At our weekly Wednesday meeting we were given a demonstration of "Ugli Quilts" by Diane McGuire and Denise Adams of the Woodside United Methodist Church. Diane, Denise and a few others come together on most weeks to produce a quilt, which in essence is a sleeping bag for the homeless. Diane donates the finished quilts for various organizations around our area to distribute to those in need.
Diane talked about the fac that for 22 years the women of Woodside United Methodist Church have been making the sleeping bags for the homeless. The group relies on donations, both monetary and material to accomplish their work. She noted that since 2021 the number of homeless has doubled. There are approximately 2,300 homeless in Delaware, including 106 households of veterans. There are only 500 emergency shelter beds in the state. Of those, 143 are in Kent County. Many homeless do not feel comfortable going in to shelters for various reasons and need the sleeping bags and Diddy bags that are provided to them by the church.
Items used and needed year-round:
Towels, wash cloths, combs, hotel samples shampoo etc., gloves, toothbrushes, toothpaste, socks, men’s ties, sheets (any size), blankets, mattress pads, neck scarves, and 55 gallon trash bags.
These items can be dropped off at 2022 Highland Ave., Dover, DE 19901 (place items on the front porch with a note)
Monetary donations can be made to Woodside UM Church, P.O.Box., Woodside, DE 19980 (memo: Ugli Quilts)
