VOICEToday Commemorates 1st Anniversary with a VoiceQuilt

VoiceQuilt is often used by family and friends to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and graduations.

But sometimes VoiceQuilt is used to commemorate important milestones at companies – both public and private. Angela Williams, founder of VOICEToday (Victory Over Incest Changes Everyone), recently received a VoiceQuilt in honor of her organizations’s first anniversary. Angela founded VOICEToday to break the silence of child sexual abuse through education and prayer.

Williams (shown in the photo above – and on VoiceQuilt’s home page) was extremely touched by voice messages left by colleagues and beneficiaries associated with her organization. The organization’s mission is threefold: to break the silence of child sexual abuse through prevention and awareness education to give a 1) VOICE of healing to survivors, 2) VOICE of protection to children, and 3) VOICE of prevention to adults. Given the company mission, the voice-based toasts, tributes and favorite memories from VOICEToday’s community were particularly poignant.

We are inspired by Angela’s work and applaud her dedication.

Go to www.VoiceQuilt.com and click "Get Started" to commemorate a special event.

VoiceQuilt "Fit for a Queen"

A customer wrote to us:


"We did a VoiceQuilt for my mom's 80th birthday.

After listening to it at her party — it was 55 minutes long — she cried throughout the entire messages. At the end she said that it was the best gift of her life!

She said that not even the Queen of England could have such a wonderful gift."

Go to www.VoiceQuilt.com and click "Get Started" to create a unique, personalized gift to treat your special someone like royalty.

VoiceQuilt - "Dying Well and Preserving Memories"

When people are diagnosed with a terminal illness, many think of it as the end. But not Dr. Ira Byock, a longtime palliative care physician, advocate for improved end-of-life care and author of Dying Well: The Prospect for Growth at the End of Life. He, like his friend Herb Maurer, a now-deceased oncologist who ironically suffered from cancer, believe in the importance of making the end of one’s life a powerful, enjoyable experience.

As described here Maurer used the final stage of his life to focus on simple pleasures like food, drink, travel and of course, family and friends. He was lucky: Numerous family members were able to travel to see him and share happy memories with him. Others don’t have that same ability, which is where VoiceQuilt comes in.

I became aware of Dr. Ira Byock after talking with Don D., a VoiceQuilt gift giver. Don had organized a VoiceQuilt for Beth, his dying wife. He shared how the VoiceQuilt had enabled family and friends to say goodbye. It had given them the opportunity to tell Beth what she had meant to them – even if they lived far away.

It was, in many ways, a virtual version of the process Dr. Byock advocates.

On Friday, I spoke with another gift giver that has set up a VoiceQuilt so that a dying friend can record voice messages for her elementary school children.

I never ceased to be amazed at the creativity of our customers…

VoiceQuilt - "Thanks a Latte"

A few years back, scientists established a link between feelings of gratitude and good health.

Oprah picked up on this theme right away, urging viewers to keep a gratitude journal. As one of her fans, I began writing down three things every evening that made me grateful during the day.

Most of the time, my entries were pretty banal: “Even though I left late for work, I arrived on time because there wasn’t any traffic.”

But every once in a while, something would strike me: a breathtaking full moon, the way my daughter laughed at A.A. Milne’s “Sneezzles” or a touching email from a VoiceQuilt gift giver.

That’s my long winded way of introducing VoiceQuilt’s “Thank-you” program. It’s a small gesture that we started a few weeks back. We’re now sending a $5 Starbucks gift cards to VoiceQuilt gift givers that refer friends.

It really doesn’t feel like “enough”. We’d like to do so much more. But at least we’re able to do a ittle SOMETHING. After all, we all feel better –literally and figuratively – when we express appreciation. So, thank you!

VoiceQuilt - 80th Birthday Gift of Family History

This past weekend, Pam K. wrote us about the VoiceQuilt Keepsake she created for mother’s 80th birthday. Here is an excerpt.

"I wanted to express what a great gift the VoiceQuilt was to mother and our family. Although Mom has Alzheimers and can't converse, we gathered around the kitchen table with cake & ice cream, & flowers to celebrate her 80th birthday. It was the VoiceQuilt that made her birthday a real celebration.

The messages that came in were enjoyed by her grandsons, and caretakers as well - an insight to "Grandma's" life that wouldn't have otherwise been revealed, and it lead to more conversations and certainly will in the future. The messages help with family history, also as we heard from her cousins, dear friends going back to childhood, or lifelong friends. We chuckled to hear the first voice message came from Mom's first beau from high-school! - What a hoot!

Mom smiled and giggled through out the whole VoiceQuilt. Dad & Mom had been married 50 years when he passed on 10 years ago, so there were remembrances of their time with dear ones also.

It made her 80th birthday truly special and one could tell she knew this was indeed special - just for her!"

Go to www.VoiceQuilt.com and click "Get Started" to start capturing family memories. Create a unique, personalized VoiceQuilt gift to commemorate a special occasion - Birthday, Anniversary or Retirement.

This Is Your Life — And VoiceQuilt…

From 1952 to 1961, Ralph Edwards hosted a wildly popular TV show called This Is Your Life on NBC. In a style similar to shows like Who Do You Think You Are? and Faces of America, This Is Your Life surprised celebrities and ordinary citizens alike by presenting them with a narrative of their life in front of a live audience. From Nat King Cole to Debbie Reynolds, participants were reunited with old friends and presented with stories and memories from their past.

After the show went off the air, it was revived briefly in the early ‘70s and ‘80s. Regis Philbin considered reviving it once again just five years ago. Why all this attention? Memories and experiences are what bring us together. They comfort us in times of trouble and elicit genuine emotion in an era when so many things are contrived.

Two years ago, a VoiceQuilt gift giver named Lindsey sent us an email her Mom had sent after receiving a VoiceQuilt.

“…Your messages made me realize the impact we each leave on everyone we meet throughout our lives, without even realizing it. That said, I plan to focus on displaying a positive attitude as often as possible, to quit sweating the small stuff, to always be conscious of others' needs and, most importantly, to never take family or friends for granted!”

That kind of sums it all up for us. A VoiceQuilt isn’t filmed; it’s not even terribly fancy. But it will serve as a concrete reminder – an audio tribute – to all the lives your loved one has touched.

Whether it's a birthday, anniversary or graduation, you can go to www.VoiceQuilt.com and click "Get Started" to create your own personal sentimental gift...

VoiceQuilt - "Meaningful Get Well Gift"

Karen, One of our Get Well Recipients

During the last few weeks, we’ve shipped quite a few Get Well keepsakes.

Here’s an early peek at tips for organizing an inspirational get well gift. (We’ll be adding these pointers to VoiceQuilt’s Idea Center later this week.)

1.) Affirm the future. Ask children to tell jokes or sing songs. Ask adults to talk about things they’ll enjoy doing with the recipient when he or she is well. For more ideas, go here

2.) Inspire. Ask everyone to share prayers, encouraging words or favorite scripture. Consider doing a VoiceQuilt prayer chain

3.) Piggyback. If the recipient has a page on Caringbridge or FaceBook, ask the page owner to post VoiceQuilt dialing instructions.

4.) Share Early and Often. Many patients tell us that hearing a portion of the VoiceQuilt before a medical procedure is calming. It’s easy to finalize the VoiceQuilt, download a VoiceQuilt mp3 and then turn the phone system back on so that others can phone in messages.

Create a "Cheering Squad in a Box" to help someone get back to good health. Just go to www.VoiceQuilt.com and click "Get Started".