On the side of a rural road in Medina County, there’s a small church in Valley City where a women’s ministry is making a big impact far beyond the four walls of their church.

“It is rewarding and so gratifying to know we are bringing joy,” said Diane Phelps of LifeSpring Community Church Fidget Quilt Ministry.

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

“We are so blessed with this; it’s really cool,” Phelps added.

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

“You can find them online for a fee, but no one in the community was doing it for free, and that’s where we started,” he explained.

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

The fun patterns and creative designs on each quilt are not only fun, they also help spark memories, stimulate interactions, and develop fine motor skills.

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

“It just warms your heart,” Patty said.

I was heartened to receive an email from Phelps after a story I wrote about a local family whose daughter Immy had Angelman Syndrome.

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Phelps told me he wanted to send Immy a quilt.

“And this is the first time I’ve gotten 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 that 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 often it’s clear that the gift is in the giving.

“Oh, how wonderful,” said Phelps, Yarosh, and several other women in the quilting group as they looked at the photos on my phone of Immy and her quilt.

Their faces were shining with smiles.

“That’s why we’re doing this,” Phelps said.

“That’s right,” said Yarosh. “That’s why we’re doing this.”

The thread that sews and ties together everything women do is love.

“Showing love to others is really what we should do,” Phelps said. “Our world needs more love.”

With over 800 quilts now and counting, they tell me this is what keeps them going.

“And we’re still going strong,” Patty said.

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