Children under Southeast Nebraska Court Appointed Special Advocates services rarely have promise of a Merry Christmas.
Southeast Nebraska CASA executive director Marci Fehlhafer said holidays are often difficult times for children who are with CASA.
“A lot of them have been removed from their home due to abuse and neglect and come to us with just the clothes on their backs and no personal belongings,” she said.
Members of the Blue Valley Quilt Guild recently made sure the 24 children currently under Southeast Nebraska CASA services wouldn't go without warmth and a Christmas gift this year. The quilt guild in November donated handmade quilts for each of the children. Other organizations also contributed gifts and other items, ensuring that CASA children would have some semblance of Christmas.
“This is so special because we ask that our volunteers (advocates) not buy the kids they serve gifts because we want it to be an even playing field,” Fehlhafer said. “Our volunteers will be able to present these gifts and quilts to the children. Every child will have gifts this year.”
Fehlhafer said the quilt guild has contributed quilts before, but this year's donation was by far the largest.
Kris Boelter, Blue Valley Quilt Guild president, said the project began in February of this year as a way to keep the quilt guild active while in-person meetings were put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The group made 17 quilts and was able to find seven others in order for each child to have a quilt.
Quilt guild member Janalee Petsch said she was pleased with the efforts of the group because of the value a handmade quilt has for children in need of comfort.
“Every child deserves their own quilt to hide under, to keep warm, to wrap around themselves like a hug from someone who cares,” she said. “(They need) something that belongs to just them.”
Fehlhafer said the generosity of the quilt guild cannot adequately be put into words.
“Quilts are a symbol of real, individualized love,” she said. “I feel like these wonderful people have prayed over them, worked over them and gave them so generously.”
