Charity

New Hope Pregnancy Center

In 1989, this interdenominational crisis pregnancy center began in Latonia, as A Compassionate Alternative. Over the years, their name has changed, services have expanded, and they have added additional centers. But one thing will never change – their primary focus on honoring God while serving those who desperately need a message of hope. They offer no-cost pregnancy confirmation services, adoption information and accurate abortion information to women and men considering their options for their unexpected pregnancies. New Hope Pregnancy Center does not perform or refer for abortions.

Services Provided:

• Pregnancy Tests & Verification

• Ultrasounds

• Parenting Classes (one-on-one pregnancy, parenting and life skills classes) *

• Fatherhood Classes (one-on-one classes that teach dads what they need to know to become a successful parent.)

• Material Support (maternity clothing for mothers and infant clothing, diapers, and formula for baby’s first year.)

• Adoption Information and agency referrals.

• Abortion Information (important facts about procedures, risks and what to expect.)

• After Abortion Care

• Spiritual Guidance – (for discovering Christ's love and plan for them).

*After completing each Parenting lesson, the women will receive a dozen diapers. After seven lessons they earn a car seat, and first-time mothers completing all 14 lessons will receive a crib. Our quilts will complement this program. 

They have 4 locations that support roughly 300 women annually from all over the area. Many young women seek help outside their local area. Crestview Hills, Covington, Alexandria, and Falmouth.

Please join me in supporting these women. --- Marlene Gartner

Click here for a pattern Marlene shared at our recent Hometown Retreat.

Boone County CASA

I would like to nominate Boone County CASA for Stringtown’s 2023 Charity.

“Our mission at CASA is to provide specially trained community volunteers to advocate for abused,

neglected and dependent children in Boone and Gallatin County family court. Our ultimate goal is to

assure that every child has a safe and permanent home.

In 2022 CASA had 38 volunteer who advocated for 103 children.  CASA volunteers are ordinary people who are caring, honest and committed to doing what is best for a child. No special experience or knowledge is required. All of our volunteers are trained to understand courtroom procedure, social services, the juvenile justice system and the special needs of children who have been abused and neglected. A CASA volunteer must be at least 21 years of age, of good moral character, and successfully complete screening (online application, 3 references, personal interview, criminal record check, child abuse and adult protection registry check) in order to be accepted into training. Training is approximately 34 hours in length and consists of class work and court observation. Ongoing training of 12 hours is required for all volunteers annually. In addition to training each CASA volunteer and staff member take an oath of confidentiality.

CASA Volunteers advocate for the best interest of children who have experienced abuse or neglect.

Here's what that means. The volunteer learns all they can about the child and his or her family and

life. They engage with the child during regular visits, speak up for the child's best interest in court

and make recommendations regarding the child's placement and needed services, and monitor the

child's situation until the case is released by the court. The volunteers collaborate with others to

ensure that necessary services are provided and are in the child's best interest. Volunteers report

what they have learned and observed to the court.” - Colleen Maier, Executive Director Boone

County CASA

I learned about CASA through a former coworker who volunteers for them. She requested that I

donate a quilt for a child that she was working with. He earned his quilt by doing some regular

chores and meeting expectations. It was just the inspiration he needed and he beamed when the

quilt was finally his.  Quilts mean love and I hope that we can provide many quilts for these children to show them that they are loved. We may never know how much it means to these children at a time in their lives

when not much is going right.

--- Martha Ferguson

The LifeSet program through Youth Villages has served thousands of youth since it began in 1999 to assist those who are no longer eligible for state custody or foster care.  

“Every year, approximately 20,000 young people turn 18 in foster care; they need comprehensive support as they transition from state services to independence. With few resources, they must work to overcome the impact of childhood adversity as they navigate the adult world. LifeSet puts transition-age youth in the driver’s seat of their lives with a trained specialist by their side to help them identify and achieve goals. LifeSet is an individualized, evidence-informed community-based program that is highly intensive.  It is one of the nation’s first — and now one of the largest — evidence-informed programs helping young people who age out of foster care.”  

A “web-of-support” is provided which may include assistance with independent living skills, locating housing, learning housekeeping, creating a budget, finding transportation and MORE.  Typically these young adults aged 17-22 spend 7-9 months in the program but some will extend that to a year or more.  The representatives with LifeSet anticipate being able to use our quilts as gifts for successful completion of the LifeSet program or for home-warming gifts for those who secure independent housing.  

--- Submitted by Robin Bisig

Down Syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati (DSAGC)

The DSAGC serves the area of southwestern Ohio, southeastern Indiana and northern Kentucky by offering a multitude of programs on-going from birth through school age, transitioning into adulthood and planning for old age. You can learn more on their website www.dsagc.com. Down syndrome is a genetic condition occurring in 1 out of every 691 births. A baby with Down syndrome will have 3 copies of the 21st chromosome rather than the normal two. This is why Down syndrome is also referred to as Trisomy 21. In the US there are approximately 350,000 people living with DS. Common traits include cognitive delays, low muscle tone and speech impediments, along with an increased risk for certain medical conditions including congenital heart defects, respiratory and hearing problems, childhood leukemia and thyroid conditions. But with good medical care, quality educational programs and positive support from family, friends and community, people with Down syndrome can lead fulfilling and productive lives.

The DSAGC mission statement: The mission of the DSAGC is to empower individuals, educate families, enhance communities and together, celebrate the extraordinary lives of people with Down syndrome.

The need: Whether it’s through prenatal testing or after the baby is born, the diagnosis of Down syndrome can be very difficult for parents to hear. Family and friends, not knowing what to say, may shy away and the parents feel isolated. When a family makes contact with the DSAGC, the Early Matters Coordinator is available to answer questions, provide information on services available, connect them with other parents of children with Down syndrome, provide written materials and make personal visits.

Part of the personal visit includes presenting the parents with a “welcome basket” filled with ordinary baby gifts along with information about Down syndrome. The purpose of these gifts is to celebrate the birth of the baby just like any other baby would be celebrated. Last year 27 welcome baskets were distributed. I propose the guild make and donate baby quilts to include in the baskets. Any number we can supply would be appreciated as they currently are purchasing baby blankets to include when they do not have any donations.

Submitted by Pam Steele

Benchmark Family Services

Benchmark Family services is a non-profit that works with the state to provide therapeutic foster care for children ages 0 - 21. The local office serves the Florence area and serves between 100 - 125 children. It is the largest office in the state which overall serves 500 - 600 children. These are children which have more intensive needs who have suffered extreme abuse and/or neglect, have emotional or behavioral problems, or are special needs children.

Children in most foster care situations are seen in the home usually once every 2 - 3 months. Children in therapeutic care receive weekly contact in some form. Within the month they will have 2 in-home visits, one out-of-home visit and weekly contact with the psychiatrist, psychologist or case manager. Again, these are children with all kinds of needs.

Providing infants and children’s with a quilt can make them feel that it is their own and can go with them if they are moved. There are times when a child is taken into foster care with very little that is theirs. Infants who are placed often come with nothing, leaving the foster parents to supply everything the infant will need.

Submitted by Pat Slater 

Boone County Schools - School Resource Officer Appreciation      

(Click here to see some of our generous donations!)

Each year during Law Enforcement Appreciation month Boone County Schools recognizes our brave officers of the Florence Police and Boone County Sheriff’s Department who serve and protect our students and staff year round.  The guild voted to recognize the  brave officers and deputies in a special way- doing what the guild does best, they made unique and special quilts for these men and women to show the communities appreciation for their service to our Boone County Students.  Members of the Stringtown Quilters Guild picked a School Resource Officers for this unique project in  2020.  A total of 27 quilts were given to the SRO serving each school in the Boone County Schools District. These special thank you quilts brought big smiles and great appreciation from the officers.  The volunteers picked their SRO based on either knowing them or their children knowing them from the school they serve.

From the Boone County Schools Newsletter article….

“Cindy Bonar Gamble chose Officer Hill from Stephens Elementary because she liked what she saw when dropping her granddaughter off every day at school.  Officer Hill welcomes the students to school and would give Izzy a daily ‘high five.’  Mrs. Gamble also did a second quilt for Officer Schwartz at RA Jones Middle School.  Through his interactions, Officer Schwartz left a positive impression on Mrs. Gamble’s husband who is a bus driver for Jones.  Susan Elizabeth Hutcheson chose Officer Travis Brown who serves Ockerman Elementary because her children went to Ockerman and Officer Brown’s family lived in their neighborhood.

Many of the stories were personal and have emotional connections for each quilter, each officer or deputy.  There is no better time than now to remind our law enforcement men and women that we understand, respect and support the life risking, hard work they do.”

The district has 27 SRO’s, one for every school to safeguard our students, teachers and staff.   The SRO’s are responsible for providing security and crime prevention services in the school environment and they do an excellent job as positive role models for the students in our community. The officers form positive bonds with the students and create needed relationships with students.  As an expression of thankfulness and sincere gratefulness for their valuable service, a gifted quilt to these men and women was truly loving tribute to their work in our community. Submitted by Karen Evans

Northern Kentucky Homeless Shelter

Stringtown Quilters chose the Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky for its 2019 charity quilts.  Approximately 45 quilts were presented in October of 2019 to Kim Webb, Director and Kari Mulderink, member of First Church of Christ, who serves as the Homeless Ministry Coordinator which partners with the NK Homeless Shelter throughout the year.   

Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky opened its doors for the first time in the winter of 2008 as the region’s only cold weather shelter for adults. In the summer of 2010, they began providing shelter during the warmer months for men who are working towards achieving housing, income and improvement of health. They were started by a group of concerned citizens and business owners who wanted to ensure that our most vulnerable population had a place to go to during our coldest weather.

Their Mission Statement is:

To provide shelter which is life-saving in the winter and life-changing in the summer.

Their Vision Statement is:

We believe homelessness is an emergency and that shelter is a basic necessity for human beings. We believe that only when this basic necessity is provided, do human beings have the ability to recover from homelessness. 

Comfort pillows – begin anytime, Viewer’s Choice voting in April 2018. May be donated to Bluegrass Care Navigators (formerly Hospice of the Bluegrass).

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Fidget quilts – begin anytime, Viewer’s Choice voting in July 2018. May be donated to Bluegrass Care Navigators (formerly Hospice of the Bluegrass).

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Church Charity – Remember the “Food Jar” to help the Church with its community service food pantry and to show our appreciation for the use of our meeting room each month.

Brighton Recovery Center - Since opening in 2008, Brighton Recovery Center for Women has provided hope and strength to homeless and low-income women struggling with alcohol and drug addiction. The facility, located in Florence uses a peer-driven treatment model and takes a holistic approach to recovery.  One of the important things to the ladies graduating from this program is the receiving of a handmade quilt.  At graduation, they are presented with a quilt to keep.  This reminds them of their journey they have taken. Stringtown Quilters Guild choose this program as one of their main Charity events in 2015.  The Cabin Arts Quilt Shop in Burlington, has been collecting and providing the quilts to the Brighton Center for several years.   

ALS - Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.  It causes muscles to “atrophy” or waste away.  The person becomes progressively more immobile as the disease advances.  They steadily decline from walking to walking with some kind of assistance.  They become wheel chair bound, then bed-ridden.  In the final stages of the disease, they need even more assistance with breathing and feeding.  Through all of this, the person does not lose their ability to think, hear, or see.  At the present, there is no cure or treatment to slow the effects of this disease. ALS usually strikes people between the ages of 50 and 70, with more men than women contracting the disease.  For unknown reasons, military veterans are twice as likely to contract the disease.  The national rate of the disease is 1-2 per 100,000 and Kentucky’s rate is 5-8 per 100,000 people. We are fortunate to have a local chapter of the ALS Association in Northern Kentucky.  It is located on Haines Drive in Florence, Kentucky.  They offer clinical management and support to the clients and their families.  Currently they service 198 clients and expect to add 75 – 100 new clients in 2016.  This chapter was started in 2001.  

 Our charity project provided quilts to cover laps in wheel chairs, approximately 36 by 48 inches.  They were distributed to the clients as part of a “winter care package”.  All quilts were submitted at the October 2016 meeting when a representative of each organization was in attendance to accept the quilts donated to them.  Over 75 quilts were donated to each charity, CARE NET and ALS.

Care Net Pregnancy Services - This is a non-profit group offering services in Florence, Cold Springs and Williamstown to anyone seeking assistance verifying pregnancy and clarification with how to proceed with a possible unplanned pregnancy. There are multiple free classes from healthy pregnancy to parenting guidance; relationship counseling; adoption counseling, just to name a few. All services are provided free of charge. Care Net provides multiple “gifts” for completion of certain courses, with the offering of a quilt upon completion of a 20 week parenting class. Typically, an average of 50 families complete this course per year.  The request was for crib/baby blankets size quilts.  Submitted by guild member, Lisa Bayne. 

St. Elizabeth Hospice- St. E Hospice care is as unique as the individual patients who come to us in search of this form of support and comfort. It’s focused on making the patient comfortable, while helping families cope with a difficult time of impending loss.  Each year the members nominate and vote on a charity project that the group would like to support. In 2015, one of the charities selected was the St. Elizabeth Healthcare Hospice. The quilts are for women and men of all ages and walks of life. Veterans are especially treated with red, white and blue blankets to acknowledge their service to our country. The quilts will serve as a comfort for family and loved ones who experience the hospice program. All work and materials were donated by members of the Stringtown Quilters.

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Brighton Recovery Center- Since opening in 2008, Brighton Recovery Center for Women has provided hope and strength to homeless and low-income women struggling with alcohol and drug addiction. The facility, located in Florence uses a peer-driven treatment model and takes a holistic approach to recovery.  One of the important things to the ladies graduating from this program is the receiving of a handmade quilt.  At graduation, they are presented with a quilt to keep.  This reminds them of their journey they have taken. Stringtown Quilters Guild choose this program as one of their main Charity events in 2015.  The Cabin Arts Quilt Shop in Burlington, has been collecting and providing the quilts to the Brighton Center for several years.  

NICU at St. Elizabeth Hospital - Charity Outreach project was 48″ x 48″ Baby Quilts for a local NICU at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Edgewood, Ky.  Donated quilts were presented in August and in November.

Check out this story from cincinnati.com: http://cin.ci/1DsRCPQ

Sunrise Children’s Services

Brighton Women’s Recovery Center

2011 Salvation Army

2010 Children's Advocacy Center

2009 Ronald McDonald House & Salvation Army Dolls

2008 Brighton Women's Recovery Center

2007 Care Net Services

2006 Alzheimer Quilts - Quilt Auction & Kentucky Methodist Children's Home (Totes)

2005 Wrap Them in Love for AIDS Children Everywhere & Kentucky Methodist Children's Home

2004 House Calls Program at St. Luke

2003 Sew Near to My Heart (Mini Quilt Auction) & Patriotic Quiltes to Local Establishments

2002 St. Elizabeth NICU and Mercy Maternity Home

2001 Hope Ministries

2000 Sew for the Cure & Boone County Women's Crisis Center

1999 CAC, Grief Quilts, St. Luke

1998 St. Elizabeth Women's Wellness Center Auction

1997 Woodspoint Nursing Home

1996 Boone County Police Cruiser Quilts for Kids

1995 Diocesan Catholic Children's Home, Ft. Mitchell