A story of "She Really "Got It"!"

Carole from Minnesota donated the Basket Quilt Block and shared a wonderful story that occurred during the "House Traveling Quilt Half Hour Benefit" during the MCC Relief Sale in Minnesota in November. 

Our 10 year old Granddaughter, "Annie" has been attending TCMCC Sale for 5 years now. Todate her biggest involvement was collecting Penny Power pennies, hoping each year to surpass the previous ..... and she did!  This year her grand total was $132.00.

However, our Family will forever recall a magical moment from this year's sale. The Theme for the Sale was "Building Homes for Bangladesh ".  At the time of live auction support for this project, we noticed "Annie" very intently listening to instructions and watching the  plastic tent on Stage become filled with  small children.  Suddenly as the bidders raised their hands for a show of hands for $400 to build a entire home for a family, she appeared confused.  

So I explained these dollars could build a home far, far away for especially needy families, to which she replied  "really  ? ? "..... still not getting the full understanding.  It was then that Papa and I decided to give her our bid number and allow her to sponsor a house.  She very slowly raised her hand , the auctioneer acknowledged her small little hand and thanked her. She smiled the biggest smile! 

But later as the live auction proceeded, she shyly asked me ..... how can I build a house? and for just $400? a house like  yours Nanny? with bedrooms? with a kitchen? isn't a house more dollars than what I bid? they really have no home? So she and I shared some quiet time. I explained to her that homes in Bangladesh are smaller, more simple, more basic but "YES" truly she had sponsored a whole home for a family who was now living in just a plastic blue tent like the one on stage and she would be giving a Bangladesh family a most wonderful gift .

But how?  Where do the dollars go?  How does the house get to Bangladesh?  Who builds it? How faraway is Bangladesh?  How big is this house?  Who gets a house?  how many people in a family?  Basically I replied that MCC with many helpers, workers and volunteers makes sure that each home gets built in Bangladesh. (Because we cannot build a home here in USA and ship it over there). Then came more and more questions ....... What about clothes? Blankets? A stove? Food? Beds?  Books? All families need those things...yes?  Again, I explained that MCC provides as best it can all that a family needs.

 She was quiet for ever so long and finally she smiled and said "I did that!" ....... her eyes became as big as saucers when the true meaning of what had just happened seemed to register with her. Her eyes may have been as big as saucers, but mine were brimming with tears.

"They get it!"  -  a much over used phrase.......... but "Annie" did really "get it!"    

All at once the full impact of why Nanny and Papa had been taking her to Sales, helping her collect pennies in jars, bidding on auction items, sewing during the winter, volunteering our time and coming home with a new quilt  made sense!

In the moment, was born another MCC Supporter .......... only 10 years old but ready for the future!

I add here that we had each year made purchases of baked goods, boutique items, even a new quilt  most years and seen her Great Grandmother drive nearly 500 miles from Canada to attend this Sale.......but to a child of 10 years old it is difficult to understand how and why a blanket from a MCC Sale  is any different from one  bought at the local department store ...... a blanket is a blanket!  Big Deal!    But a $400.00 bid for a home  for a family half way around the world, now that is  something that a 10 year old can understand !

... I am a daughter and granddaughter of families who came to Canada in 1920's as a result of the formation of the MCC to bring Mennonites to Canada from Southern Ukraine.  My Grandparents and parents were so very grateful to the MCC and all that was done to relocate their families.

("Annie" is a substitute name for privacy reasons.)

Celebration of Traveling House Block Quilt in United States

On Saturday, November 8, 2008, in Brooklyn Park (Minneapolis), Minnesota, we celebrated together what God has blessed us with and the challenge of taking care of our neighbor - be it in Minneapolis, in Minnesota, or all the way to Bangladesh!  It is exciting to see the results of one email requesting people to make and donate a quilt block with a heart on it.  Within weeks of that request, heart blocks appeared in my mail box.  The heart blocks came from around the United States, Canada and the to our surprise from Germany, Cambodia, Indonesia, India, and from Bolivia, high in the Andes Mountains.

With that momentum, we started a new project with "Houses".  In November of 2006, Colleen from the Children's Activities in Minneapolis asked if the children colored House Blocks, could a quilt be made and could it be a traveling quilt?  Yes, we could make the blocks into a quilt but I couldn't promise a traveling quilt.  In the summer of 2007, the colorful house blocks were delivered and the process continued of finding fabric for the sashings and boards to make the quilt.

Then, the day after Thanksgiving in 2007, the call came from MCC asking if we could use House Blocks from our collection to assist MCC Relief Sales around the United States and one for Canada to bring attention to the cyclone devastation that had just occurred in Bangladesh (which is now a year ago).  I was just speechless, the children's House Block Quilt was ready for quilting and the dream of a "Children's Traveling House Block Quilt" was going to be a reality!

The House Block Quilt traveled to Relief Sales across the United States in 2008 receiving donations for the Bangladesh Housing project and it sold in Minneapolis raising in excess of $71,000.  That is over 175 houses at $400 in Bangladesh!

The Minneapolis Relief Sale had children in a tent on the stage represented houses in Bangladesh and as $400 was raised, a child was to cross the stage to a House.  The auctioneers requested donations and the children had to run across the stage because the $400 donations were so plentiful.  It had been the goal to request $400, then $300, and if we had 20 people donating $20, we would have a house.  Having the Traveling House Block Quilt hang in front of them, they generously shared God's Blessings to them.

Earlier on Saturday, two young girls stopped by the quilt and suddenly found their names on the quilt blocks.  Looking at their parents, they both said "I made that block here last year!" The realization that they had made a difference in this world, was clear on their faces.  They had not realized that a quilt had been made, that it had traveled the United States and was providing so many people with a home in Bangladesh.  One of those girls left the auction a very happy girl as her father purchased the quilt.  She will have a "Show and Tell" she will never forget.

You Can Help Build Shelters of Love for Bangladesh

Shelters of Love for Bangladesh:  The "Homes for Bangladesh" quilt is a traveling quilt and is a symbol of God's love.  Funds raised will help build houses for victims of the recent Bangladesh cyclone through Mennonite Central Committee and will travel to many relief sales in North America until it reaches it's final destination to be sold at the Mennonite World Relief Sale in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota on November 8, 2008 (Approximately 1:00) - see www.tcmccreliefsale.org.

The powerful Cyclone Sidr tore into Bangladesh.  Hundreds of thousands of people are homeless, left with nothing but what they could carry as they fled.  MCC, with your help, has been rebuilding simple houses where the old houses stood.  

This traveling quilt was an inspiration of Colleen Graber of the Mennonite World Relief Sale who led children in creating blocks of houses in the children's activity center during the event.

Many voluntters throughout the United States and Canada have created quilt blocks containing houses to be incorporated into textile projects to raise additional funds to help those in need of  shelter.

YOU MAY ALSO ASSIST THE VICTIMS OF THE CYLONE IN BANGLADESH DURING THE AUCTION WHEN DONATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED VIA BIDDER NUMBERS.

One block, one quilt, one house, the donations for this quilt make a difference in the world. 

It has already generated over $64,000 which would be over 165 houses ($400 each) in Bangladesh.  How many houses does it take to make a village?  Or, how many villages has this quilt provided funding?  It will be exciting to see what the Minnesota sale can generate!

Minnesota Prepares for the Sale of the House Traveling Quilt Begin

The Traveling House Quilt has traveled the United States in 2008 and the Twin Cities Relief Sales is beginning the process to prepare and educate people on what this "Traveling House Quilt" has accomplished in it's life.  The quilt blocks were made by children at the Twin Cities Relief Sale in May of 2007 and as October 2008, it has generated $64,840. It's time to celebrate the theme of "One House Block, One Child's Art Work, One Quilt can make a difference in this world".  The purpose of the quilt was to assist in educating Relief Sales across the United States and Canada about the victims in Bangladesh who lost there homes in the cyclone in November of 2007. Donations to the "Traveling House Quilt" of $400 build a family in Bangladesh a home.  Today, this quilt is not sold and we have enough funds to build over 166 houses, enough to build several villages!

Sunday, the children listened intently to Greta at Emmanuel Mennonite Church as they realized their friends had drawn the blocks and that they, too, can make a difference in this world!  A number of other House block quilts and House Block art pieces will be sold at the Relief Sale.

The Intergenerational Sunday School was set up with 5 centers including:

1.  Rice Center with the computer game at www.freerice.com.  They had fun learning vocabulary, grammar, or geography while stocking the United Nations World Food Program with rice.

2. Food Center with Bangladesh food.

3. Tablecloth Center where they painted using wooden stamps to decorate a table.  The stamps are a product of Bangladesh and are sold at Ten Thousand Villages.

4. A Weather Center demonstrating a bit about Cyclone Sidr, the reason for the

 MCC house building project.

5. Video Center where they watch Akey and Showpawn from Bangladesh in a typical day.

On Saturday, November 8, at 1:00 the auction will focus on Bangledesh and ask for more dollars adding up to several $400 donations as children move across the stage from a plastic tent to a Banglesdesh house.  It's so exciting to have individuals with the creativity to try new ideas and the Twin Cities MCC

 Relief Sales says a special "Thank You" to Lily, who has been the heart beat of the auction since it's beginning in 2001.  If you haven't visited the Twin Cities Relief Sale, it does have it's own Urban personality and we invite you to join us.  If you are interested in donating to the Bangladesh Housing project or purchasing an item, you can contact lovejoypiece@gmail.com or connect through the mcc.org link attached to the blog.

Some of you may be asking, what does the "Traveling House Quilt" look like?  It is our goal to post it in the next day or two.   We look forward to your "Responses".

Traveling Quilt: Inspires Intergenerational Sunday School in St. Paul, Minnesota

The Twin Cities MCC Relief Sale is almost here and many people have been working tirelessly on the sale on behalf of other around the world.  The signature "House" quilt has spawned some wonderful ideas including one by our own Lily.  It is a wildly creative half-an-hour auction blitz called "Tents to Houses".  The goal is to raise enough money to build 12 houses for the victims of cyclone Sidr that hit land in Bangladesh on November 15, 2007.

(Original Child's Quilt Block utilized in Traveling Block) 

In the hope of raising even more interest in this cause the Education Commission of Emmanuel Mennonite Church is latching on to this theme and has planned an Intergenerational Bangladesh Sunday School for October 26.  One of Emmanuel's strengths is its relationships between youth and adults and this event will give us another opportunity to have fun together while learning about Bangladesh and the gifts this country gives to the world.

There will be a number of centers for a range of interest.  Some centers include a video, a computer game, a craft, and yummy food.  The refreshment time will be combined with the Sunday School hour to give more time for the activities.

We are looking forward to a fun pack morning with the entire congregation enjoying the spirit of the day!!

by:  Tamara

Baskets: Feeding the Hungry

You are invited to Help MCC Provide "Food for All" by Creating a Basket Block

Basket blocks will be made into quilts and hall hangings to be sold at many Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Relief Sales to help feed the millions around the world who do not have enough to eat.

Your gift will enable MCC to respond quickly to requests for food where needed most and to help many produce their own food.

(American Institute of Philanthropy's Charity Watch gives MCC an "A" rating).

Please take the Basket Block instructions for yourself and share one with a friend.

The block attached is the first block received and it came 

from the Rocky Mountain MCC Relief Sale.

House Blocks from the Collection

Houses!  All kinds of them!  We celebrated them all as contemplate all the types of housing for people around the world.

House and Heart Block Sampling

Love Joy Piece has collected Quilt Blocks in various sizes of  Heart Blocks and House Blocks.  Many of  the blocks have been made into quilts and some are still waiting for their use.  Attached are a few of the blocks that were received.  The variety is wonderful!

House Block Collection Quilt

A House Block Quilt was made for the Minnkota MCC Relief Sale in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, made from House Blocks Collection that were sent to Love, Joy, Piece from around the country.  Monica added a basket with vines and sampler blocks to show the various house blocks.  The quilt was auctioned in July 2008.