Mundelein women gather to make colorful quilts for charity

One by one, they weave through catacomb-like hallways until they arrive at a large gathering room. They put out some snacks, brew coffee and get to work - making colorful quilts that, when complete, will comfort people in need around the world.

Every Thursday, the ladies converge on the basement of Mundelein's St. Andrew Lutheran Church.

They'll never meet these people. They'll never know their names or their stories or the exact reasons they need quilts made in the basement of a Midwestern church.

They don't mind.

"It's important to be there (for) people who have sustained a horrible change in their lives, or people who are poor," said Jean Fagerstrom, the group's coordinator and a Green Oaks resident. "It's important for them to know someone cares."

The group has 19 or so members. Not all of them come every week, but there are regulars.

For 21 years they've been making quilts for Lutheran World Relief, a global charity organization. Group participation isn't limited to church members, however.

The quilts are traditional in appearance, put together by hand and sewing machine. Most consist of 10-inch squares that are sewn together into sheets and then stuffed with material to bulk them up.

Between Mother's Day 2009 and Mother's Day 2010, the group made 250 quilts, a record.

The creations will go to refugee camps, regions affected by natural disasters and impoverished communities. Previous donations have been sent to Haiti, Afghanistan, Guatemala, Jordan, Thailand and many other countries.

"It makes us feel very good," Fagerstrom said. "(We're) glad we can be doing something good for somebody else."

Mundelein resident Dee Kratz learned to quilt as a member of the club. She's been coming about three years, and is considered something of a newbie in the group.

She loves the camaraderie of the group, and its goal.

"I think this is such a good project," Kratz said. "It gives to people."

And it's not just that they're doing something charitable - it's that they're making something real, something tangible, that will directly help a real person.

Anyone can write a check.

"I love the product that we make," quilter and Mundelein resident Amy Sorby said. "It's a great way to help out."