September 1, 2011 News
Welcome back to our program year! Some changes are in store, so be sure to check new listing for meeting times and places.
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The Flanagan family enjoyed the summer, full of family get togethers and time with the grand children. Son Nathan and daughter in law Elizabeth, welcomed twin daughters last Saturday. Ann Salome and Ella Mae were born at 5pm August 25. Mom, dad, big brother Alex and big sister Mollie are doing well (except for lack of sleep!). We also heard from Norweigan exchange student son, Karl and partner Injr. Injr gave birth to a 7 1/2 pound baby girl, "JULIE". To say the least, I am so proud they named her after me!
Due to several factors, the meeting site in Dansville, NY is closed. Declining attendance, due in part to the church that hosted us starting its own knitting monistry, warranted this change. Members who attended there are invited to choose either the Avon or Henrietta site for meetings. Our policy of having members work only at home still is in tact, so please keep stitching, even if you can't attend meetings.
Volunteer coordinator for Avon, Katy Heneghan and I learned to do hairpin lace this summer. Our idea for the October meeting is to have all interest create their own hairpin lace strips out of 4 ply synthetic yarn, and volunteers will stitch the strips together to create afghans/lap robes. It should be interesting to see the combinations and learn a new skill. More details on this class to come.
A huge thank you to Corinne and Dick Schillinger for bringing a large donation of yarn and material from their friend who recently lost his wife. She was an avid stitcher, and it gives him joy to know the items that meant so much to her are in our hands.
We also thank the "Henrietta neighbors" of a life long weaver, for their donation of yarn and material. This wonderful neighborhood came together this summer, to organize and sell the contents of a neighbor's home for her only living relative. The care and concern they showed for her belongings was touching, and I know her brother must be grateful for their help, as he traveled from Germany to finish up. We appreciate friend Terry Weagly, volunteer at Bethany House, telling the neighbors about our work and making this donation possible.
Thanks for reading, and hope to see you soon at one of our gatherings.
JULY 2011 NEWS
Norway's Bombing Hits Close To Home
We've all heard about the recent bombing and related shooting in Oslo, Norway, but what you may not realize is that Julie Flanagan (our ministry coordinator) and husband Mike, have an exchange student son living there. In fact, Karl was in the building when the bomb went off. Fortunately, he received only a minor injury requiring a few stitches.
When they spoke with Karl by phone following the tragedy, he told them how proud he was of his city and country for the organized and quick response offered to this emergency. He also told them, that as a country, this is the most devasting thing that has happened to them since WWII.
Karl and Injr are expecting a baby girl in three week. In fact, she left the same business area (different building) early that day as she was beginning her maternity leave. By the time she arrived home, news reached her about the bombing. They were also terribly concerned how the news would affect Karl's eight year old daughter, Kristina. She was on vacation in Denmark with her mommy and stepfather. Karl was able to reach them before she heard the news to let them know he was all right.
The USA can certainly empathize with what Norway and her people are experiencing. This peaceful and pastoral country is a stranger to much of the violence the rest of the world lives with on a daily basis. The Flanagans ask for your prayers to bring all involved in this crime to justice; and, to heal the hearts of the Norweigan people.
MAY 2011
Summer Meeting Sites
Avon, NY will not meet during the summer months. They will meeting on the last Wed. of September.
Dansville, NY will meet through the summer months,
The newsletter will resume in Sept.
Only essential items will be sent as an email for the summer months.
NEWSLETTER April 27, 2011
Hope your Easter was
EGG-CITING!!!
ANNUAL DINNER MEETING INVITATION
Join Us As We Celebrate 11 Years of Service
Thursday May 26
6-8 PM
13 Genesee St.
Mt. Morris, NY 14510
Members and GuestsWelcome!
Main dish, tableware and beverages provided.
Each member is asked to
bring a side dish or dessert.
Bring your favorite stitiching to work on as we talk about the year to come and enjoy each other's company before the summer vacation(we will not be meeting June, July or August in Western New York).
Even if you have not been able to join us for meetings this year, we hope you will make every effort to attend. We would love to see you and catch up on news and get your ideas for our next program year. If you need a ride let us know when you respond to this invitation. Just call the office at 585-300-6289 or email www.thehandiworkministry.vpweb.com by May 20th. helpful.
Directions: 13 Genesee St. Mt. Morris is easy to find. NYS Rte. 36 is the Main St., and Genesee St. is parallel to Main St., just one block east. Or, if using I-390, take the Mt. Morris exit (Geneseo is before it from the North and Sonyea is before it from the South). Drive west toward the village, and just before the traffic light at Main St., turn left onto Genesee St. Our home is a light green cape code with a free standing brown wooden carport and large, treed yard. Plenty of parking available using our driveway (two entrances, one at the house and one just past it by the split rail fence), as well as street parking. This is a well lit, residential neighborhood.
REMINDERS
Laprobe Project for Monroe Cmmunity Hospital
(Date to turn in completed laprobes - now til June 15)
Baptismal Shawls for Host Site St. Agnes Church
(St. Agnes purchased yarn for this purpose. If you need white yarn to make a baptismal shawl for St. Agnes, please let your group coordinator know, or call the THM office directly. We have a small supply.
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NEWSLETTER MARCH 17Happy St. Patrick's Day!
HELPING AN OLD FRIEND, MCH
The Monroe County Fair Assocation's Home Arts Department has teamed up with former site host Monroe Community Hospital for a special event called the "Lap Robe Project". Groups and individuals are invited to make lap robes for residents of the located on E. Hnrietta Rd., in Rochester, NY. Finished items will be collected during the third week of June, just prior to the 2011 Monroe County Fair opening and placed there on display. The laprobes will be presented to the hospital in a special ceremony on the last day of the fair, July 17.
Organizers hope the community will respond to this need as they did last year, when over 800 laprobes were collected for Rochester General Hospital, the event recipient for 2010. The requirements for the project are: 30" x 40", NO fringe or tassels (safety factor) and are to be made of synthetic or cotton yarns only, NO wool or wool blends (due to possible allergic reaction
s). Any color or pattern may be used. The laprobes may also be quilted in cotton or cotton/poly blend. THM has lots of small balled and single skein yarn and woven fabric that would be perfect for this use. Just contact the office to learn how you can obtain supplies for this project, or pick some up at one of the meeting sites.
The Fair Association asks that each person or group label their finished laprobes with their name. We are asking you to include your name with your finished item, and we will print your name on THM tag that we regularly attach to the items we distribute. Imagine what we could do if just half of our members made one laprobe each - 150 laprobes would make a BEAUTIFUL display on its own!
Although we have a focus project established for the year (St. Agnes Baptismal Shawls), this is a worthy project for which we hope you will have a little time. Katy Henneghan is making a laprobe using a simple Granny square 29", then continuing one side for 9 inches, and finishing with a one inch border row around all four sides for a total of 30X40". The requirements for this project will also be on the pattern page of this website.
Have fun using your imagination and combining colors for a great cause! Your finished (including laundering if at all possible) laprobe should be turned in at the last May meeting in Dansville, Henrietta or Avon, NY. THe laprobes will be collected from meeting sites, and Katy will get them to the Monroe County Fair staff. If you are dropping off labrobes at the Mt. Morris Office, or mailing you will have until June 15. Please give us a call or email if you have questions.
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NEWSLETTER March 13, 2011
THM presented its first leadership training February 19th for small group coordinators. Julie Flanagan, THM Coordinator, presented the program. Based on THM's recently published book, the material is designed to create a sense of awareness and understanding of ministry and how the group's mission is carried out. Those attending focused on elements which are key to successfully forming and facilitating small groups in their own communities. Participating in this workshop were Katy Heneghan, Amber Flanagan, Angel Woodworth and and Dora Williams.
With changes in meeting attendance and anticipated new meeting sites for 2011, THM coordinators discussed some ideas that will help us to work more effectively. They decided since we are making plans for a new ministry group to begin in Naples, fall 2011, the present Cohocton, NY group will cease meeting at St. Paul's and join the Dansville, NY group which meets at St. Mary's. This change will free Amber Flanagan to join Angel Woodworth, as her co-coordinator. Shirley Wildrick, Angel's former coordinating partner, will leave her position to focus efforts on remodeling her home with husband, George. We thank Shirley for her service and especially for her efforts to form the Dansville group.
With the work of providing support for new groups increasing for Julie Flanagan, Katy Heneghan has accepted the coordinator's position of Avon, NY's St. Agnes group. Katy has been with THM for 10 years and is well known to the group's members. Her willingness to help in this way will allow Julie to meet on a rotating basis with the various groups in WNY.
Dora Williams wanted to help THM for a long time before actually taking the first step to do so. She wasn't sure HOW exactly she could best help. A longtime "stitcher", Dora has found her niche coordinating a small group whose job it is to package and prepare our finished projects for distribution. Once done by each group in WNY at their meeting sites, Dora and other volunteers now meet at our centrally located storage area in Mt. Morris, NY to complete the work. Their willingness to help in this way means finished items can be left in Mt. Morris at our
coordinators' convenience, freeing them to move their group on to the next project.
We also anticipate a group in New South Wales, Australia in 2011! This will be the first international group of THM, and we are delighted that interest has spread across the ocean! Please pray for their efforts to make their dream a reality.
Do wee have your current email address? Unless we do, we can't send you a message that the newsletter is ready for you to read on the website. PLEASE keep us posted of any email changes.
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NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 14, 2011
RINGGOLD'S HEART IN THE RIGHT PLACE
Last October, THM at Ringgold Church of Christ in Hagerstown, MD held their first organizational meeting. Coordinator Cathy Bumbaugh began with prayer and an explanation to those who gathered that THM is not just for Ringgold's women, but for all in the community who wish to use their stitching skills to serve people in need. Cathy said, "We want to welcome in this creative circle anyone with a willingness to help, regardless of his or her stitching interest or skill level. This is an opportunity to enjoy handiwork projects with the support and strength of one another. There are no quotas; we want this to be enjoyable."
The group which meets the 4th Monday of each month from 6-7:30 pm in the Welcome Center of Ringgold Church of Christ, has faced the challenge of fluctuating member attendance, with one meeting having only two people. But, they remain faithful to their purpose, stitching and laughing and getting to know each other. With storage space acquired and materials collected from several donors, the group chose it's first focus project, Holly Place which serves 15 residents.
In December, the ministry held its meeting at Holly Place, a home for people with varying disabilities, with a tea for the residents. Working with the Ladies Life Group, the residents enjoyed refreshments and carols and were gifted with shawls, fleece blankets, a hat/scarf set, afghans and walker caddy made by THM at Ringgold. Cathy added, "This event was such a blessing. We all agreed that we came to give and ended up being blessed by these wonderful, gentle people. This is what Christmas is really about!" A shawl was also given to Falling Springs Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Chambersburg, PA . If you've wondered if your ministry group can be effective or if you've been thinking of starting THM in your area, you can see through this story that when your heart is in the right place, it is possible! Congratulations to THM at Ringgold for a great start and continued prayers and good wishes!
Do we have your current email address? Unless we do, we can't send you an email that the newsletter is ready for you to read on the website. PLEASE keep us posted of any email changes.
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NEWSLETTER JANUARY 27, 2011
After meeting with her, it was decided the 4-Hers will make small cloth drawstring bags, which we have used to hold goodies for children in hospitals and gifts for nursing home residents. This type of bag was shared with children at Gollisano Childrens Hospital/URMC Rochester, NY and Chances and Changes Domestic Violence Shelter, Geneseo, NY in December. The bags contained wooden and plastic blocks contributed to us by a Rochester, NY company.
We are very grateful to Cornell Cooperative Extension for the donation of supplies, including grapevine wreaths, floral materials and baskets. These items have been added to our resources and will be put to good use in the future. Thanks to our friends at Cornell!
Do we have your current email address? Unless we do, we can't send you an email that the newsletter is ready for you to read on the website. PLEASE keep us posted of any email change.
