anderson and the United with Grace Quilting.

 November 2022

We are so grateful to all the people that bring us their wonderful creations.

The Owls Sewing Group

This group of women in Victoria have been sewing together for charity since 2015.

It was started by three friends, who met at the local sewing store, where they were sewing knit caps for cancer patients. They wanted to start a charity sewing group and each brought in a few other friends.

Leta, the group leader, discovered Canada Comforts online and contacted Sylvia Hatfield who suggested that they start making skirts and shorts. Baby tops, school bags and even bucket hats have been added to that list. Leta also contacted WIN (Women In Need) and the Owls began sewing items for them too.

Originally the group met twice a month at each other’s homes, but needed more space when the group expanded (now 13), and ended up in a conference room above Quality Foods. During the pandemic they have all gone back to sewing at home, but still try to maintain some social time by getting together outdoors.

There are some very generous people in Victoria who have donated fabric and thread and places to work. The Owls have fun turning all those donations into some lovely clothing and household items, for people who need them.

 

Volunteers from Cowichan Bay, Nel and her friend Henny get together almost every Monday to work on items for Canada Comforts Society. Everything from bandages, to diapers, to knitted slippers and blankets. Nel is rolling bandages on this handy rolling tool that a friend made for her and Henny is doing the ripping/prepping of the material to be rolled.

So far in 2021 they have made:
- 60 dozen diapers
- 5 boxes of bandages
- 19 pairs of knitted slippers
- 36 pairs of baby booties
- 9 knitted large blankets (for a single bed)
- 3 knitted baby blankets
Way to go ladies!

 

March 6, 2021

The Capital City Yacht Club Sewing Group formed in 2019 to sew for Canada Comforts Society.

Prior to the onset of COVID19 social distancing mandate the group sewed 95 pairs of shorts and 50 face masks. Unfortunately, they are unable to meet as a group but Dianne Walker continues to sew shorts and has made 180 pairs on her own since last March! The group is keen to meet and sew for CCS once again when it is safe.

February 9, 2021

When we can't get together at the Centre but are still working hard making items for the Compassionate Resource Warehouse its nice to see the ladies from Canada Comforts Society on pickup day. (Marguerite, Marlene, Freda, Betty and Irene)

 

 

 

 

 

December 2020

A big thank you to Margaret Johnson of Comox, seen here with her 1000 knitted bear, way to go Margaret!

September 2020 Thank you Norgarden Knitters

See all those happy " little bear faces"? Soon they will be causing children in a different country to share those smiles- except this time- squeals will be heard along with the smiles! This was only part of the beautiful gifts that came our way.
Keep up the great work- and we will keep sharing your gifts with others!

 

Marion Gieg from Powassan Ontario sent us 160 baby tops. We are so very grateful to volunteers from all over the country that send hand made items to Canada Comforts Society.

Volunteers from Red Deer Alberta Compassionate Resource Warehouse received a lovely letter and photo from some volunteers in Red Deer Alberta. They sent 157 dolls crafted by ladies in central Alberta. The photo is of a tea that included a celebration for Ruth Moore (front right, Ruth is 94 and has macular degeneration). Ruth has completed knitting 40000 of the dolls! Back row, is Brenda Dowell, and Sheila Brandner who stuff and finish many of Ruth’s dolls. Missing from the photo is Ruth’s daughter who partially completes all of the dolls now.

It was so nice to meet the ladies from St John's Church, Cobble Hill. Mary, Elizabeth, Bonnie Jean and Judith went on a road trip to visit our workshop at the Juan de Fuca 55 Plus Seniors Centre. The ladies sew bags, knit teddies and dish cloths and send us empty perception bottles.

Sharon from Kitimat and Cheryl from Maple Ridge brought us blankets and knitted toques.

Marg has knitted lots of colourful bears. The ladies at the workshop will add faces.

Heather and Rita (shown here) along with Tereasa and Stephi work hard creating these items for us. They had 64 fish and chip sweaters with hats as well as 37  tuque and 5 knitted blankets

 Volunteers

 

Linda comes to the workshop at Juan de Fuca Seniors Centre on Tuesdays where she helps sew baby tops with Roberta and Swanny. She made this wonderful fleece jacket and quilt.

Just a few of the volunteers that come to the Tuesday morning workshops at Juan de Fuca Seniors Centre.

 

 

Blankets

Thank you Linda Swain for another 15 beautiful quilted blankets.

Wash Cloths and Baby Bonnets

Thank you Barb for the wonderful donation of wash cloths and baby hats. Barb brought us 75 of each!

Creative teamwork in action!

Do you ever wonder what happens to those colourful banners that cities put up on their lamp posts? Well, the City of Langford, west of Victoria, thought that its retired street banners might be used for a charitable project. They contacted a local fabric store, The Cloth Castle, to see if they could use them. Maria at Cloth Castle talked to Sylvia at Canada Comforts, and Voila!... street banners were going to become backpack school bags!

The Owls sewing group took on the project with the first 10 banners donated, and made 24 beautiful, colourful and durable nylon bags. These bags were then given to Canada Comforts and donated to the Compassionate Resource Warehouse, to be filled with school supplies and sent out to countries requesting educational materials.

Canada Comforts has been given quite a few more banners to work with and the Owls plan to have another school bag sewing session in September. Next time you see a street banner, think about a child somewhere in the world, putting his schoolbooks in one!

Photo: Leta and Jennifer of the Owls displaying a banner and bags.