Sweet Ladies of the Community

The Sweet Ladies of the Community is a group of seniors (made up of NFHA residents and members of the Niagara Falls community) that complete a variety of quilting and crocheting projects. Each year, the “sweet ladies” donate over 100 lap blankets and quilts to area hospitals and nursing homes.

The work of our talented “sweet ladies” has been displayed at Niagara University’s Castellani Art Museum as part of the “Pattern and Improvisation: Local African-American Quilts” Exhibit. This distinguished display, represents the work of our area’s best quilters and celebrates four interrelated themes in African-American quilting: tradition, improvisation, community history and personal expression.

As a unique intergenerational component to the “Sweet Ladies” program, children enrolled in our after-school tutorial programs teach our “sweet ladies” how to navigate the internet and in turn, our “sweet ladies” teach the children how to quilt and crochet. This special component has spanned the generational gap and forged numerous lifelong friendships.