Harvest 2012 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

As dawn casts its warm light across the surrounding fields, farmers harvest the ripe corn. I’m grateful for the gifts of this golden-hued season and reminded of the rich fruit reaped in a very different kind of harvest. Thanks to your dedication and generous support, Quilt of Belonging, a work begun almost 15 years ago, has reached more than 3 million people through 31 exhibits, presentations, the website and media coverage! Yet, the Quilt’s message “A Place for All” is needed more than ever.

Thanks to funding from The Ontario Trillium Foundation, we are working on two exciting projects, a 45 Minute Documentary and a Pilot School Project to carry the ideals of Quilt of Belonging to those who may never experience the Quilt in person, to the millions who still need its messages.

Today’s youth will shape tomorrow’s world and it is critical that they develop good character traits. However, their values are often being shaped by their experiences on electronic media. Child Trends Databank reports that in 2012, the average total time spent by 8-18 year olds in North America on various media is 7.5 hours a day. Principals in the school pilot project tell us the Quilt is a perfect vehicle for teaching core values like respect, caring, diversity and responsibility that are so desperately needed in the new generation. What began as a small program consisting of a few classes has blossomed into a project of almost 1,000 students.

Both the documentary and the school program will be ready for public viewing this April and we will keep you advised of the event details, hoping you can celebrate with us. Their launch, however, is just the beginning. Your gift will help us make these resources available to all—families, groups, or educators, on-line or in person, in homes, classrooms, or community halls.

Help us to sow the Quilt’s ideals today for a harvest of peace tomorrow! Thank you!

Wishing you God’s peace and joy this season,

Esther Bryan