Two Quilt Guild volunteers holding quilts ()
Volunteering can be such a fulfilling activity. Every other month, we highlight a new organization or event for those who are looking to learn more about the services and resources available to them as well as for those who are looking to give back to the community.
This month we are featuring the Rheinland-Pfalz Quilt Guild. I had the pleasure of speaking with the current Vice President of the Guild, and upcoming Fall 2023 President, Lindsey Grullen. She has been a member of the Guild since 2020.
According to Lindsey, “The Rheinland-Pfalz Quilt Guild is a group of quilters, sewers, needle artists and crafters that just get together and enjoy the hobby.” Whether you are a sewing/crafting expert, or you’ve never picked up a crochet needle in your life, you can join the Guild. The Guild meets every Friday for “Stitch and Gab” on Kapaun Air Station’s Chapel Annex in Kaiserslautern, where they share techniques and new skills with each other. The Guild also hosts events and classes. Lindsey even gave me a quick lesson on “free motion” quilting versus “patchwork” quilting.
While the Guild has several opportunities for people to volunteer, their biggest and most impactful opportunity is their “Baby Love” program which provides handmade quilts to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The Guild supplies volunteers with quilt kits, allowing them to hone their quilting skills while providing a service for their local area.
When asked about the most fulfilling aspects of volunteering, she stated, “Of course, helping the babies. Those projects give me the opportunity to work on my skills, work on my hobby as well as give back to the community.”
When asked about dealing with a PCS’ing volunteer base, she noted that “the last year and a half was really hard. I think we lost 30 or so members, and we really haven’t gained very many back…maybe like five.”
If you want to help boost those numbers in the Guild, Lindsey believes there is a lot that volunteers can get from joining. She thinks volunteers will appreciate “just giving back to the community, feeling a sense of accomplishing something and being able to give it [the quilt] to the NICU.” She also believes that volunteering is fun. “You get to try new techniques. You get to work on your hobby…. Volunteering in the form of doing your hobby, I don’t know what more you would want.”
Those who want to volunteer must join the Guild. There is a small annual membership fee of $30. Membership in the Guild includes participation in events, meetings and free quilting kits to participate in the “Baby Love” program. Apart from the weekly “Stitch and Gab,” the Guild meets every third Thursday of the month at the Ramstein Air Base North Chapel Annex beginning at 5:30 p.m. This is a great event to attend to learn more about what the Guild is and what they do. Anyone 12 and older can join the Guild. Those interested in joining the Guild can go to one of the monthly Thursday meetings or can email Lindsey and the other Guild board members at inforpqg@gmail.com
