WAHOO, Neb. (KMTV) — In the basement of Bethlehem-Lutheran Church you will find dozens of quilts.
They all have their own unique look.
Some are bright and colorful, others adorned with tractors and footballs and they are all being knitted for neighbors in need both near and far.
“We know that a lot of our quilts have been going to areas that have a really dire need. They have had earthquakes or floods or something,” said Marilyn Volin, one of the quilters at Bethlehem-Lutheran.
The quilts being knitted in Wahoo are headed across the globe to help Lutheran World Relief.
Since 1948 the organization has been sending quilts to families whose lives have been affected by conflict, poverty, and natural disaster.
“There was this one picture in my mind that can’t go away. This mother was in a bombed area where there was just a cement wall left. Her and her three children were all cuddled in a corner under the quilt and that’s all they had,” said Mary McKay, another quilter at Bethlehem-Lutheran.
Sending the quilts has become a yearly tradition.
In October, the group sent 121 quilts to the organization and without missing a beat, started knitting the next batch.
But as much as they are helping other people the ladies of Bethlehem-Lutheran are also finding something special for themselves.
“I don’t know what I'd do without it. It's an outlet to for whatever is going on in your life,” said Arlene Johnson, who has been quilting for nearly 20 years.
The quilting group has become its own little family.
They keep up with each other's lives and comfort each other in tough times.
Even when they experience loss their family stays stitched together.
“It’s very lonesome, after you have been married 64 years or so. When you are left alone, your friends are the biggest part of your life,” said Helen Hansen, the oldest member of the group who recently celebrated her 95th birthday.
