Frequently asked questions

1. Is Victoria's Quilts Canada funded by the Canadian Cancer Society?
   Victoria's Quilts Canada (VQC) is a completely separate entity from the Canadian Cancer Society and receives no funding from them. We are a national, non-profit, charitable organization that is run by dedicated volunteers in Ottawa, our headquarters, and in 25 independent branches in cities and towns across Canada. Donations from private individuals are our major source of funds and go directly towards purchasing materials for our quilt-making program and paying for their mail delivery in areas not served by a VQC Branch. We do not have any paid staff.
    
2. Where do we send our request?
   Requests for a quilt can be sent to your local Branch or to the National Office using our Quilt Request Form. These requests are processed by National or are distributed to the appropriate Branches.
    
3. How do I know if the person I requested a quilt for received one?
   If you would like to know whether or not a quilt has been delivered to the person who you have requested it for, you can send an email to quilts@victoriasquiltscanada.com or call us at (613) 843-9212 and we will check our database to see the shipping status.
   
   Please note that some requests are forwarded from our National Office to a Branch for processing and the Branch may not update National as to its status until month's end. Which Branch receives the request depends on the recipient's location. In addition, at the Branch level, as at the National Office, delivery time for a quilt depends on how many requests are received and how many quilts are in stock at the time. Some Branches may be quicker than others. As a result, please always allow several weeks for delivery.
    
4. Why do we ask that you inform the recipient of the pending arrival of a quilt?
   Recipients are often surprised by the delivery of a parcel from an unknown source and return the quilt without even opening it. This doubles our delivery costs when a quilt has been returned and has to be re-sent once the recipient finds out about it. As a volunteer organization, we prefer to avoid these extra costs.
    
5. Why do you need the home address for the recipient if they are staying somewhere else during their recovery?
   Although we can deliver a quilt to an alternate address, we require the recipient’s home address and phone number for our database. When a request is received the recipient’s name is searched in the database to ensure that they haven’t received a quilt before. Having the home address prevents duplication and helps differentiate between people with the same name.
    
6. Why do you not mail quilts to a hospital?
   We prefer not to mail quilts to a hospital, as they often do not get to the intended recipient. We ask for a mailing address of someone who could deliver the quilt to the hospital.
    
7. Will you put a message on the card?
   As our cards are small and we have many messages to write, we ask that your message be a maximum of 10 words including signature.
    
8. Can I make a donation in memory of someone?
   Yes, donations in memory are acknowledged to the family of the deceased when the address is provided.
    
9. What happens to a quilt if the recipient passes away before it is delivered?
   Our policy is that if the recipient passes away before the quilt is delivered, we do not deliver it to the family.
    
10. Can I request a quilt for someone who previously underwent treatment for cancer which is now in remission?
    The mission of Victoria's Quilts Canada is to provide quilts to people living with cancer in Canada.
     
11. There is no Branch close to my friend's home. Can I still request a quilt for my friend?
    Yes, Victoria's Quilts Canada delivers quilts to cancer patients anywhere in Canada. Simply submit your request.
     
12. Does VQC accept used quilts?
    No. Victoria's Quilts Canada can only accept donated quilts that are made with new cotton fabric, batting and flannel. All of the quilts we make also use only new materials.
     
13. Do you accept bulk requests for quilts, such as from hospitals or other care centres?
    Victoria’s Quilts Canada recognizes that hospitals and other care centres would like to provide their patients with the comfort of a quilt. However, we would prefer that the requests come directly from family or friends to ensure that the recipient would truly welcome a quilt. There is a great deal of time, money and fundraising that goes into the production of each of our charity quilts, and we have a limited supply of quilts on hand. Bulk requests tax the resources of our organization, and it may be many weeks before quilts can be delivered.
    
    We do have brochures that could be provided to patients or their friends or family so that they could then request a quilt. If you would like to receive some of these brochures, please provide us with your mailing address and we will send them to you.