Senior citizen Eileen Beck carefully guided 5-year-old kindergartner Alia Orth's tiny hand Wednesday morning as she poked a needle through a fabric block on a colorful quilt being tied at Franklin School.

"That's a good one," Beck praised, "a very good one."

Nearby, Sandy Murphy helped Calvin Taylor, 6, use round-nosed scissors to cut thread.

"Look at you," she said, "you did it."

The scenes were repeated many times as the 23 students in teacher Melinda Winograd's class took turns working with members of the Quilts from Caring Hands group that sews about 400 quilts per year and donates them to local public service agencies.

This particular quilt - whose blocks feature artwork from each of the students - will be donated to the Center Against Rape and Domestic Violence. In all, the program provides quilts to 14 area agencies to be given away to children and families in need.

The children's art included animals, flowers, lady bugs, even a rocket ship and a dinosaur.

Alia knew why the class was helping make the quilt.

"So people who are homeless, or need to move, can have a blanket," Alia said.

Noel Lundee, 6, said she had some quilting experience. She helped her grandmother make a small quilt for her.

In addition to Beck, other quilters were Sandy Murphy, Jan Tallis and Kathy Tomlinson. Lending a hand was McKenzie Kadlub, an Oregon State University junior studying human development and family sciences.

The quilt is especially meaningful to the class, because one student's mother works at CARDV. Quilts from Caring Hands has crafted more than 5,000 quilts since 1990, Jan Tallis said.

Up to 50 women participate. Volunteers take the quilts home to be sewn and they are tied at the Lifespring Foursquare Church on Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The youngsters visited the work party two weeks ago and saw how their blocks would be pieced together.

The quilters welcome donations of materials or money to help purchase supplies. Needed are 100 percent cotton fabric in large pieces; pieced blocks; quilt tops; batting; and textured fabric such as terry cloth, fleece or velour.

Monetary donations are tax-deductible. They can be made at the church, 1495 N.W. 20th St., or sent to Quilts from Caring Hands, 946 N.W. Circle Blvd., No. 238, Corvallis, OR 97330.

Alex Paul can be contacted at alex.paul@lee.net or by calling 758-9526.