LOCAL DROP-OFF SITES

WHERE DO I TAKE QUILTS AND KITS? We are launching a new tool to make it easier to find the closest ingathering to you! Our new Ingathering Map can help you find everything you need to know about your local ingathering, including all the information you're used to finding on this page (still listed below). We would love to hear your feedback – please let us know what you think!

Each year around the U.S. dedicated volunteers coordinate ingatherings – local drop-off sites for LWR quilt and kit donations. We call the volunteers who plan these events “Key Leaders” because of the important leadership role they play in LWR’s quilt and kit program. Without them, all parish groups would be left on their own to get donations to one of our warehouses, sometimes incurring heavy shipping costs in the process. Ingatherings are a great example of LWR’s philosophy of partnership—together is always better!

Listed below is the information we have received from Key Leaders regarding upcoming ingatherings. If you’re looking for an ingathering in your area that is not listed here, please call 1-800-LWR-LWR-2 or email lwr@lwr.org and we’ll refer you to your area Key Leader.

Because the ingatherings are coordinated by volunteers, LWR staff are not always aware of the specific details regarding dates, locations, etc. We update this page as we have information, leaving older information for reference until new dates can be put up.

Not all areas of the country have a Key Leader. If you are interested in coordinating a local ingathering, please contact us. We’ll put you in touch with some of our other Key Leaders who can share their ideas and experience. If you are aware of an ingathering in your area but do not see it listed here, please let us know so that we can make that connection!

If you are aware of local ingatherings that are not listed here, please contact Melanie Gibbons at mgibbons@lwr.org to update this listing.

Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee: The Southeastern Synodical Women's Organization of Women of the ELCA coordinates an annual collection in the fall. Click here to download excerpts from their newsletters with collection information.

Northern California: Advent Lutheran Church in Morgan Hill and St. James Lutheran Church in Redding host an ingathering each October. Check back for dates and times as October 2010 approaches!

Southern California:Lutheran Social Services of Southern California coordinates an annual ingathering each October. More details will be available later this year. Click here to see the 2009 schedule for reference.

YEAR-ROUND DROP-OFF POINT! Denver, Colorado: The Urban Servant Corps office in Denver serves as a year-round drop-off point for quilts and kits. They have a large room to collect the items and once the room is full, the items are trucked to the S. St. Paul warehouse. Click here for more information!

Connecticut: Immanuel Lutheran Church in Bristol, Conn., hosted the first LWR ingathering in New England in the Spring of 2009. We're planning to make this an annual event, so stay tuned for more details as they are developed.

Florida: The Florida-Bahamas Synodical Women's Organization of Women of the ELCA coordinates an annual collection each February. Click here for the 2010 schedule. Click here for the 2010 congregation unit report form.

Georgia:The Southeastern Synodical Women’s Organization of Women of the ELCA coordinates an annual collection in the fall. Click here to download excerpts from their newsletters with collection information.

Illinois: Friends of Lutheran World Relief, which coordinate the collection for Metropolitan Chicago and Northern Illinois, has been serving for 30 years! Visit their website for locations and dates of their annual fall ingathering.

YEAR-ROUND DROP-OFF POINT! Elgin, Illinois: The Church of the Brethren General Offices, associated with the Friends of Lutheran World Relief ingathering, serve as a year-round drop-off point for quilts and kits. They have a space to collect the items and once the space is full, the items are trucked to the Maryland warehouse. Click here for more information!

Southern Illinois: Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Marion serves as a collection site as part of the annual fall ingathering in the St. Louis, Missouri/Southern Illinois area. Click here for details.

Indiana: St. John Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne and Christ Lutheran Church in Valparaiso host a collection each fall. Click here for details.

Northern Iowa: First Lutheran Church in Albert Lea, Minn., sponsors ingatherings each spring and fall. The fall 2010 ingathering will take place on Saturday, October 9. Visit First Lutheran's website for more information. Click here for the Spring 2010 letter and inventory form.

Southeast Iowa: Two congregations in southeast Iowa host an ingathering each spring and fall on the third Saturdays of April and October. Click here for details about the 2010 ingathering.

Kansas: Ken and Muriel Greene, LWR Key Leaders for more than 20 years, coordinate an annual ingathering at several locations across Kansas each October. Click here for fall 2010 dates and information. 

YEAR-ROUND DROP-OFF POINT! New Windsor, Maryland: LWR shares warehouse space with several partners at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Maryland. The warehouse accepts donations of quilts and kits all year round, and also offers volunteer opportunities for those interested in helping with the processing of quilts and kits for overseas transportation. Click here for more information!

Michigan and Ohio: The Michigan District of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod coordinates an annual ingathering in several locations in Michigan and Ohio each fall. Click here to see the 2009 loading schedule for reference. 2010 information will be provided as available.

Upper Michigan: Pastor William Truby and his network of volunteers organize collections in several communities each fall. Click here for details about the Fall 2009 ingathering sites.

South Central Minnesota: First Lutheran Church in Albert Lea, Minn., sponsors ingatherings each spring and fall to collect and transport quilts and kits to LWR's warehouse. The fall 2010 ingathering will take place on Saturday, October 9. Visit First Lutheran's website for more information. Click here for the Spring 2010 letter and inventory form.

YEAR-ROUND DROP-OFF POINT! South St. Paul, Minnesota: LWR’s Minnesota warehouse is operated by Midwest Warehouse, Inc. The warehouse accepts donations of quilts and kits all year round. Click here for more information!

Missouri: Concordia Seminary in St. Louis and St. Andrews Lutheran Church in Columbia serve as collection sites as part of the annual fall ingathering in the St. Louis, Missouri/Southern Illinois area. Click here for details.

Nebraska: The Nebraska synod hosts an ingathering annually in the fall. Dates have not yet been set for 2010. Stay tuned for details!

New England: Immanuel Lutheran Church in Bristol, Conn., hosted the first ingathering in New England in the Spring of 2009. We're planning to make this an annual event, so stay tuned for more details as they are developed.

North Carolina: The North Carolina Synodical Women's Organization of Women of the ELCA coordinates an annual collection in the fall. Click here for 2009 dates and information.

North Dakota: Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota teams with Midwest Motor Express each spring and fall to collect quilts and kits at distribution points across the state. The 2010 spring ingathering will take place in May. Click here for dates and information.

Ohio: The Michigan District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod coordinates boxcar loading sites in several locations in Michigan and Ohio each fall. Click here to download the 2009 loading schedule. 2010 information will be provided as available.

Oklahoma: Grace Lutheran Church in Tulsa serves as a satellite collection point each October. The items are trucked to Wichita, KS, and combined with the larger truck there. Click here for fall 2010 details.

Pacific Northwest: Click here to read the spring 2010 newsletter from key leaders in Oregon. Click here to read the spring 2010 newsletter from key leaders in Washington. Click here for the loading form for Seattle and Spokane. Looking for fabric and other sewing notions for your LWR project? Sew Up Seattle has created a website to help you find or make donations. Click here to learn more!

Pennsylvania:Norma Good has been a longtime friend and servant to LWR’s mission as the Volunteer Coordinator for Relief Projects with the Lower Susquehanna Synod of the ELCA. Norma coordinates an annual ingathering each October. Click Here to see the 2009 schedule for reference. Fall 2010 dates will be available in August.

Western Pennsylvania: Lutheran World Relief partners with Church World Service to host two collection sites in western Pennsylvania each fall. Click here for information, including special instructions for labeling the boxes for LWR.

Tennessee: The Southeastern Synodical Women’s Organization of Women of the ELCA coordinates an annual collection in the fall. Click here to download excerpts from their newsletters with collection information.

Texas: Sara Frank from the Texas District LWML coordinates several sites as part of the Texas ingathering each April. Visit their website for current information.

Wisconsin and Upper Michigan: Pastor William Truby and his network of volunteers organize collections in several communities each fall. Click here for details about the Fall 2009 ingathering sites.