PMF participants continue to find ways to respond to the refugee crisis throughout the world. How do we, in this small community, not personally impacted by war and violence, respond to families uprooted from home and lacking basic necessities to live? We continue to listen for opportunities.
In December Mennonite Central Committee, in celebration of its 100 year anniversary, organized a Great Winter Warm-up with a goal of making 6,500 comforters that could be distributed to refugees around the world. At about the same time PMF was given 24 comforter tops that needed to be knotted. Here was our opportunity to be a part of a nation-wide effort to respond to this ambitious effort.
During the months of December and January, Evie Shellenberger led PMF participants, who gathered on several Wednesdays for Soup and Sew where several comforters were knotted each Wednesday. Small groups gathered on Small Group night to knot comforters. Individuals prepared and knotted comforters each week. As a result of this effort 21 comforters were delivered to Mennonite Central Committee Great Lakes on January 24 by John and Julie Harrison. In addition, several comforters were knotted and given to local families who were impacted by significant loss. Six more comforter tops wait to be knotted! We remember Jesus’ words, “In as much as you have done it to one of the least of these, you have done it to me.”
