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Traveling Quilt – Festival of Wreaths and Trees
November 23, 2018 - November 24, 2018
Join us at the Festival of Wreaths and Trees at the Old South Presbyterian Church on Monday November 23 and Tuesday November 24 to view the Pelican Intervention Fund traveling quilt, purchase raffle tickets and find out the winner of the quilt on November 23. Proceeds will go to the Pelican Intervention Fund.
Tickets cost $5 each or three for $10.
About the Traveling Quilt
The Pelican Intervention Fund quilt will make its way through Greater Newburyport as a symbol of hope for people struggling with addiction.
The quilt, created by Old South Presbyterian Church parishioner Sue Emanuelson, features a large depiction of the Pelican Intervention Fund’s logo of a soaring pelican, surrounded by an eclectic border of soft colors and tranquil textures.
For this year’s festival, Emanuelson said she wanted to take her support for the fund a step further. She decided to make the quilt and would like to see it become an emblem for the group’s mission.
“I’d love for the quilt to be a symbol of hope, to let people know they aren’t alone and that there’s somebody out there that is available to talk to,” said Emanuelson, who also touched on the prevalence of addiction.
“Probably 100 percent of the time, when you talk about addiction, people will say they know someone who is affected,” Emanuelson said. “There is such a need to make people aware that addiction is very much part of every community. It doesn’t discriminate who it’s going to grab.”
Since the Pelican Intervention Fund began, it has raised over $200,000 to pay for 36 Greater Newburyport residents to participate in long-term residential recovery programs. Keene highlighted the importance of the community in the nonprofit’s efforts, noting that every dollar the group has collected has come from the kindness of local residents, businesses and organizations.
“All these churches and businesses that do these events for us, we couldn’t do what we’re doing without it because we’re not receiving state funding,” she said. “Our community is our source of funding, whether it’s individual people, churches or businesses. Really, we’re so grateful.”
Keene said she thinks traveling to nearby communities with the eye-catching quilt will help the Pelican Intervention Fund further bring awareness to its cause, which is to help men and women struggling with addiction by providing them with access to long-term residential 12-step programs.