A weekly craft night at the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity Motherhouse turned into a Helping Haiti project as 35 volunteers from the Community’s Motherhouse descended on the craft room and room 102 in Generose hall to lend a hand. Sister Linda Brandes, Coordinator of the craft room, was contacted by a Silver Lake College senior nursing student about the possibility of the Sisters helping to make personal hygiene items for the women of Haiti.
Obtaining a pattern from the student, Sister quickly gathered already donated fabrics and the other materials needed to make 300 items. Sisters who often help in the craft room each day started tracing the pattern so volunteers would have plenty to do on craft night, March 1. Various stations throughout the craft room and room 102 were organized with the necessary tools and fabric. Sisters began cutting, quilting, sewing, and turning the items right side out depending on the work in front of them—a type of assembly line approach. Much was accomplished in that single evening however, volunteers continued to work for the next several days.
Six senior nursing students, two nurses (Brianna Neuser, director of the SLC nursing program, and Dana Goetz an RN that works at Aurora), plus two other persons left for Haiti on March 9—the beginning of spring break.
