On Wednesday, March 20th our Wesley Village Prayer Shawl Ministry gathered with Chaplain Cathy Nickse and other residents and staff for the annual “Blessing of the Shawls”. During this event, dozens of hand-knit and crocheted shawls and lap robes were put on display and blessed in preparation for sharing throughout the year. Many thanks to our devoted volunteers for all their hours of time and love.
This year, we blessed 49 shawls and 20 lap robes, which accounts for over 2500 hours of volunteer time. Since 2004, to date, the Wesley Village Prayer Shawl Ministry has donated nearly 3500 shawls to those in need!
The Prayer Shawl Ministry is a group of residents, staff, former staff and volunteers who gather regularly to knit and crochet for this wonderful cause. If you are interested in becoming part of this group, see the information below to learn more. Also, if you know of anyone who could ever benefit from receiving a prayer shawl or lap robe in a time of need, please contact Chaplain Cathy who coordinates the distribution of our shawls.
Join the Wesley Village Prayer Shawl Ministry!
We Welcome New Volunteers! How you can help:
Knit or Crochet - Do you or does someone you know love to knit or crochet? We have lots of yarn and knitting groups that meet regularly. We can even teach you how to knit or crochet if you’re interested!
Join a prayer group - Join one of our prayer groups and pray for the needs of those who will receive our special shawls & lap robes. Groups meet regularly. Attend as often as you’d like.
Prepare our shawls for delivery - Before our prayer shawls & lap robes are delivered to individual recipients, they are adorned with tags and lovingly tucked into special bags with a personalized message.
Want to help but not sure how? Contact Marissa in our Office of Mission Development at 203.225.5021 or msalvesen@umh.org to learn more about how you can be part of this great effort!
Since 2004, Wesley Village has donated more than 3,500 prayer shawls to provide comfort and peace to those in need. Truly a collaborative effort, volunteers work together throughout the year to raise funds to purchase yarn and knit shawls to share them with others. A message of hope and love is attached to each shawl before it is given away. Each year the shawls are blessed during a community ceremony with residents, staff, and volunteers at Wesley Village and then distributed to those in need; individuals experiencing a crisis or time of loss, or those struggling with an illness or receiving end of life care. Recipients of the shawls include individuals residing at or receiving care at Wesley Village and/or those in need with a connection to the campus.
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