I’m really excited to be able to let you know that we have finally chosen a great charity with which to work for our Quilt SOS 2020 project. Now in its fifth year, the Quilt SOS project will aim to donate almost 70 beautiful, and lovingly made quilts to women and children who need them most. We are excited to be able to launch the project at a difficult time for everyone globally, and hope that sewing for a charitable cause can lift the spirits of people isolated at home.
This year the project sees a change in the charity we are supporting. We will be taking the quilts to London to be received by women and children who are at a time of crisis. Previously we have taken over 260 handcrafted, unique and cosy bedspreads to four different countries across four years working alongside the charity SOS Children’s Villages. This year we aim to take 70 quilts to refuges run by the charity Hestia which are safe places specifically run to protect women and children who have been at the hands of domestic abuse.
It’s a really scary time for everyone across the world. As a direct result of Covid19, domestic violence is thought to be rising due to the current ‘stay at home’ rules. Government guidance indicates that there will be direct increased pressure on charities such as Hestia and the need for their refuges will increase.
About Hestia:
For 50 years, Hestia has provided support and hope every step of the way of recovery. Today, millions of people are experiencing domestic abuse, modern slavery and challenges with their mental health. Hestia believes no-one should suffer alone. Together, we can make sure people find a life beyond crisis.
At Hestia we support adults and children in times of crisis. We deliver services across London and the surrounding regions, as well as campaign and advocate nationally on the issues that affect the people we work with. Last year we supported 10,766 men, women and children. This includes victims of modern slavery, women and children who have experienced domestic abuse, young care leavers and older people. From giving someone a home, to helping them to get the right mental health support, we support people at the moment of crisis and enable them to build a life beyond a crisis. We are supported by nearly 600 volunteers across London who provide specialist skills such as art therapy, yoga, IT, gardening and cooking, as well as befriending and fundraising.
You can find out more about Hestia here – www.hestia.org
Where will the quilts be going?
The quilts will be heading off to London later on this year (only when it is completely safe to do so). They will be personally handed out to a number of refuges specifically for women and children who are the victims of domestic abuse. Hestia are one of the largest providers of domestic abuse support in London. They run refuges and work in the community to provide emotional and practical support for women and their dependent children. In 2019, they supported nearly 2,000 people to recover from the trauma of domestic abuse.
How to get involved.
We are looking for kind-hearted sewers (of any ability) to make quilts to gift to the women and children who are temporarily living in the refuges run by Hestia. Any design of quilt and use of fabric is fine for the project however, if you buy a Quilt SOS pack from Alice Caroline, we will give you a voucher worth £30 to help pay for the fabric. Further details for the project including quilt sizes can be found here.
Many of our customers are telling us that they are finding solace in sewing during this time of isolation. We are especially looking forward to working with the charity Hestia as they work so closely with vulnerable women and children in a time of real crisis. In Ancient Greek religion Hestia (or Greek for ‘hearth or ‘’fireside’) is the goddess of the hearth, the family and the home. We hope that by working with Hestia, we can bring some of what ‘home’ means back to people who have lost everything whilst escaping domestic abuse.
Aneta Mularczyk, Area Manager for Hestia’s Domestic Abuse Services said “During the coronavirus crisis, our refuges remain open and we are continuing to support women and children across London and the South East. We’re so grateful to Quilt SOS for providing us with 70 lovingly-made quilts. This donation helps not only in the physical sense but also adds to our residents feeling that they are important and not forgotten in the time of this crisis.”
We really hope that some of you will be able to support this project again for 2020 and we also would love to welcome new sewers to the group. Now is a time to pull together in this country as well as across the world and bring some happiness into the lives of others.
love the Alice Caroline team xx.
