A group of local women have teamed up to make a difference in Haiti, simply by putting their sewing skills to work.
Peg Weber of Cottage Grove met Jennifer Weitzel, founder of the nonprofit organization Health Ministries for Haiti at Edgewood College, where Weitzel is a professor. When Weber learned that Weitzel and her students had been volunteering their time in Haiti, Weber wanted to get involved.
kAm(636C 7:CDE EC2G6=65 H:E9 w62=E9 |:?:DEC:6D 7@C w2:E: EH@ J62CD 28@[ 2?5 E96 8C@FA =67E @? |@?52J 7@C 2?@E96C H66<=@?8 EC:A] (96? (636C 7@F?5 @FE D96 H@F=5 36 EC2G6=:?8 282:?[ D96 C64CF:E65 D@>6 7C:6?5D E@ 96=A 96C >2<6 2 5:776C6?46]k^Am
kAmq642FD6 E96C6 2C6 ?@ A2A6C @C A=2DE:4 328D :? w2:E:[ H96? H@>6? :? w2:E: 56=:G6C 323:6D[ E96J 2C6 D6?E 9@>6 H:E9 5:2A6CD 2?5 @E96C DFAA=:6D 3FE E96J 5@ ?@E 92G6 2?J H2J E@ 42CCJ E96D6 :E6>D]k^Am
kAm“(6 E9@F89E[ ‘(6==[ H92E 4@F=5 H6 5@ E92E H@F=5 36 6?G:C@?>6?E2==J 7C:6?5=J 2?5 96=A7F=n’” D2:5 (6:EK6=]k^Am
kAm%92E’D H96C6 (636C DE6AA65 :?[ C64CF:E:?8 7C:6?5D 7C@> E96 2C62 E@ D6H 328D E@ E2<6 E@ E96 4=:?:4 2?5 @CA92?286 :? w2:E:] yF5J y@9?D@? @7 s66C7:6=5 H2D @?6 @7 E96D6 H@>6?]k^Am
kAm“x ;FDE H2?E E@ 96=A[ 2?5 x’G6 8@E E:>6 @? >J 92?5D[” D2:5 y@9?D@?[ H9@ 925 AC6G:@FD=J H@C<65 H:E9 (636C E@ D6H 5C6DD6D 7@C J@F?8 8:C=D :? w2:E:]k^Am
kAm“(96? !688J H2D E2=<:?8 23@FE J@F 8@:?8 E@ ] ] ] w2:E:[ x E9@F89E[ ~z – H6 5:5 2== E9@D6 328D[ A6@A=6 4@F=5 5@?2E6 E96:C E:>6 E@ D6H[ @C 723C:4[ @C >@?6J E@ 3FJ 723C:4[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm(636C C646:G65 2 5@?2E:@? @7 723C:4 2?5 DAC625 E96 >2E6C:2= 2C@F?5 E@ D6G6C2= H@>6? H9@ E96? H6?E E@ H@C< D6H:?8 328D] ~E96C A6@A=6 >256 >@?6E2CJ 5@?2E:@?D[ H9:49 H6C6 FD65 E@ AFC492D6 :E6>D DF49 2D 5:2A6CD[ H:A6D 2?5 323J D92>A@@]k^Am
kAm$J=G:2 wF896D @7 r@EE286 vC@G6 96=A65 D6H 328D[ 2?5 r@EE286 vC@G6 C6D:56?E y@2?? z6DD=6C 2?5 96C 52F89E6CD D6H65 5C6DD6D] ~?6 @7 z6DD=6C’D 52F89E6CD 2=D@ 4@==64E65 rC@4D E@ E2<6 E@ E96 49:=5C6? 2E E96 @CA92?286]k^Am
kAm“!688J’D 6?6C8J E@F496D 6G6CJ =:76 2C@F?5 96C[ 2?5 x’> 9@?@C65 E@ 36 2 A2CE @7 96C ;@FC?6J E@ w2:E:[” D2:5 z2C6? q6?@J @7 r@EE286 vC@G6] “x7 @?6 @7 >J 328D 3C:?8D 2 D>:=6 E@ 2 ?6H >@E96C[ >J 8@2= :D 244@>A=:D965]”k^Am
kAm(636C :D @?6 @7 2 8C@FA @7 `_ A6@A=6 H9@ 2C6 4FCC6?E=J :? w2:E: 96=A:?8 2E E96 D49@@= @7 ?FCD:?8] %96 8C@FA H:== 96=A >2<6 w2:E: >@C6 D6=7\DFDE2:?23=6 3J 8:G:?8 8F6DE =64EFC6D 2E E96 D49@@=[ 2?5 E96J H:== 2=D@ DA6?5 2 =@E @7 E:>6 2E E96 @CA92?286 AFEE:?8 7=@C:56 G2C?:D9 @? E96 49:=5C6?VD E66E9 3642FD6 E96J 92G6 ?@ 56?E2= 42C6 :? E92E 2C62]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 8C62E E@ 36 23=6 E@ E@F49 E96 E9:C5 H@C=5[” D2:5 (636C] “p?5 E96 E9:?8 E92E x =:<6 :D E92E H6 <?@H :E’D 8@:?8 E@ 8@ C:89E E@ E96 A6@A=6] %96C6’D ?@E 2 E9:C5 A6CD@? :? 36EH66?j x >62?[ H6 2C6 92?5\56=:G6C:?8 E9:D DEF77]”k^Am
kAmu@F?5:?8 w62=E9 |:?:DEC:6D 7@C w2:E:k^Am
kAm(6:EK6= 7@F?565 w62=E9 |:?:DEC:6D 7@C w2:E: :? a__f[ 27E6C EC2G6=:?8 E@ w2:E: 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 :? a__d] $96 EC2G6=65 H:E9 2 8C@FA @FE @7 q2C23@@[ 2?5 2C@F?5 E96 D2>6 E:>6[ 96C D:DE6C 25@AE65 2 49:=5 7C@> 2 w2:E:2? @CA92?286]k^Am
kAm“w@H x 6?565 FA DE2CE:?8 >J @H? ?@?AC@7:E[ :7 x’> 36:?8 C62==J 9@?6DE 23@FE E92E[ :E H2D @FE @7 46CE2:?=J 2 A2DD:@? 7@C E96 H@C<[” D2:5 (6:EK6=[ 2 AF3=:4 962=E9 ?FCD6] “%96 :562 @7 CF??:?8 2 ?@?AC@7:E E@ 96=A :? 2 56G6=@A:?8 4@F?ECJ H2D C62==J 5C:G6? 3J 2 =@E @7[ D@CE @7 7:CDE\H@C=5 2CC@82?46 2?5 :8?@C2?46]k^Am
kAm“x C62==J 925 ?@ :562 H92E x H2D 86EE:?8 :?E@[ 3FE E9C@F89 A2CE?6CD9:A H:E9 E96 w2:E:2? @C82?:K2E:@?[ ?@H @FC 2AAC@249 :D >F49 >@C6 4@==23@C2E:G6[ >F49 >@C6 E9@F89E7F= – D2>6 2>@F?E @7 A2DD:@? – x ;FDE 766= =:<6 E96 A2CE?6CD9:A 92D >256 2== E96 5:776C6?46[ 3642FD6 J@F C62==J ?665 E@ DFAA@CE E96 @?\E96\8C@F?5 :?DE:EFE:@?D]”k^Am
kAm(96? (6:EK6= 3682? EC2G6=:?8 E@ w2:E:[ D96 H2D E6249:?8 F?56C8C25F2E6 ?FCD:?8 DEF56?ED 2E t586H@@5 r@==686] $96 E2F89E DEF56?ED :? E96:C =2DE D6>6DE6C @7 E96 ?FCD:?8 AC@8C2>[ 2?5 3642FD6 E96J @7E6? 925 E:>6 36EH66? 8C25F2E:?8 2?5 368:??:?8 2 ;@3[ D@>6 @7 E96 DEF56?ED 3682? EC2G6=:?8 H:E9 96C]k^Am
kAm$96 D92C65 E92E D@>6 @7 E96D6 DEF56?ED 92G6 8@?6 E@ w2:E: H:E9 96C >F=E:A=6 E:>6D 2?5 D@>6 @7 E96> 2C6 6G6? @? E96 w62=E9 |:?:DEC:6D 7@C w2:E: 3@2C5 ?@H]k^Am
kAm“%9:D J62C 2?5 =2DE J62C 2C6 E96 7:CDE EH@ J62CD D:?46 E92E 62CE9BF2<6 E92E H6’C6 24EF2==J 23=6 E@ <:?5 @7 86E 324< @? EC24< H:E9 D@>6 @7 @FC =@?8\E6C> 8@2=D 2?5 H92E E96 4=:?:4 2?5 @CA92?286 H6C6 H2?E:?8 E@ 5@[” (6:EK6= D2:5] “qFE[ 6DA64:2==J 7@C E96 4=:?:4 D:56 @7 E9:?8D[ :E’D C62==J 366? C64@G6C:?8 D:?46 E96 62CE9BF2<6]”k^Am
kAm%9:D >@?E9 >2C<D E96 D:IE9 2??:G6CD2CJ @7 E96 62CE9BF2<6 :? w2:E:[ 2?5 (6:EK6=[ H9@ H2D :? w2:E: H96? E96 62CE9BF2<6 @44FCC65[ D2:5 E96 4@F?ECJ 92D DECF88=65 E@ C64@G6C D:?46 E96?] (9:=6 E96 H@C< E96 @C82?:K2E:@? 92D 5@?6 :? w2:E: 92D 2E E:>6D D66>65 E@ 36 @?6 DE6A 7@CH2C5[ E9C66 DE6AD 324<[ (6:EK6= :D @AE:>:DE:4]k^Am
kAm“x 766= =:<6 ?@H H6’C6 :? 2 A=246 H96C6 H6’C6 D@CE @7 @FE @7 E92E C64@G6CJ >@56 2?5 C6\7@4FD:?8 @? 3F:=5:?8 DJDE6>D 282:?[” D96 D2:5] “$@[ E96 D49@@= @7 ?FCD:?8 – H6’C6 65F42E:?8 ?FCD6D 2E E9:D 4=:?:4[ H6’C6 7:?:D9:?8 4@?DECF4E:@? @? 2 3C2?5 ?6H 4=:?:4 724:=:EJ H96C6 >@>D H:== 36 23=6 E@ 56=:G6C E96:C 323:6D D276=J]”k^Am
kAm(6:EK6=[ (636C 2?5 E96 C6DE @7 E96:C 8C@FA H:== C6EFC? 7C@> E96:C w2:E: EC:A |@?52J[ 3FE E96:C H@C< 5@6D ?@E 6?5 E96?] (6:EK6= EJA:42==J EC2G6=D E@ E96 4@F?ECJ EH:46 2 J62C[ 2?5 E96 @C82?:K2E:@? :D 2=H2JD =@@<:?8 7@C 5@?2E:@?D 2?5 G@=F?E66CD]k^Am
kAm|@C6 :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE E96 H@C< w62=E9 |:?:DEC:6D 7@C w2:E: 5@6D[ :?4=F5:?8 :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE 5@?2E:?8 E@ E96 @C82?:K2E:@?[ :D 2G2:=23=6 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]962=E9>:?:DEC:6D7@C92:E:]@C8QmHHH]962=E9>:?:DEC:6D7@C92:E:]@C8k^2m] %96 @C82?:K2E:@? :D 2=D@ 24E:G6 @? u2463@@< 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]72463@@<]4@>^w|w2:E:QmHHH]72463@@<]4@>^w|w2:E:k^2m]k^Am
