Rio Blanco Stitchers give quilts to HopeWest-Meeker

MEEKER I The tags on the quilts will read, “Quilts Because We Care,” on each of the beautiful, unique and heartfelt gifts from The Rio Blanco Stitchers. The quilting group has donated the first three quilts to HopeWest-Meeker, the Meeker branch of the palliative care center out of Grand Junction.
Jan Keller said the quilting group meets once a week with 15 to 20 people and that there are currently nine completed quilts and several more in progress.
“Our hope is to give every patient involved with the Meeker center a quilt,” she said.
Quilts have been sewn by Linda Jones, Barbara Phelan, Penny Brown, Donna Collins, Pat Daggett, Peggy Shults, Jan Keller and Lori Farris. Toby Smith donated 2,200 squares of material her mother cut and pressed for use in thequilts.
Smith is the chair of the HopeWest-Meeker Advisory Board, which includes the Rev. Scott Hollenbeck, Kent Borchard, Solveig Olson, Bev Steinman, Margie Joy, Ken Harman and Betty Lou Moyer.
Olson is program director in Meeker and will coordinate volunteers. There are already more than 30 volunteers for the program, which accepted its first patient on Monday.
HopeWest is “dedicated to profoundly changing the way our community experiences serious illness and grief — one family at a time.”
It opened in Meeker as a result of tireless efforts by the advisory board, volunteers passionate about helping people and the leadership of HopeWest President and CEO Christy Whitney.
The HopeWest program offers a variety of assistance, ranging from bereavement care to helping caregivers shovel snow, light housekeeping, reading and listening.
Services are available now and can be obtained via referral from a family member, a friend or a primary care physician.
For more information, contact Olson at 878-9383.