When Estelle first encountered the Ladies of Charity Layette Program over 30 years ago, she found nothing but a few items in a donation box. An avid sewer and quilter, she agreed to deploy her skills for the program. Under her guidance, the program blossomed into much more than a simple donation box. Today, in-need mothers and their infants are supplied with essential crib linens, clothing and diapers. At the helm, Estelle has aided an estimated 10,000 families in Buffalo and surrounding communities.
Now age 95, Estelle still volunteers 30 hours a month, assembling layettes and coordinating the donations received from baby showers held by both parish Ladies of Charity groups and others throughout the community. Items donated at the showers are stockpiled and distributed as needed. In addition, many volunteers meet weekly to sew needed items. She began another effort eight years ago in which she and others sew tote bags for home bound adults and also grocery bags for patrons of eight Catholic Charities food pantries.
Estelle also gives educational lectures on quilting. She spent afternoons at area churches in February, Black History Month, discussing the connection between quilt symbols and the Underground Railroad. When asked what drives her to continue to volunteer and serve some of the most vulnerable people in Buffalo, Estelle says it is simply how she was raised, adding that she has always looked to the example set by her mother, who was the daughter of slaves. Estelle said her mother believed everyone has a responsibility to give back to their communities and to make it a better place.
Congratulations on this well-deserved honor for Estelle.
