Ledger-Dispatch

By Bethany A. Monk (bmonk@ledger-dispatch.com) =

From left, members of the Compassion = Outreach=20 Group of the Mother Lode Newcomers Club Debbie Peterson, Fran = Weinrob,=20 Karen Warner and Marilyn Dillon made prayer blankets for Amador = STARS=20 (Support, Transportation and Resource Services).

Photo by: Bethany A.=20 Monk
Fran Weinrob, member of the Mother = Lode=20 Newcomers Club, remembers when her mother was fighting cancer. =

"I know=20 those van rides (to the hospital) can be cold," said Weinrob, who lives = in Pine=20 Grove. "What better than to a have a hug wrapped around you on those = rides."=20

Weinrob and the nine other women who belong to the Compassion = Outreach=20 Group of the Mother Lode Newcomers Club made 22 prayer blankets. Several = of the=20 women presented the blankets to the Amador STARS (Support, = Transportation and=20 Resource Services) Monday afternoon. STARS, located on Court Street in = Jackson,=20 is a nonprofit organization supporting local cancer needs.

The = blankets=20 will be given to cancer patients who visit or utilize Amador STARS, said = Ginger=20 Rolf, Amador STARS board director and one of the founders. "You feel = cold=20 because you're not feeling well," Rolf said. Now cancer patients who = visit STARS=20 will have "a memory from such a wonderful organization," she said, = referring to=20 the newcomers club.

A prayer blanket is a "physical expression of = compassion and mercy to those who are suffering," Weinrob wrote in a = press=20 release. "The blankets are nothing more than two pieces of material cut = and tied=20 together, but they are much more than the sum of their parts. Each = uniquely tied=20 knot represents a prayer lifted up, and when you cover yourself with = this=20 blanket, you will be literally wrapped in prayer."

The Compassion = Outreach Group made enough blankets to fill every seat in the four vans=20 belonging to Amador STARS, Weinrob wrote. "We have met that goal through = time,=20 treasure, and the talent of the COG members, and from a generous grant = from the=20 Mother Lode Newcomers membership for nine blankets."

STARS was = formed in=20 2004 when Rolf, and other local cancer activists Nina Machado, Nancy = Swensen,=20 Shannon Rolf and Phyllis Swensen began raising funds to help support = local=20 cancer needs, according to Amador STARS' Web site. Also on the board now = are=20 Carol Woolsey and Gretchen Carlson.

Amador STARS helps cancer = patients=20 with a variety of resources including: Providing information about local = and=20 regional services available to cancer patients and survivors; where to = find a=20 wig when they are going through chemotherapy; providing free = transportation=20 (including wheelchair access) to radiation and chemotherapy treatments = in=20 Sacramento, Stockton, Lodi, and in Amador County. Amador STARS has also = helped=20 reinstate full-time oncology services to Amador County.

"My heart = went=20 out and I responded immediately," said Amador newcomers member, Marilyn = Dillon.=20 Her mother battled cancer and the opportunity to help someone fighting = the=20 disease is something she jumped at the chance of doing.

"I think = it's a=20 wonderful way to give back," said newcomer Karen Warner, who lives in = Pine=20 Grove.

"We hope that the clients of STARS will feel warm and = comforted=20 by these blankets and that they will feel wrapped in prayer when they = use them,"=20 Weinrob said.

The Mother Lode Newcomers Club meets the first = Thursday of=20 the month from September through May. The group helps acquaint members = with=20 activities and resources in the Mother Lode area. For more information, = visit=20 www.motherlodenewcomers.org, or to reserve a space in an upcoming = luncheon,=20 e-mail, resv4nc@yahoo.com.

"It's all about these girls - they did = a=20 beautiful job," said Chesney Grant of the women who made the blankets. = Grant is=20 a newcomers board member.

"The newcomers group is a lot of fun," = Warner=20 said. "It's just a wonderful group of very warm, very welcoming=20 ladies."

"It's a wonderful outreach and a blessing to help = others," said=20 newcomer Judy Regnier.

Other members of the Compassion Outreach = Group who=20 participated in making the blankets include Linda Ferro, Frances Garner, = Nancy=20 Street, Chris Weidinger, Chris Broadhead and Barbara = Wenzel.

Amador=20 STARS, located at 631 Court St. in Jackson, is open Monday through = Friday from 8=20 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and closed from 12 to 12:30 for lunch. For more = information,=20 call 223-1246 or visit www.amadorstars.org. All money raised by Amador = STARS=20 remains in the county for local cancer needs, except for a portion that = is=20 donated to cancer research.

Bethany A. = Monk