Each year, the women of Faith Lutheran Church Port Elgin create quilts, afghans and stuffed animals and dolls.
All are then brought in to the church for a special ‘blessing’ service, where every item receives a blessing before going out to first responders and hospice care centres in the immediate area and as far away as Wiarton, Owen Sound and Ronald McDonald House in London.
The Ronald McDonald House initiative began when two children in the Faith Lutheran congregation had to be taken to London and their families used the facility for accommodation.
Lutheran Pastor Dar Rath and husband, Merle, took the items and fundraising donation of more than $3,500 raised by the congregation and destined for Ronald McDonald House and had a tour of the facility. “What an amazing place that offers assistance to families from our area that need a place to stay when the children are in hospital on London,” says Pastor Dar. “They said the children especially gravitate to small blankets and, after their stay, take the blanket home with them and it becomes ‘their’ blanket.”
Also, on Wednesday, September 17th, among the first responders in the area who received stuffed animals and dolls to carry in their vehicles, in the event that a child needs comforting, were the police and firefighters of Saugeen Shores and Bruce County paramedics.
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In addition, quilts and afghans were left with Huron Shores Hospice in Tiverton, along with stuffed animals. “These are absolutely delightful,” said Tara Mainland, “we really appreciate this.”
