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Hominy Creek Comfort Makers: Inside the Library-Based Volunteer Group Stitching Kindness Into Action

Hominy Creek Comfort Makers meets monthly at the Enka-Candler Library to create cozy handmade gifts for community members experiencing grief or illness.

Morgan Laurens

• 5 min read
Hominy Creek Comfort Makers: Inside the Library-Based Volunteer Group Stitching Kindness Into Action
Founder Pat White (center, standing) and the Hominy Creek Comfort Makers meet monthly at the Enka-Candler Library.

​Are you sitting comfortably? Because this week, we’re taking a closer look at how the Hominy Creek Comfort Makers and their Enka-Candler Library partners are combining craft and community service. Host Elise Wilson cozies up with founder Pat White, along with local library legends Kate Spratt (branch manager) and Theresa Wallace (librarian and program master), for a conversation about how a group of crafters is comforting their community, one stitch at a time.

Why the Enka-Candler Library? The Comfort Makers needed a home base, a place to gather, create, and store their ever-growing stash of materials and handmade goods. Like most regional libraries, the Enka-Candler branch has become much more than a place to pick up books. Under the guidance of Kate and Theresa, the library now serves as a monthly meeting ground for this unstoppable volunteer group. It’s a creative hub where anyone can drop in, find connection, and take part, no sewing skills required.

Highlights of Our Conversation With Hominy Creek Comfort Makers

  • Meet the Hominy Creek Comfort Makers: Founder Pat White shares the story behind the group and how her love of sewing met her passion for service.
  • No Experience Needed: Theresa Wallace assures us that you don’t need to know a thing about sewing to help. If you can stuff a pillow or just want some community, you’re welcome.
  • Libraries as Community Hubs: Kate Spratt and Theresa Wallace share how a library room became a space for kindness, connection, and a bit of crafty magic.
  • Impressive Stats: Over 2,000 comfort items (pillows, quilts, shawls, and more) created just last year, and upwards of 6,000 donated since the group’s inception four and a half years ago.
  • Meaningful Moments: Tears are shed as the group reflects on what it means to hand off a comfort item to cancer centers and families in need.
  • Not Just for Women: Despite handwork’s traditional association with “women’s work,” everyone is welcome to join, regardless of age, skill, or gender.
  • Quiet Activism: Redefining activism with thread and good conversation.

Quoteables

  • “[You] should get involved. It’ll really make you feel good about yourself and feel good about your community.” — Pat White
  • “A willing heart to come and serve—that’s all you need.” — Theresa Wallace
  • “My mom had breast cancer a few years ago and had a mastectomy. She received, as a gift, a butterfly pillow that was handmade by a group like this. It just meant so much to her to have that for the ride home from the hospital.” — Kate Spratt

Mentions & Shoutouts

  • Friends of the Enka-Candler Library: Supporting resources and funding for all things crafty and cozy.
  • B.E.A.R. Closet: An outlet that offers donated baby items free of charge to families in need, including contributions from the Hominy Creek Comfort Makers.
  • Local Cancer Centers (Messino Cancer Center, Hope Women’s Cancer Center, New Horizons Women's Cancer Center, Care Partners Hospice): Some recipients of the comfort items.

Get Involved / Where to Follow

  • Join the Group: Just show up! Meetings are on the third Thursday of each month, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. at the Enka-Candler Library Community Room.
  • Donate: Fabric, yarn, fiberfill, or other crafty supplies can be dropped off at the Enka-Candler Library. Monetary donations go through Friends of the Enka-Candler Library.

Contact & Social

Episode Credits

Photos: Kate Spratt, Elise Wilson, Hominy Creek Comfort Makers

All photos published with permission of the artist(s); featured photo: Hominy Creek Comfort Makers.