Dear folks,
One of my favorite sayings comes from a song called “Beautiful Boy” by John Lennon. “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.”
Well, life has been happening at the Parkinson’s Comfort Project and the members of the board of directors and I have come to the conclusion that it is time to fold our organization.
Over the past six years, we have given away so many incredibly beautiful quilts in three ways: Through symposiums on Parkinson’s disease presented in Vermont and New Hampshire, through support groups in those states, and through online requests on our website.
Over the past year, the board and I have realized that our local gifting in Vermont and New Hampshire had reached its natural limit because most of the folks who attend the symposiums and support groups have already received quilts from us.
This meant that we either had to expand our outreach to other states or cherish what we have accomplished in our local region, and call it a day.
The first option requires a lot more time, more travel, more expense and more fundraising. Given that we are an all-volunteer organization of folks with limited time, we had to accept the idea that closing the Project was our best choice.
At this point, we have one more symposium to attend in Keene, New Hampshire in June, and we plan to distribute the remainder of our quilt inventory through Parkinson’s support groups until they are all gone.
We will not be accepting any more quilts as of May 1, 2017.
We would like to encourage quilters who are looking for places to give quilts to seek out Parkinson’s support groups in their local areas.
Thank you all for what you have done for us. You are all wonderful.
Sonja Hakala
April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month, designated in honor of Dr. James Parkinson, a British doctor who first diagnosed what was then known as “shaking palsy.”
Parkinson's Comfort Project 