November 1, 2021
Do you want to get started on your Christmas Shopping?
Are you wanting to get started on your Christmas shopping, looking for a wedding gift or a special birthday or anniversary gift? Or maybe just something for yourself? Is it important to you to “shop local”? If so, we may have just what you need.
Faith Lutheran Church’s Sewing Group makes blankets year round in sizes for babies, children, and adults. Located at 57 Brant Avenue, Brantford, a selection of blankets is always available to purchase as gifts or for self use. Prices are very reasonable and the funds are used to allow the group to make more blankets that are donated to a number of agencies that support people in need.
To arrange a showing time contact the church office at 519.753.3833, Monday to Thursday between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm, or leave a message and your call will be returned.
October 20, 2021
Mission to Seafarers
On Monday evening, October 18th, Al Boule and Claude Mongeon delivered a good carload of warm clothing, books, games and bibles to the Mission to Seafarers location at the Port of Hamilton. The very-needed warm clothing assists those lower-paid seafarers originating from warmer climates to dress for our Canadian weather while in port and on shore.
Pastor Dan Phanenhour greeted Al and Claude and gave them a glimpse of their storage room, which included the sewing group’s remaining blankets to be used this season. Claude photographed Pastor Dan and Al displaying one of our blankets to be given out.
Thank you to all who donated items for this second delivery (first was in the Fall 2020) of mainly warm clothing. It was greatly appreciated.
September 19, 2021
Blanket Sale in Support of the Myanmar Longhouse Project
We were so blessed on Saturday, September 18 to have so many supporters visit us at the church and select beautiful blankets for this refugee cause. Many were making purchases for Christmas gifts. Now hugely closer to our target by $1,425.00, we must thank all those who came out, those who took part in making the blankets, and those who helped plan and host this sale.
There were so many lovely admiring comments about the blankets from those in our church family, friends, Grace Anglican church, and from several out-of-towners that made us proud to have displayed them.
Working together with Bay area Lutheran churches and Canadian Lutheran World Relief, our goal is to build one shelter called a Longhouse which will house several families. The proceeds of Saturday’s sale is a substantial contribution to the total cost of $9,810.00.
Here are a couple of photos from that day.
Faith Sewers Help Homeless
Who wouldn’t want a nice, cozy covering of their own? A good number of homeless persons will now enjoy just that — blankets made by the ladies of Faith Sewing Group. Recently 37 machine-sewn blankets have been donated to the local Helping Hands for Homeless and Less Fortunate.
Faith Sewing Group has also been supporting many other local agencies in need in recent Covid months by working individually from home – Pregnancy & Resources Centre – Brant; Salvation Army Booth Centre, Five Oaks Paris for migrant workers; Brant Safe Beds, and St. Leonard’s, to name a few.
Blankets donated to St Leonards Community Services
St. Leonard’s Community Services
Thank you so much to the wonderful women of the Faith Sewing Group at the Faith Lutheran Church here in Brantford. They made a collection of beautiful blankets and donated these to our downtown outreach team, BDOT, who help people on the streets of Brantford. These quilts are very appreciated!
Updated September 12, 2021
Seafarers with blankets made by Faith Sewing Group
It is tradition for the mission stations of the world to give gifts to seafarers at Christmas. We begin on December 6 and give to all who arrive in Hamilton between that date and Christmas Day, when the port closes to foreign ship traffic. This year, we gave away about 600 quilts that the sewing group from Faith, Brantford donated to us along with some other gifts that were donated for this purpose. The remainder of the 1100 quilts donated by Faith will be saved for next year.The Stella Polaris comes to Hamilton once every six or seven weeks from Zelzate, Belgium. When they left Hamilton this time, they were heading for Rio where they were planning to celebrate Christmas.The following note was received from the crew:
Dear Pastor Dan,
On behalf of the crew of Stella Polaris I would like to thank the Mission to Seafarers in Hamilton and everybody involved for your gifts.Find attached a picture from our Christmas eve on board.It helps in these difficult times to comfort us.I wish you and everybody else a merry, hopeful Christmas and a healthy, happy new year.
Joost van Zaane
Note: Pastor Dan is the Chaplain to Seafarers at the Hamilton Port.
Updated – September 12, 2021
Blankets are blessed before being packed for shipping
September 12, 2021
Boxes of blankets packed for shipping 
Blessing the Blankets 
Blessing the Blankets 
Blankets are blessed before being packed for shipping. 
Blankets waiting to be blessed
FAITH SEWING GROUP – HELP! HELP! HELP!
July 23, 2021
Did you know that our sewing shelves are bare?
We have never experienced this before.
The sewing ladies have been making blankets at home during COVID and supplying many local agencies with blankets. Please ask your friends, neighbours and relatives if they might have any materials to donate to our sewing group. We make machine-sewn blankets for community needs. New and nearly-new clean cotton, flannel, and fleece fabrics gratefully accepted.
Drop off at Faith Lutheran Church, 57 Brant Ave., Brantford.
Call Church Office at 519-753-3833 to arrange drop-off time.
July 22, 2021
Our Sewing Group will soon re-open and begin its in-person activities. Their first meeting will be Tuesday August 3, 2021 at 9 am. They have developed new protocols along Covid guidelines to provide for the safety of all of their members.
You can support the Sewing Group and its work through your Offerings and by Donating any material that you no longer have need of. Please call the Church Office (519-753-3833) to arrange a time to drop off any material.
Who We Are and What We Do
Faith Lutheran Church boasts a large and active relief ministry driven by a dedicated group of ladies, who make machine-sewn blankets from mostly donated materials for those in need. This strong, Christian-based group, begun in 2009, is made up of both Faith Church members and members of the community. In a warm, welcoming environment, the ladies help each other learn new sewing techniques, share ideas, and generally have fun together.
For over ten years, the group worked under the Canadian Lutheran World Relief (www.clwr.org) providing thousands of blankets, sundresses, shorts, and many CLWR We Care kits. They also gathered school supplies, hygiene items, and small toys. Sadly, in 2020, CLWR made the difficult decision to discontinue its We Care program due to the Covid-19 pandemic travel restrictions for shipping and the high cost of warehousing goods, concluding there were more cost-efficient ways to respond to critical needs around the world.
Faith Sewing Group is very pleased to have formed a new partnership with the Mission to Seafarers, Hamilton, Ontario port. (www.MTSSO.org) The Group has also been supporting a variety of local agencies in need of blankets, where possible.
Almost all of the fabrics used in the blanket-making process are donated, as are many of the sewing machines. Other sewing machines, supplies, and batting are purchased through a number of grants.
The group normally gathers in the church hall to sew each Tuesday. Once Covid restrictions have been lifted, visitors will be most welcome any time. The ladies are always eager to invite anyone who might find this work meaningful, to join them. There is a job for everyone, whether skilled in sewing, or not.
For further information, please contact the Church Office at 519-753-3833.
Good friends are like quilts. They age with you, yet never lose their warmth.
Updated July 2021
Faith Sewing Group, “In Mission For Others,” creating blankets and more for Canadian Lutheran World Relief – CLWR for 10 years.
December 2018
– 6,600 blankets
– 117 bandage rolls
– 36 hospital gowns
– 25 school packs
– 15 Living and Learning kits
– 56 sewing kits
– 1,000 sun dresses and shorts
– 36 hygiene kits
– 200 baby bundles
– 38 children’s kits
– 17 teacher’s kits
#myelcic
