Members of the Hope Lions Club learned Monday about the work of the Hempstead County Extension Homemakers Council and its effort to honor local veterans through handmade quilts during a presentation by Carolyn Spencer.
Introduced by Lion Eddie Garcia, Spencer, current president of the Hempstead County Extension Homemakers Council, attended the meeting with her husband, Randell Spencer. Along with describing the organization's community service activities, she displayed a collection of patriotic quilts she has created for the council's Quilts of Gratitude program, drawing admiration from club members.
Spencer explained that the Extension Homemakers Council, which operates under the umbrella of the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service along with 4-H and the Master Gardeners, has a long history of providing educational and volunteer services.
"We are a volunteer group to disseminate research information for the betterment of the standards of all of the people living in the community," Spencer said.
She noted that many people remember the organization for teaching food preservation, sanitation and other homemaking skills in earlier decades, but said today's members remain active in a wide variety of community projects.
Among those activities are assisting with county fairs, providing nutrition and financial education programs for students, supporting the Hempstead County Sheriff's Office Banner program, working with the Hope Farmers’ Market and conducting heritage classes in skills such as crochet, knitting, embroidery and holiday crafts.
A major focus of the organization during the past three years has been the Quilts of Gratitude project for local veterans. "Our aim is to have a presentation quilt for each veteran in Hempstead County," Spencer said.
She said the group has focused particularly on older veterans from World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War in an effort to recognize their service while they are still living.
Working with Hempstead County Veterans Service Officer Donna Rosenbaum, the organization identifies veterans to receive the quilts during a Veterans Day presentation each November.
Spencer said the first year of the program resulted in 15 quilts being presented. Last year members of the Quilting Guild added five more quilts to the effort. This year, 15 lap quilts have already been delivered to veterans living in nursing homes, with at least 10 additional presentation quilts planned for the Nov. 11 ceremony.
Several of the patriotic quilts Spencer displayed during the meeting are among those being prepared for future presentations. Asked whether she had made the quilts herself, Spencer said "I made all of these."
Club members examined the red, white and blue creations, a few of which are shown in the pictorial below this story, as Carolyn’s husband Randell and Lions President James Bradford held them up during the presentation. Carolyn encouraged anyone interested in supporting the project to contribute materials, quilting supplies or donations through local partners, including Sew Fancy, located on 217 South Main.
Carolyn praised the Lions Club's annual Veterans Day meal last year, during which many of the quilts were presented. "It's been a big blessing to the veterans and their families to be able to come enjoy a program and a good meal," Spencer said. "I know you all work really hard to do that."
She said families of veterans who received quilts have expressed deep appreciation for the recognition.
Responding to a question from SWARK.Today about what drew her to the Extension Homemakers organization, Carolyn said she wanted to remain active in retirement while serving those living in the county.
"After I finished my working career and had time, I very much wanted to give back to the community," she said. "I think volunteerism is a very needful thing in all communities. Everybody working together can accomplish almost anything."
Spencer, who moved to Hope from Kansas in 1969 and worked in nursing for more than five decades, said community service remains one of her priorities.
