Volunteers Create Special Gift for CICOA Centenarians

CICOA is always looking for opportunities to celebrate the lives of our older clients. Starting this year, we will be recognizing our clients who turn 100 years old by giving them a handmade lap quilt lovingly created by the Charity Chatters, a local quilting group.

Judy Oakley, CICOA volunteer coordinator, said, “CICOA was looking for a way to honor our clients who have reached this special milestone. The quilters were ready and willing to help.”

Dallas Reed, nationally known fiber artist, teacher and quilter, leads the group of about 12 quilters. Reed said the group was named the Charity Chatters because they enjoy “gabbing” as they quilt at their Tuesday evening meetings at the Indianapolis Senior Center. The volunteers range in age from 60 to 80 years old and produce the quilts in an assembly-line fashion, with individuals taking on various parts of the project. Two team members lay out the batting; another sews the quilt, while others provide the finishing stitches.

The Charity Chatters rely on grants from organizations like the Community Health Network Foundation. They also receive donated material from local quilters.

Today, the Charity Chatters make about 30 quilts a month for organizations like St. Elizabeth’s, The Children’s Bureau and the Lutherwood Residential Treatment Center. They will speed up production a little to provide about 20 quilts a year for CICOA clients.

“The quilts will be a treasured gift,” Oakley said.

Reed remembers how special quilts were in his own life.

“I didn’t have electricity in my home until I was 9 years old,” he said. “I remember piling on quilts to stay warm.”

He also remembers that quilts were a simple gift often given as a remembrance of a special occasion, like a wedding or birth of a child. Now, Reed says he is happy that his lap quilts will help commemorate a special occasion for CICOA clients.

Reed said, “A quilt is a piece of art, and you’re sharing love when you share a quilt.”

More opportunities to serve at CICOA

The quilting project is the latest way our volunteers have helped CICOA clients. Oakley says there are many opportunities for individuals and groups to help with ongoing and short-term assignments. Volunteers can help with:

• Friendly visiting. Volunteers visit with a CICOA client one-on-one to encourage the client, provide companionship, read or help with simple tasks.
• Light house work. Volunteers can help with dusting, laundry, organizing or taking out the trash.
• Handyman help. Individuals can help with tasks like changing furnace filters and lawn care.
• Seasonal needs. Volunteers can assist with leaf-raking projects, weeding, window washing or holiday decorating.
• Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP). This group helps by staffing community events and fairs to educate the public about Medicare fraud.

For more information about volunteering, contact Judy Oakley at (317) 803-6003 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .