Centenarian Jeanette Kidd provides comfort with handmade lap quilts

Bluffton Food Pantry distributes "comforters" to families at Christmas

MEDIA RELEASE__For the past six to seven years, 100-year-old Jeanette Kidd has spent her free time stitching together something far more meaningful than fabric. With steady hands and a generous heart, the longtime community member has created and donated an estimated 100 handmade lap quilts to the Bluffton Food Pantry, ensuring that families in need receive not only a meal, but a touch of comfort and warmth at Christmas.

Kidd’s quilting tradition began quietly, but it has grown into a heartfelt mission that inspires those around her. Friends and fellow crafters often donate fabric to her, knowing it will be transformed into something beautiful and purposeful. Each quilt—colorful, cozy, and stitched with care—reflects hours of dedication from a woman who believes in giving back.

Her friend, Jami Lovell, said, “Her quilts are more than blankets. They’re gifts of kindness.”

As the holiday season approaches each year, Kidd’s quilts become a beloved addition at the Bluffton Food Pantry, where recipients often express surprise and gratitude at such a personal gift. Volunteers say her work has become a cherished tradition—one that adds warmth to the community in more ways than one.

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