Ohio MCC sharing comfort and hope around the world
Volunteers flocked to Fairlawn Mennonite Church last year for the Ohio MCC Comforter Bash, where they helped create comforters that were shipped to needy people all around the globe.
Volunteers in Northeast Ohio will put their faith into action as they gather Feb. 28 to March 1 for a hands-on project to bring warmth and comfort to people around the world.
The Ohio MCC Comforter Bash will take place at Fairlawn Mennonite Church, 8520 Emerson Road, Apple Creek, on Friday, Feb. 28 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday, March 1 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Volunteers should enter at the community center entrance at the back of building, and food will be available by donation throughout the days.
During this venue participants will work together to combine handmade comforter tops, warm batting and sturdy backing fabric into warm, durable 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 350 comforters over the two-day event. Each handmade comforter will provide 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 making someone a handmade comforter may seem like a small thing, but it’s a hands-on act of service that has a large impact on those who receive them.
“It’s fun to see the mixture of young and old, Amish and Mennonites, working together to make comforters,” Doerksen said, “all with the goal of helping people around the world who are impacted by natural disasters, war and conflicts.”
The event was held at Fairlawn Mennonite Church for the first time last year. The gym space allows 40 comforter knotting frames to be set up at the same time, along with tables for volunteers to sit and eat. There also is an area for trimming comforters before they are taken across the hallway for volunteer sewists to bind them on sewing machines.
“I especially enjoy seeing the young children helping to push the carts with comforters from one location in the building to the next,” Doerksen said. “They also have fun helping to ring the bell when we reach milestone numbers of completed comforters.”
Last year MCC shipped 53,601 comforters to communities in El Salvador, Malawi, Ukraine and Zambia, along with Canada and the U.S. including Puerto Rico.
In Uzhhorod, Ukraine, Olga, her husband and two children live in a shelter supported by MCC partner Association of Mennonite Brethren Churches of Ukraine. They had to flee their home in Kryvyi Rih, closer to the front lines, with only the clothing they had on their backs.
In their room at the shelter, bright MCC comforters are a contrast to gray shelter walls, and Olga said when the heat is off, they use the comforters to cuddle up together and keep the children warm.
She’s touched the comforters are handmade.
“In my childhood my grandma was doing this patchworking, and it’s so special for me because when I saw (this blanket) is handmade, it was so dear to my heart,” she said.
The war has caused Olga’s family and everyone else in Ukraine to adapt in ways they never expected. In this new life, she said a lot of their happiness comes from small things they’ve received from others, like the comforters from MCC.
“I think life, it will be OK. It will settle down,” she said. “And thanks to your support, you make people a little bit happier.”
Organizers invite people of all ages and abilities to join the Comforter Bash. No experience is necessary, and all supplies and instruction will be provided.
“We welcome volunteers with all levels of experience to come to the event,” Doerksen said. “Even if you have never knotted a comforter before, there are people eager to help teach you. Whether you live close by or are looking for a fun day/weekend trip, come join us for a time of fellowship and service to help those living in vulnerable situations around the world.”
Find more information at www.mcc.org/ohio-comforter-bash.