Coffee Creek Quilters

Coffee Creek Quilters' mission is to provide a positive "hands on" program for women at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility to learn and practice a variety of life-enhancing skills, such as perseverance, patience and problem solving. Our program gives students the opportunity to explore personal creativity and to give back to the community. On the successful completion of three quilts the students develop a positive "I can do it" attitude. The goal of CCQ is to nurture students' self-confidence and self-esteem to enhance their success at living in the community after release from prison.

Currently, minimum security inmates at CCCF may participate in the program. We offer four classes a week. Each two-hour class has 15-20 students with five volunteer instructors. Students make two quilts for charity and a third for herself or a loved one. Last year, students made approximately 162 quilts for charity and 81 for personal use. Women spend between 12 and 24 months in the classes. It's a popular program and we have a long waiting list to join.

We teach the classes in CCCF's dining room. Sewing machines, supplies, and the students' projects are stored in locked cabinets, then quickly brought out and set up on dining tables for the classes. Students work hard because they know they only have the two hour class time to work on their quilts.

Students