Quilters Guild of the Southern Crescent Presents 22 Handmade Quilts to Fayette County 911 Dispatchers

Fayette County, GA — The Quilters Guild of the Southern Crescent (QGSC) presented 22 handcrafted quilts to the Fayette County 911 Communications Center, honoring emergency dispatchers whose behind‑the‑scenes work is essential to public safety. The year‑long project brought together more than 30 guild members, each contributing time, skill, and creativity to produce quilts that reflect the dispatchers’ signature color: sunflower gold.

The idea for the project began a year ago when Teri Biglands, the guild’s former president, former president, learned from Frank Mercer of 4 Our Heroes about the emotional toll and lack of recognition often experienced by emergency dispatch operators.

“Teri was so touched by the stories of dispatchers doing all this hard work and receiving so little acknowledgement,” said Karen Shelnutt, President of the Quilters Guild of the Southern Crescent, who has been with the guild for five years. “After Frank spoke with us last January, we decided we wanted to honor them in a meaningful way. We understood their color was sunflower gold, so we incorporated that into every quilt.”

The quilts were created using a distinctive design made of “crumb blocks,” small pieces of leftover fabric stitched together to form colorful, textured patterns. Each quilt features sunflower‑gold sashing and matching binding, creating a cohesive look across all 22 pieces under the coordination of Laura Wheater, Community Services leader.

“It took a village,” Shelnutt said. “Some people worked for days, others contributed smaller pieces of time, but in total, 30 to 40 members had a hand in this project. Many hands went into these quilts, and they are beautiful.”

Each quilt is constructed as a traditional “quilt sandwich,” with a pieced top, a cotton‑polyester batting layer, and a backing fabric, all quilted together by skilled members of the guild.

“Our hope is that the dispatchers feel acknowledged and appreciated for all of their incredible work,” Shelnutt added.

The Fayette County 911 expressed deep gratitude for the heartfelt gesture.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Quilters Guild of the Southern Crescent for adopting our 911 center as one of their service projects,” said Katye Vogt, Director of Fayette County 911 Communications. “The sheer generosity behind this gift, along with the time, skill, and care that went into creating so many quilts, left us truly in awe. In a profession that can be demanding and emotionally heavy, this thoughtful act of kindness is a powerful reminder that our community deeply values the work our staff does every day.”