On Friday, December 13, 2024, three NC Synod congregations converged on the “Merry Main Street Christmas” festival held at the Town Square in Burnsville, North Carolina. This community was an area hit quite hard by Hurricane Helene in September. In conversation with her colleagues, Pastor Naomi Sease-Carriker, pastor at Messiah of the Mountains, Burnsville, identified this opportunity for the sharing of quilts from the quilting groups at Our Saviour, Southern Pines, and Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Brevard. Pastor Frank Waugh of Our Saviour also brought a truckload of food supplies to distribute at the event. With funding from a Thrivent Action Team Grant, a refreshment table with free drinks and Christmas cookies provided a welcoming atmosphere.

Pastor Ken Albright of Good Shepherd, Brevard, and his wife, Charlotte, were onsite at the festival along with Pastor Frank, Erik and Nancy Nelson, also from Our Saviour, and Pastor Naomi. Also helping with distribution were local leaders from Reconciliation House Ministries, a Manna Food Bank affiliate. All told around 80 hand-made quilts were given away. The Southern Pines quilts were provided by Sew Social, a quilters group at Our Saviour, in conjunction with the Sandhills Quilters Group. The Good Shepherd quilts were provided by the Western North Carolina Quilters Guild in conjunction with the quilters group at Good Shepherd. Messiah of the Mountains quilters have additional quilts they plan to distribute soon to another community in need.

One warm quilt went to a woman in whose neighborhood several homes flooded and others were hit by downed trees; her own home was caught in a landslide. She lost everything. Another man took a quilt to share with a woman from Kentucky who had been to Burnsville several times to deliver necessities to them. He wanted to give something back to a woman who had given so much to their community. Another woman who received a quilt said her home was fine but she lost her tree nursery business. Even though Helene was a rain event, it washed out the bridge to her business so she could not get to it, and the plants ended up dying from drought in the days that followed the storm.

Some wept when they learned there was a free quilt for them. Some children smiled like the sun when they learned that they, too, could pick one out.  Others wanted to know more about the Lutherans in town. Learning that people would be so open-handed with quilted kindness was a breath of fresh air and the inspiration they needed to take the next step forward. “This is not a ‘one and done,’ said Pastor Frank. “We have and continue to seek ways to partner for the sake of our WNC neighbors.”

The congregations in Brevard and Southern Pines had already joined efforts to provide tools, chainsaws, heaters, and bar oil in the days following the disaster.

In the end, the quilts were not the only blessing: the collegial collaboration was a gift enjoyed by all three faithful pastors.