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| Brenda Cunningham |
Before coming to work at MSU-CVM,
Cunningham was a nanny to twin girls, one of whom had cerebral palsy. She noted
that because of this, their bond was strong and she stayed with them much of
the time. Ultimately, her sewing background made it possible to give something
back to the girls.
“I have sewed my entire life, so I
constantly wanted to make things for the girls,” Cunningham said.
One day, they were in a fabric
store getting materials to make some outfits and the girls found a piece of
fleece that they liked. They loved it, hung on to it and talked about that the
whole time that they were in the store. Cunningham agreed to buy them each a
piece and make them both a quilt. It became their car blanket and they used the
blankets for a long time. Cunningham said seeing them cherish these blankets
for so long is what got her started on this journey.
“I started this to give children
something for the car, for safety and for just feeling comfortable about
themselves and having something they really own.”
Even after the girls grew up,
Cunningham still loved making these things. She tried selling them, but didn’t
find much of a market for it. Finding that out though is exactly what led her
to start donating them. Cunningham started by taking some to the hospital in
Tupelo and then donating them locally to Oktibbeha County Hospital.
“I just wanted an outlet where I
could keep making them and giving them away,” Cunningham said. “That’s when I
learned of the Safe Haven for Pets program here at the MSU College of
Veterinary Medicine, and so I’ve been collecting things for them ever since.”
Safe Haven for Pets is an
organization through the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine that provides temporary
care to the animals of domestic violence victims. Safe Haven partners with Care
Lodge Domestic Violence Shelter in Meridian, Miss. to provide temporary shelter
and medical care to the pets of individuals fleeing domestic violence situations.
The program also does fundraisers throughout the year to provide much-needed
supplies for the individuals served by Care Lodge.
“I’ve been making quilts and giving
them away for about four or five years now and I just feel honored that I can
do something to help someone else,” Cunningham said. “Children are our most
vulnerable and it breaks my heart to know that they are in trouble or that they
are sad.”
So Cunningham started making the
quilts to donate to Care Lodge via the Safe Haven for Pets program a few
Christmases ago. She received such good feedback from them and was told that
the kids loved them. She said that’s all the confirmation she needed to hear,
and so she kept making them.
“You know it is fun for me and
gives me a creative outlet for myself,” Cunningham said. “I wanted the kids to
keep them, something they didn’t have to borrow while they were there at the
shelter.”
Cunningham said each quilt she
makes is unique. It all depends on what fabric she has available and what she
feels like making at the time. Some will have patches or lace on them, while
others will have embroidery. She feels that making these quilts provides the
children with something that they can have that will be their own. She wants
each child that receives a quilt to feel that someone cared enough for them to
give them something new that they can keep as their very own.
“Making a quilt and knowing that
it’s going to a kid that can snuggle up in it and feel protected or feel like
they are going to be okay makes me feel good and proud that I can do something
small to help them,” Cunningham said.
More information about MSU’s Safe Haven for Pets program can
be found on their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/msucvmsafehavenforpets/.
