Officials with Quilts for Survivors, which is celebrating its second anniversary, say they are grateful for how far the organization has come. It started out as a healing response to the discovery of the unmarked graves in Kamloops, B.C. Since then, more than 3,000 quilts have been given to residential school survivors across the country. Founder Vanessa Genier hosted an open house to celebrate the organization’s second anniversary. The event gave people a chance to see where some of the quilts are sewn and are welcome to drop off donations. Genier said she still can’t believe how fast the initiative grew. “Requests are still coming in daily for quilts,” she said. “People are asking where they are on the list. We’re shipping right now for July 2022. So we’re almost 12 months wait time … We’re hoping with the summer we can get that wait time down a bit. There (are) about 1,300 people waiting at any given time.” The not-for-profit organization will soon become an official charity. In the meantime, it’s funded through donations and grants. The work involves not only sewing but also raising important awareness about federally funded residential schools. “It also reflects why people are the way they are,” said volunteer Clara Wheesk. “Why the Aboriginal people are being stereotyped, I guess … There’s a reason behind what had happened. Now they know why and they have a better understanding of where people come from so that kinda’ helps with the healing process.” The organization is a full-time operation and includes other family members who didn’t know how to sew, but were taught. “My mom brought up that she was looking for someone to ‘long arm’ and then I thought might as well just work there for a few months over the summer while I apply for school,” said Michael Jeremiah, who learned how to work the long arm, a type of sewing machine. In honour of the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, Genier is hosting a sewing retreat Sept. 28-Oct. 1. She said people are coming from across the country and the U.S. to participate. Details can be found on the Quilts for Survivors website.
