Canonsburg mother sewing quilts for women’s shelter in memory of son
Wendy Hopwood had never felt such grief and despair.
In May 2024, Hopwood’s 32-year-old son, Adrian Foody – a man who laughed easily, loved American history and his friends and family, and curated a large collection of rare concert T-shirts and athletic shoes – died from a drug overdose after a years-long battle with drug addiction.
“He was full of energy and so gregarious; his mind was always working,” said Hopwood, a Canonsburg resident who winters in Florida. “He was so interested in life.”
Overwhelmed with sadness, she searched for something to help her cope with the loss of her son.
So Hopwood immersed herself in quilting, a hobby she’d picked up about 10 years ago after retiring from a 30-year career as a certified public accountant.
“When I retired, I bought a sewing machine, took some lessons, and started quilting. After Adrian passed, quilting was my therapy and my comfort. When I’m in that space, no one can touch me, and I can’t think about that,” said Hopwood.
During a conversation with a friend in late 2024, Hopwood shared that she was quilting “as kind of a therapy.” Her friend, Heather Knuth of Mt. Lebanon, mentioned her own efforts to obtain office furniture and supplies for Sally’s Sanctuary, a 50-bed women’s shelter that is being built by City Mission.
When its doors open in July, the $7.1 million shelter will provide beds, meals, child care, and services to help women get on a better path when they leave.
That got Hopwood thinking.
What if she made quilts to donate to the women’s shelter, channeling her grief and her talents into something that would help women facing their own struggles?
In the past, she has donated quilts to Project Linus, a nonprofit that provides homemade blankets for seriously ill or traumatized children, and focusing on a major project, she reasoned, would help keep her from dwelling on her emotional pain.
Initially, her goal was to make 32 quilts, to commemorate each year of Foody’s life.
“I planned to make 32 because that’s symbolic, but there are 50 beds, so now I’m making 50,” said Hopwood. “I’m a true believer in what City Mission does. Until now, they didn’t have a lot of room for women, which kept women in abusive relationships or other bad situations, so the women’s shelter is going to make a difference.”
Indeed, women and families are the fastest-growing homeless populations in the United States, and City Mission has to turn away between 50 to 70 women each month because of lack of space.
Diana Irey Vaughan, president and CEO of City Mission, said she is grateful for Hopwood’s act of kindness.
“When you have individuals stepping up to give of their time and talents, it shows love to the people we serve and it lets people here know that there are those in the community who want to bless them, and it allows them to know they are loved and they are worthy,” said Irey Vaughan. “It’s something very tangible that is a reminder of the care and support that is coming from the community. The tangible gift of a quilt gives them the hope they need to hope for a brighter future.”
Hopwood’s quilts – which are influenced by Kaffe Fassett, a titan and rock star in the world of quilting and decorative arts – are ablaze with purples, reds, blues, and other bright colors, and bold patterns.
“Usually, I can’t do anything muted. I do what catches my eye and makes me happy, and I’m drawn to the bold colors,” said Hopwood. “I’ve tried to mute some of them down because I realize not everyone’s going to want a bright one. No two are alike. I want everybody to be able to pick out what speaks to them and makes them hopeful.”
It takes Hopwood about 40 hours to complete each 70-by-90-inch blanket designed to fit the women’s shelter’s long twin beds. She quilts and binds them all on her Bernina sewing machine, and when she’s finished, she stitches in a label that includes a Bible verse and her signature.
“I found out there’s such a thing as quilter’s elbow,” Hopwood said with a laugh. “It’s a strain when you’re moving the heavy weight of a quilt around.”
So far, she has completed 14 quilts, and has 24 tops finished.
“I think it’s going to be doable, that I’ll be able to get them done in time for the opening,” she said.
Hopwood said the loss of Adrian is still raw and painful, and she knows all too well that addiction “is a disease that does not discriminate.”
According to the autopsy report that was released three months after his death, Adrian died from an overdose of cocaine mixed with fentanyl.
Fentanyl, up to 50 times stronger than heroin, is mixed in with other illicit drugs to increase the potency of the drug. Drug dealers are increasingly mixing fentanyl into al kinds of drugs, including heroin, cocaine, and fake prescription pills, without a person knowing it.
“This is a danger to our children,” said Hopwood. You could be an 18, 20, or 30-year-old and take something, and it’s the last thing you do,” said Hopwood.
In the months since Adrian’s death, Hopwood has received calls and letters from friends and family members whose lives have been impacted by the opioid epidemic that has ravaged communities and families across the United States for the past decade.
“Adrian struggled with drugs for more than half his years,” said Hopwood. “It’s affected so many families, and they’re still afraid or unwilling to talk about it. It’s a crowded boat we’re in, but we all feel so alone. I feel like I failed my son, and quilting helps, but I’m also seeing a therapist to help get through some of these feelings about guilt. It’s been helpful, but it’s been hard.”
Hopwood is hoping that her quilt project inspires other quilters to make quilts for Sally’s Sanctuary, and she plans to keep crafting quilts after she completes the first 50 blankets for the shelter’s opening.
“I truly believe that in making these quilts, I am letting these women know they are loved and worthy, and there’s a chance for them to turn their lives around,” said Hopwood. “I’m not going to be done after making the initial 50. Now, it’s not my son I’m fighting for. It’s the women at Sally’s House.”