'Our world needs more love': The tiny women’s ministry has a big impact

Off a rural road in Medina County is a little church in Valley City where a women's ministry is having a big impact far beyond the four walls of their church.

"It's rewarding, and it's heartwarming to know that we've brought joy," said Diane Phelps, Fidget Quilt Ministry at LifeSpring Community Church.

Phelps and Patty Yarosh are part of the Fidget Quilt Ministry at LifeSpring Community Church.

"We have been blessed so much with it; it's just wonderful," added Phelps.

They make fidget quilts for adults with dementia and children with sensory needs.

"You can find them online for a cost, but no one was doing it in the community free of charge, and that's where we began," she explained.

They use all kinds of embellishments on the quilts; their imagination is the limit.

The playful patterns and creative designs on each quilt are not only fun but also help to stimulate memories, evoke interactions, and develop fine motor skills.

And they've sent their quilts as far away as Ukraine to comfort children of war.

"It just warms your heart," said Patty.

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Phelps told me that she'd like to send Immy a quilt.

"And it's the first time I've ever reached out like that to a story that I've seen," Phelps said. "So, it was just like, we'll see what God does with this."

I shared Phelps' email with Immy's mom, Beth, and within a few days, I received photos of Immy with her quilt.

Phelps sent two quilts, which Beth shared with another mother of a local child with Angelman Syndrome. Beth told me how much Immy loved the quilt and how touched they were by the gesture.

And it's clear that often, the gift is in the giving.

"Oh, how awesome," said Phelps, Yarosh and a couple of the other women in the quilting group as they looked at the photos of Immy and her quilt on my phone.

Their faces beamed with smiles.

"That's why we do this," said Phelps.

"Right," Yarosh said. "That's why we do this."

The thread that's sewn into everything the women do and stitches this all together is love.

"Showing love to other people is really what we should be doing," said Phelps. "Our world needs more love."

It is what keeps them going, they told me, with more than 800 quilts now and counting.

"And we're still going strong," said Patty.

The ladies told me they love to receive requests and encourage people to reach out to them if they have a loved one or a group who could benefit and enjoy a fidget quilt.