Ohio MCC is comforting others with upcoming comforter bash
Rosa Kim and Jake Hofstetter were two of the high school seniors from Central Christian School who spent Friday afternoon volunteering at the 2022 Ohio Comforter Bash in Kidron, Ohio. Throughout two days on April 22-23, volunteers gathered in Kidron for a Comforter Bash where they worked together to knot 129 comforters for MCC.
Individuals and groups from northeast Ohio will gather on April 21-22 for a hands-on project to bring warmth and comfort to people they will likely never meet.
The Ohio MCC Comforter Bash will take place at Kidron Community Park in the recreational building at back of park, 4434 Kidron Road, Kidron, OH 44636.
This heartwarming event will take place Friday, April 21 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday, April 22 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Food will be available by donation throughout both days.
In uniting for this event, participants will work together to combine handmade comforter tops, warm batting and sturdy backing fabric into warm, durable and beautiful comforters. The squares of fabric that make up the comforter tops have already been sewn together, so volunteers will primarily knot the layers together.
Organizers have a goal of making 200 comforters over the two-day event. Each handmade comforter is unique and provides not only warmth but also a tangible message to people that their needs are not forgotten. Sarah Doerksen, MCC Great Lakes Ohio Material Resources Coordinator, said that making someone a handmade comforter may seem like a small thing, but the impact is priceless.
This is the third Comforter Bash held in northeast Ohio. Last year, volunteers knotted 129 comforters over two days after the event was postponed in 2021. The inaugural event took place in January 2020 as part of MCC’s Great Winter Warm-up with events across the U.S., Canada and beyond.
Doerksen said that interest in the local community has grown over the past couple of years as the annual event has expanded. This year the planning committee is made up of four Amish women and four Mennonite women. Several area schools will also send student groups to volunteer at the event.
“It’s great to be able to teach younger generations about comforter making and allow them the opportunity for a service project at the same time,” Doerksen said. “The Comforter Bash has always been an intergenerational event, but this year it feels even more special that Amish, Mennonites and area community members can come together to support those in vulnerable situations around the world.”
The crisis in Ukraine is one of those vulnerable situations, with 13 shipping containers of humanitarian aid from MCC sent there last year with another 18 planned this year, including a large supply of comforters. In total, last year MCC shipped 38,148 comforters to Burkina Faso, Canada, Jordan, Iraq, Haiti, Syria, Ukraine, the U.S. and Zambia.
MCC was founded in 1920 when groups of Mennonites and Mennonite Brethren formed a committee to provide food and other assistance to people affected by war and famine in southern Russia, which is present-day Ukraine.
Today MCC provides humanitarian relief, encourages sustainable development and strengthens peacebuilding initiatives in 45 countries. Comforters and blankets have been part of MCC’s relief resources ever since the end of World War II.
According to Doerksen, the COVID-19 pandemic and government sanctions have made it difficult over the past few years for MCC to ship humanitarian aid. “We are hopeful that some of those restrictions being lifted will allow us to help more people around the world with humanitarian aid,” said Doerksen.
MCC is planning to send around 55,000 comforters this year to places like Cuba, Ukraine, Zambia and Malawi where there are ongoing distribution projects. MCC is also planning to ship comforters and other relief supplies to places like Haiti and Guatemala. “These are areas where we preposition supplies because they are often hit with natural disasters,” explained Doerksen. “Having the items prepositioned allows MCC to respond faster after a crisis.”
Organizers are excited to hold the community event again this year and invite people of all ages and abilities to join the Comforter Bash on April 21-22. No experience is necessary, and all supplies and instruction will be provided.
For more information visit: mcc.org/ohio-comforter-bash.