“The people know that these garments and blankets come from people who are praying for them,” says Pat Wood, who leads a growing ministry, “Touching Hearts,” to reach out to patients at a local hospital maternity ward and to abused and neglected children.
Todd Deaton“Touching Hearts for Jesus” grew out of efforts at Shaw Heights Baptist Church to reach out to merchant seamen and hospital patients. For years, volunteers have gathered to make caps for the seamen who work on the international ships docked in Charleston, and some have also begun making baby gowns, blankets, teddy bears and other items for patients at Tuomey Hospital, an area medical center that serves Sumter, Lee and Clarendon counties.
In the past year, the group of about 30 volunteers, which now meets twice a month, has also made 194 caps for the seamen’s ministry, and 155 pillows, 75 neck pillows and 200 teddy bears for hospital patients.
But their ministry doesn’t stop there; it also includes making blankets for the police department and for Sumter County and the city. Since October 2007, more than 179 quilts have been donated to the police department, whose officers keep them in their patrol cars to comfort accident victims in inclement weather. The Victim’s Advocate workers give the blankets to abused or neglected children when they are being removed from homes.
In addition, the group participates in a bereavement ministry that was initiated by Wood’s daughter, a nurse at Tuomey, to console women who have miscarried by providing booties, receiving blankets, hats and painted boxes for the “angel babies.” They also make covers for “preemies” to protect their eyes from bright lights. In all, they have donated 126 gowns, 134 hats, 111 receiving blankets, 94 covers, and 24 booties to the hospital nursery in the past year.
Stuffing and sewing pillows for the Tuomey Hospital are Barbara Willard, Betty Cross, Millie Eudy, Priscilla Wheat, and Faith Sable.After hearing about the good work that the Shaw Heights’ group was doing in the area, a local sewing business recently contributed a serger to assist with their blanket-, hat- and gown-making efforts.
But there is still more that they do. For the adult patients who have throat surgery, the “Touching Hearts” volunteers have made 60 trachea covers. They hope to soon begin making prayer blankets for cancer victims in which volunteers pray for the recipients as they tie each knot that fastens the squares together.
“We continue to praise the Lord for all the talent given by the men and women of Shaw Heights Baptist Church,” said pastor Victor Cheek.
“It’s wonderful and amazing how the Lord is blessing this ministry,” says Wood. “The parents and patients are blessed knowing that somebody cares. It touches their hearts to know that we’ve prayed over these garments, and we are uplifted, too, seeing how the hand of the Lord is working” – along the Way.