The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.

Have Sewing Machine Will Travel

by Dessa Rodeffer

Quill Publisher/Owner

25 January 2006

We have some amazing people in our midst and our 'Meet Your Neighbor' Hazel Hart is one of them. Hazel, is 85, a widow, and a retired school teacher. She keeps busy in our Stronghurst Presbyterian Church chairing sewing projects for Jamieson Center's Christmas store in Monmouth, and other mission requests of our church.

After Hurricane Katrina hit, Hazel was attending a Presbytery meeting and was the first to answer a plea for volunteers to travel to the Gulf Coast region to do mission work bringing whatever tools they had to offer. Hazel had a sewing machine, a serger, needles, pins, some material, \'c9well you get the picture.

Several others joined the Oneida crew headed by the Rev. Carolyn Weber to make 22 from eight different churches. Al Kulczewski of the University of Illinois Extension Office in Monmouth was one of them. Another couple, Norbert 'Bud' and Kay Laubach voluntered from Keithsburg. Volunteers from Galesburg, Geneseo, Alexis, Rio, and Cameron offered carpentry, plumbing, painting, and counseling skills. 

The group traveled to Gautiery, Mississippi, east of Biloxi for two weeks. The men kept busy dry-walling, repairing roofs and floors, plumbing, clearing debri, and Hazel with the help of the women, shopped for rods and bought material for curtains with funds her church had given her. When finished she had made curtains for 13 windows in two homes. The group seen the deep need and the deep appreciation of the people. Many had come from across the United States to help a neighbor in need and they were so grateful, she said, and there is such great need, and many have been waiting, and waiting for help. 

Hazel completed a very full day one evening with a wonderful devotion about the Good Samaritan which emphasized KINDNESS. 

'The people really do appreciate the churches and their help,' Hazel said. 'Only 1/3rd who deserve FEMA trailers, have them yet. There is so much need.'

The Presbyterian Church in Stronghurst will be having a social time for the public Sunday, February 5th 9:45 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. prior to worship with coffee and refreshments. Hazel will share her experiences at the 10:30 p.m. worship service for anyone wishing to attend. The trip was around 900 miles to the Gulf. Many of us find it hard to scoop our neighbor\'d5s walk. We have a good neighbor in Hazel.