December 2025
At Providence Medford Medical Center, compassion is more than a word — it’s something you can feel, and even hold. During life’s most tender moments, our chaplains and volunteers come together to offer comfort to our patients in a personal way: Through handmade quilts.
These comfort quilts are donated to patients nearing the end of life, offering feelings of warmth and safety and a cherished keepsake for their families. “These quilts are meant to make patients and their families feel more at home in the hospital,” says Rev. Daniel Owens, a chaplain at Providence Medford Medical Center. “They provide something tangible in our work of spiritual care.”
Daniel's Goal: To be a calm and wecloming presence to every patient who enters the hospital. This calm presence is especially important because chaplains are also tasked with delivering comfort quilts to families.
Each quilt is unique, often reflecting a patient’s favorite colors, patterns, or symbols of their life—such as flowers, hobbies, or military service. Families take these quilts home as a lasting reminder of love and connection.
Above: Bags of donated quilts are stored in a closet behind the Providence Medford chapel. Daniel searches through the collection to find the perfect match for each patient.
A labor of love
Behind every quilt is a story of generosity. One of the organizations making donations to the Providence Medford Medical Center is The Material Girls, a Rogue River nonprofit dedicated to serving the community. These quilts are a labor of love,” says Tanya Corona, president of The Material Girls. “They bring comfort during one of the scariest moments in someone’s life.”
In 2025, The Material Girls donated more than 100 handmade quilts to our hospital.“These quilts are a labor of love,” Tanya says. “They bring comfort during one of the scariest moments in someone’s life.”
Though it takes time to create the perfect quilt, for families, the effect they can bring is profound. "We often get letters from people expressing gratitude about the quilts they’ve received at the hospital,” Tanya says. “We’ve even heard that our quilts have been buried with a person because it brought them so much comfort at the end of their life.”
Above: Every quilt crafted by The Material Girls includes a small message of hope stitched into the underside.
A comfort to all
When delivering comfort quilts, patients and families are usually designated one. However, Daniel recalls a story of a special quilt that moved mountains for the family of a patient recently passed.
“I was serving a patient who loved the outdoors,” Daniel says. “After they passed, I was able to give the family a quilt decorated with pictures of wildlife, trees and beautiful earthy colors. It meant so much to the family to receive this quilt in their memory.”
For Daniel and his team, delivering these quilts is more than a task—it’s a calling. “Being present for someone at the end of their life takes courage,” he says. “I feel like God directed me to provide compassionate and kind care to people who are going through difficulties and struggles.”
Related news
- Learn more about our services at Providence Medford Medical Center.
- Schedule an appointment with palliative care at Providence Medford Medical Center.
- See a story about our TeleSpiritual Health team, who provides online support and comfort for our caregivers.
