August 7, 2006VOL. 44, NO. 14Oakland, CA

Oakland parish makes quilts for Katrina survivors

‘When we
give to you
what we make
with our hands,
we share what
is in our hearts.’

By Voice staff

Every other Wednesday evening in the hall of Oakland’s St. Columba Church, the creative hands of parishioners are cutting, pinning and sewing quilts as a gift of love and support to family and friends who lost their homes during Hurricane Katrina. Each quilt is displayed in the church for a week, then blessed and sent to a Katrina survivor. So far, more than 30 quilts have been shipped and Tina Lowden, an organizer of the project, says the group plans to finish another 20 before the end of the year.

Tina Lowden (left) and Ava Jourdain prepare a quilt to be sent to a Katrina survivor.

Parishioners receive thank-you notes from grateful recipients of their quilts.

Ava Jourdain smoothes out a wrinkle as she pins together a quilt. Each quilt carries the inscription, “When we give to you what we make with our hands, we share what is in our hearts.”

Tina Lowden sews during a weekly quilt-making session in the parish hall.

GREG TARCZYNSKI PHOTOS

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