Twenty-two years ago, Linda Arye, then an interior designer, was shopping at a fabric store when she came across industrial-sized trash bags full of discontinued fabric. After inquiring what they were for, she discovered that they were headed for the landfill.  Appalled by the waste, Linda volunteered to take the bags home without having the slightest idea what she would do with it all. Little did she know, that small, selfless act would change her life, as well as the lives of thousands of children, in a very big way.

A Humble Beginning

After multiple trips to the store, it quickly became apparent that those few bags were just the tip of the iceberg. The store’s warehouse contained carts full of fabric destined for the same fate. So Linda returned day after day for over a week, hauling home what would eventually add up to over 5,000 pounds of fabric.

“I didn’t know what I was going to do with it all. I didn’t even know how to sew,” Linda admits, “but I had to do something.”

The solution came to her in the form of a memory. At the young age of four, her daughter was hospitalized. She was sick, scared and unable to have her Bear Bear with her due to the fear of possible allergen contamination. This sparked an idea–patchwork quilts. They would be beautiful and comforting, but also able to withstand the rigors of hospital laundering.

“I was discussing the idea with a friend when I turned on my kitchen television to find Oprah holding up nothing less than a patchwork quilt! It was like my very own ‘ah-ha moment,’ as they say. It was so validating!”

And so, out of her very own home, Quilts for Kids was born.

For years, Linda and her team relied upon the surplus of domestic cotton to provide for their endeavors. “I remember they would arrive on these huge,18-wheelers loaded to the top with clean, high-quality fabric. It was amazing.” Then in 2007, when the fabric mills moved off shore, everything changed. They had to make a decision; either close the organization or find a way to purchase the fabrics themselves. Thankfully, the fabric companies agreed to continue to support them through reduced prices and donations. The good work they had begun would continue.

How You Can Help

Today, the mostly volunteer-run organization relies on donations as well as the profits from their fabric sales to create and distribute the quilts. For experienced quilters who want to help by doing the quilting themselves, they can do so using their own child-friendly stash or they can request a QFK supplied quilt kit. Each kit contains a pattern, pre-cut fabric pieces, backing material, and QFK label.

For volunteers who choose to use their own fabric, Quilts for Kids does have some requirements. They ask that the quilts be made of new, high-quality cotton, and that they be machine pieced and quilted to withstand hospital laundering. They must be of lap or crib size, and should be washed and checked for pins and/or loose threads before being returned for distribution.

For those who do not sew but still wish to help, Quilts for Kids offers many avenues for them to do so. To begin with, monetary donations of any amount are always appreciated as the process of buying fabric, creating quilts and shipping them out increases every day.

Additionally, you can check in with your local chapter to see if they are in need of any non-sewing help. Supporters can even give while doing their personal shopping by selecting Quilts for Kids as their Amazon Smile or IGive organization.

Lastly, everyone is invited to spread the word. At any given time, there are more than 6 million hospitalized children nationwide—that’s a lot of quilts. The more people that know about Quilts for Kids, the faster those kids get the care and comfort they deserve.

The Legacy Continues

What started off as one woman’s efforts to keep some samples out of the landfill has turned into an international success story. With local chapters in nearly every state, Quilts for Kids touches the lives of tens of thousands of children every year. Their website is full of stories, pictures, and videos that attest to their great success.

When asked about her favorite part of running Quilts for Kids, Linda had this to say:

“I used to love delivering the quilts to the hospitals and watching the kids pick out their favorite. I would sit with their parents and hear all their stories. Unfortunately, we’re no longer able to do that…but every now and then we receive letters or emails from someone who received a quilt from us. Once, we even had a young girl return to us 20 years after being gifted a quilt to show us that she still had it! She told me that she sleeps with it still and that it continues to be a comfort to her today. I find each story incredibly touching.” 

Quilts for Kids is a nonprofit organization that transforms fabrics into patchwork quilts to comfort children facing serious illness, trauma and abuse. Click here to get an inside look at how the quilts are made and distributed. And don’t forget to visit their headquarters at 494  Lincoln Highway, Fairless Hills to shop for fabric at great discounted prices. Hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., 215-295-5484.

All Photos Courtesy of QuiltsforKids.Org