How Edmonton quilters turned handmade quilts into global impact for nearly 60 years

EDMONTON — Every Wednesday morning, the hum of sewing machines fills a room at Hosanna Lutheran Church. Around the tables, Karen Moore joins 15 other women as they sort through colourful stacks of donated fabric, share stories and carefully stitch pieces together to create handmade quilts that help support humanitarian work around the world. 

For nearly 60 years, the Hosanna Quilters have gathered around the same tables, guided by one simple question: How can we help? Through decades of change, the group has remained a place where friendships are built, creativity is shared and generosity takes shape one stitch at a time. 

“It’s fellowship,” said Moore, who joined the group after retiring in 2007. “It’s kind of like a family. You look out for one another.” 

What began as a love of creating became a way to serve others. 

The roots of the quilting ministry stretch back to 1967, when Lorraine Benner began quilting to support Canadian Lutheran World Relief’s (CLWR) We Care program, which took quilts and other humanitarian supplies from Canada and shipped them around the world to people facing conflict and disasters. Quilts and blankets became an important part of that response, providing practical support while also carrying a personal reminder of care from the people who made them. 

When St. Luke and Gloria Dei Lutheran churches merged to become Hosanna Lutheran Church in 1987, the quilting ministry continued, carrying forward a tradition of service that has lasted nearly six decades. 

“People were using what they had to help others,” said Cody Cleave, CLWR’s church relations officer. “The quilts were a tangible way for people to respond to needs around the world and be part of something bigger than themselves.” 

For generations, quilting groups across Canada contributed handmade quilts through We Care, creating a connection between those who made them and those who received them. 

Over time, the way humanitarian organizations delivered assistance changed. In 2021, CLWR transitioned away from shipping donated goods overseas and toward supporting locally purchased supplies and services. 

 This change allows assistance to reach people more quickly while supporting local economies and strengthening communities. 

But the heart behind the quilts remained. 

Today, the Hosanna Quilters continue supporting CLWR by selling their handmade quilts and donating the proceeds. Since 2010, the group has donated more than $32,000 to CLWR, helping fund humanitarian programs that provide life-saving essentials such as food, clean water, shelter and education. 

For Johanna Borle, the group’s connection to CLWR has remained at the heart of their work for generations. 

“When this quilting group first began, it was to support the work of CLWR,” Borle said. “That focus still continues. We know CLWR does good work throughout the world and wisely and efficiently uses the money we give.” 

One project, in particular, left a lasting impression. After the group donated to a project through Gifts from the Heart, members learned their contribution had helped provide bicycles for midwives in Zambia. 

“I really felt the hands-on connection that CLWR made for us,” Borle said. “It showed us how our support was helping women and families.” 

Cleave said CLWR is grateful for groups like the Hosanna Quilters that continue finding creative ways to support others. 

“What we appreciate about groups like this is their willingness to look at the needs of the world and ask, ‘How can we help?’” Cleave said. “Their creativity and generosity continue to make an impact.” 

Despite the move away from shipping the quilts direct, for the quilters, the purpose behind their work has remained the same: using what they have to care for others. 

The group holds two quilt sales each year, with between 200 and 250 handmade quilts available for purchase. Moore said there is something special about watching someone connect with a quilt they have created. 

“There’s nothing better than watching somebody pick up your quilt and go, ‘Oh, I’ll buy this one,’” Moore said. 

Borle said every quilt represents far more than fabric and thread. 

“When we use our time, our skills and our creativity to make quilts from bits and pieces of donated fabric, it really is a labour of love,” she said. “When CLWR then uses our contributions in projects around the world, it’s as if one of our quilts has travelled to that place and brought warmth and our love to someone in need.” 

Moore said the group continues supporting CLWR because members trust their donations will reach people who need help. 

“You feel safer sending the money there because you know it’s going to the people who need it,” she said. 

The group’s twice-yearly sales have become a community tradition. 

Like every quilt they create, the Hosanna Quilters’ impact is the result of many hands. Although Moore and Borle shared their reflections for this story, both emphasized that the group’s nearly 60 years of service have been shaped by dozens of volunteers who have donated fabric, stitched quilts, organized sales and welcomed new members. Together, they have built a ministry of service that has spanned generations. 

Nearly 60 years after the first stitches were sewn, the Hosanna Quilters continue to show that generosity can take many forms. While the way their support reaches communities around the world has changed, their commitment to helping others remains the same. 

“There’s so much going on in the world,” Moore said. “This is our way of helping.” 

Top image caption: Members of the Hosanna Quilters pose for a group photo at Hosanna Lutheran Church in Edmonton. For nearly 60 years, the group supported Canadian Lutheran World Relief’s international work by making handmade quilts that are sold to raise funds for global humanitarian work. (Photo courtesy of Hosanna Quilters)