Obnoxious Generosity in Action - After the Storm
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Our next big task is helping the community rebuild. We are doing that by collecting $10 and $25 Amazon gift cards that will be distributed by Heart N Hand to families impacted.
The tornado that came through Belton left more than 185 families without power and many with damage to their homes. We were incredibly blessed that no one was seriously injured.
The storm bounced through Raymore and came within half a mile of the shop… and then it shifted left, missing our shop and our barn—full of retreaters.
And the truth is… our buildings aren’t made for tornadoes. They’re just retail space. Nothing special in that sense.
But looking back, it’s hard not to see it—God was putting things into place the entire time, long before we ever knew we would need them. And now, on the other side of it, there was a clear calling to step in and help.
First, the tornado turned....
Second, the very next day—after so many families experienced loss—we had a barn full of women already there. Ready. Willing. Able.
And that part moved me deeply.
These women had paid to come to retreat. They brought money to shop. They came to sew, to rest, to create. And without hesitation, they stopped what they were doing, shared what they had, and stepped into the need.
Some went home and grabbed crockpots. Others brought can openers. And instead of sewing, they made soup. We had friends who came by the shop to check on us and get hugs, who jumped into action. One friend cleaned all the crockpots when we were done...it was her one day off for the week, but she chose to serve.
Third, for months, our community had been donating items for Meals in a Box. As we were delivering them to our charity partners, Becky had the foresight to ask, “Should we keep a few back… just in case someone needs them?” Our volunteers worked so hard to kit those boxes, and make sure they were ready. We have a storage space in our Barn specifically for our charity items....square footage that is not producing income, it is producing hope.
So when the need came, we didn’t just have donations—we had meals ready to go.
Fourth, Becky has been faithfully building relationships with our charity partners. When we say we work with 24 different organizations, we mean relationships—real ones. They know us. They trust us. They know that if they call, we will respond.
And they did.
Our partner, Heart N Hand, had quilts and hygiene kits from us the very next morning—and they know we’ll continue to show up however we’re needed.
All of it came together within hours. The call came around 8:30 in the morning from the city of Belton, and by noon, we were feeding people. We stepped into a gap before formal services could even be set up—feeding workers and families who wouldn’t leave their posts. Not just soup, but because of the generosity of this community, Becky was able to go out and buy nearly 100 sandwiches.
It wasn’t complicated. It wasn’t polished.
It was provision....it was love.... it was HOPE.
And it had been set in motion long before we ever saw the need.
We get asked all the time, when our community shows up like this,
“Aren’t you a quilt shop?”
And the answer is kind of....but we’re also a community of people who respond with obnoxious generosity.
Because when it matters, our community shows what real treasure is...we have fun, we make fun projects, but what matters most is serving and giving. Every day I watch people set aside what they planned, give what they have, and choose hope.
They do it without accolades or recognition...because that is not what it is about. They demonstrate what scripture says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-20)
Our next big task is helping the community rebuild. We are doing that by collecting $10 and $25 Amazon gift cards that will be distributed by Heart N Hand to families impacted.