Our theme for Synod Sunday 2020: I Thessalonians 1:3 - (We) remember before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Find more information about Synod Sunday at https://www.synodsun.org/synod-sunday
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| Women from FPC/Grapevine twice a year make/collect prayer shawls, weighted (therapeutic) blankets, knitted caps and scarves. These go to the PCHAS Foster Care Village on their Itasca campus, numerous homes housing up to 5-6 children each. |
By Matt Curry
WAXAHACHIE, TEXAS – The pandemic has not slowed down Presbyterian Women in their relentless ministry to cover families and children in need with blankets and prayer.
PW organizations from throughout a wide region are supplying Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services with quilts, blankets and other gifts to help remind struggling families they are loved, even in the midst of difficult times and circumstances.
The agency relies on financial gifts to support its work but also sees the value of the physical and emotional support provided by items such as quilts. “We want to thank the crafters who put their time and affection into supporting our clients,” said Noreen O’Brien, PCHAS spokeswoman.
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| FPC Clifton donated tied blankets (quilts), backpacks, hygiene kits. These donations went to PCHAS' Foster Care Village in Itasca. |
PCHAS, which serves about 5,000 children and families from across three states, works to help families achieve self-sufficiency and to have children placed into loving, permanent homes. Churches provide vital support through both financial and in-kind donations.
Blankets recently received from First Presbyterian Church of Georgetown are making a difference at the Single Parent Family Program in Waxahachie. One mother said that a 6 year old who received one of the blankets now sleeps through the night instead of getting up and getting into bed with her.
“The blanket has given him a sense of security, and he felt safe in his bed,” said Kristy Smith, Single Parent Family Program and Transitional Living Program coordinator. “Other moms have reported that their children use the blankets to help calm themselves when they are feeling anxious or having a hard time sitting still and focusing.”
A member of the Georgetown church said its Mission Sewing Group has been providing blankets for graduating seniors for years.
O’Brien said some of the quilts the agency receives are earmarked for seniors who will be leaving the agency’s Foster Care Village in Itasca.
“We like to celebrate their achievement and give them something that is just for them, one of a kind, especially since they are likely to embark on adulthood without a safety net of family. In that sense, PCHAS – and its donors – are their family,” she said.
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| Grace Presbytery PW made this quilt, representing their churches, for our Waxahachie campus in spring. This site has foster care, adoption services, a residential program for single-parent families and in-home counseling for families in crisis. |
“Grace Presbyterian Women have supported the PCHAS facilities in our area for many years. The PW of our small church, First Presbyterian of Commerce, has kept a $200 donation for PCHAS in our budget for many years. We have also donated sheets and other items for the dorm rooms when requested,” said Toni Deaton, moderator of Grace Presbyterian Women.
Deaton said that PW joins with many other congregations in praying for PCHAS children and supporting the staff for the work it does to provide care and counseling. In early spring 2017, Deaton, as newly elected moderator, proposed to the Coordinating Team that each PW in Grace Presbytery be asked to make a quilt square that would reflect something unique about each church. The result was 18, 8-inch squares, which were quilted together by Tammy Bird.
The quilt hanging was presented to PCHAS in October last year, along with an additional square that was turned in late. It was framed and displayed with the wall hanging at the Waxahachie campus, providing a visual daily reminder of God’s love and care for all who pass by it.
The Rev. Matt Curry is in search of Good News from ministries throughout the Synod of the Sun that are making connections with their congregations and communities. Do you have an idea to share? Send Matt an email at cpcwaxpastor@gmail.com.
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