Susi Q Needle Arts Guild “elves” deliver handmade gifts to those in need

Maureen Buffington, Stephanie Masaki, Etta Cannon and Roberta Luque, met to package handmade gifts the Susi Q Needle Arts Guild produced during another pandemic-disrupted year. Fortified by Luque’s delicious scones and cider, they packaged blankets, scarves, hats, baby sweaters and more, tagging them to identify their group as donors. 

Photos courtesy of Susi Q Needle Arts Guild

Susi Q’s Program/Marketing Director Jo Ekblad (far right) accepts 15 lap blankets on behalf of Martha Hernandez, director of care management at Laguna Beach Friendship Shelter. She is pictured with (L-R) Roberta Luque, Etta Cannon and Stephanie Masaki-Schatz.

Laguna Beach Friendship Shelter’s guest advocate, Maddy, thanks Maureen Buffington (program coordinator) for 30 hats and scarves

Glennwood Housing Foundation, a residential facility for adults with developmental disabilities, received a mix of hats, scarves and blankets

Every handmade gift made with love is tagged

The recipients were Susi Q Age Well Services (15 lap blankets), Laguna Beach Friendship Shelter (30 hats and scarves), Waymakers Laguna Beach Youth Shelter (hats and scarves for the 16 teens), Glennwood Housing Foundation (hats, scarves and blankets), Marty Hoffman, Veterans Affairs (eight lapghans, six scarves, four hats, six baby items and a dozen socks), and Birthline, a San Diego-based non-profit that offers prenatal and postnatal care to mothers and their young children in an underserved population, which received 14 baby items. 

A total of 117 handmade donated items, knitted or crocheted, were delivered. Susi Q Needle Arts Guild is always looking for more needleworkers to increase their annual donations.

For more information, visit www.susiq.org.