A number of quilters in the Cowichan Valley have combined their skills to produce 36 patchwork blankets that are to be donated to those using the sleeping cabins for the homeless that are located in a number of sites in the region.
The quilters, who also work as volunteers at the Cowichan Valley branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association, were so impressed with the determination of the COVID-19 Vulnerable Populations Cowichan Task Force and others in the community to address the needs of the most vulnerable members of the community, they wanted to do something to contribute as well.
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Anne Brunet, associate executive director of the local branch of the CMHA, said the quilters wanted to show the people residing in the 36 cabins and those dedicated individuals who made the project happen that many people in the community care.
“The local branch of the CMHA were involved at the beginning of the emergency-shelter program so we feel we have a real connection to it,” Brunet said.
The blankets were presented to Shelley Cook, executive director of the Cowichan Housing Association that has been instrumental in the program’s implementation.
“This really shows the power of volunteers to support some of the most marginalized people in our community,” Cook said.
robert.barron@cowichanvalleycitizen.com
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