Stitched with Love

BY BRIANNA STEPHENS

Fourteen years ago, Marcia Morgan founded Threads of Joy, an Indiana-based sewing group whose members handmake a variety of clothing items and blankets for children in need. Morgan was looking for a new organization to partner with when she received a letter in the mail from Christian Appalachian Project (CAP).

“When our previous partnership with another mission ended, I was determined to find the next opportunity where we could help meet a need,” Morgan said. “I had never connected with CAP before, but when I opened the letter, I knew right away I wanted to reach out.”

When she called CAP, she was connected with Josh Ratliff, coordinator of CAP’s Family Advocacy program in Johnson, Martin, and Floyd Counties. After explaining to Ratliff what Threads of Joy does, Morgan was excited to learn that Family Advocacy needed children’s clothing and welcomed the partnership. Just as CAP continues to grow and adapt to meet the needs of children, their families, and seniors in Appalachia, Threads of Joy has done the same. Since beginning the partnership in 2021, Morgan has learned more about the needs of the families CAP serves and has welcomed members of her church, Plainsfield Christian Church, to also donate various household items to help families in need in Appalachia.

“The members of the group have done a lot of sewing, and we are grateful for every stitch they’ve made,” Ratliff said. “Over time, our partnership with Threads of Joy has grown from donations of handmade clothing to other items to support families in our program, like dishes, towels, sheets, and other small household goods,” Ratliff added. Many of those items can be life-changing for families facing emergency situations, such as house fires or a natural disaster.

In addition to the donations, Morgan and her husband, Tom, have also volunteered to help Family Advocacy with Christmas Baskets. The program helps make Christmas possible for families in need in Appalachia and provides them with gifts, household items, and a ham for Christmas dinner.

CAP employees and volunteers work year-round to prepare for the Christmas Baskets distribution. Family Advocacy began taking applications for the program just before the historic flooding in Eastern Kentucky during July 2022. Not surprisingly, there was a noticeable increase in the number of families who signed up for Christmas services after being impacted by the flood.

When the Morgans came to CAP with a donation delivery in September, they also helped organize donations that have been received throughout the year for Christmas Baskets. When they returned later in the fall, they spent time helping Family Advocacy employees and volunteers pack Christmas Baskets according to the gift requests on each family’s application.

“It takes several hours to pack Christmas Baskets, but it is worth it, knowing that the families will have smiles on their faces on Christmas morning,” Morgan said. “Through all our efforts, Threads of Joy and the church members are excited to know we are able to help our neighbors in Appalachia.”