Social Justice

Kids Making Quilts for Kids

Reviewed by Jacqui James
Resource Development Consultant
Lifespan Faith Development, UUA
Boston, MA

A young person's guide for having fun while helping others and learning about AIDS and substance abuse

By ABC Quilts
The Quilt Digest Press, Gualala, CA, 1992

ABC Quilts are love letters to the world.
-- Bob Keeshan, Captain Kangaroo

This wonderful resource from ABC Quilts (which stands for "At Risk" Babies Crib Quilts) tells the story about how the idea of making baby quilts to comfort sick children has mushroomed into a huge nationwide project. And they invite us to become part of this easy and fun project.

This program is a project-based service learning activity where all ages can participate in the creation of an original quilt for an "at-risk" young child (infant to age 6) born with the HIV/AIDS virus or born with birth defects caused by alcohol, cocaine, or other harmful drugs.

This resource is comprised of several components. In addition to the book, Kids Making Quilts for Kids, it includes two 15 minute (approximately) videos, one narrated by teens about their participation in the program and one narrated by JoAnne Woodward detailing the organization's mission of providing education and awareness, as well as comfort to "at-risk" young children. A companion guide to the book, Tips for Teachers, is the fourth component of this resource. In this guide teachers share classroom feedback, "how-to" ideas, lesson plans, and activities for grades K-12. These four pieces are coordinated into one package, available for sale/shipment from the ABC Quilts educational program. See their website, www.abcquilts.org, for ordering information.

Along with four easy-to-use, step-by-step instructions, this book also offers facts and discussion starters about AIDS and substance abuse. The talk that goes one during this quilt-making process provides a safe atmosphere where young people can comfortably ask questions, express their fears, and share anxieties about AIDS and substance abuse.

This is a great intergenerational or multi-generational project, providing opportunities for developing a strong sense of community among all participants. This opportunity to pass along the quilting tradition should intrigue a number of adults in your congregation. A quilter myself, I'm looking forward to working on this in a church school setting.

The Lifespan Faith Development Staff Group has a copy of this resource in our Loan Library. Contact Barbara Gifford, bgifford@uua.org to borrow it.