Sil Joh and others in her craft group at First Harvest Chapel Christian Reformed Church in Tustin, Calif., have turned their love of crafts into a way to reach out and help others.
Calling themselves Made in Heaven Ministry, they teach card-making to teens in a local residential home for youths in crisis.
At Christmas, the crafters helped teens make Christmas cards for family and friends. “It gave us the opportunity to dialog with them in the process,” said Joh. “The girls enjoyed being creative with their own card designs.”
The craft group also made cards for Sunday school students to send to a local home for people with cognitive disabilities. “Handmade cards with kids’ writing meant so much,” said Jeannie Jung, who has a client at the home and helped deliver the cards. “As [residents] get older, some people receive no visitors for years or ever.”
“Not all who attend [the group] are natural crafters, but all are willing to give their time,” said Joh.
Made in Heaven Ministry hopes to expand its outreach opportunities by knitting hats for cancer patients and sending homemade cards to people serving in the military. Joh said, “It has been a worthwhile experience to use what we love to do to reach out to others.”